8 Reasons the Marketing Agency Model frustrates MD's & CEO's
- At Communications Edge we remove the pain
Typical impact Communications Edge have
ranking in top 10 for 78% of keywords within 12 months
Capturing 30% plus of traffic & Lead Volume
Strategic, data-driven marketing for UK SMEs — with measurable ROI from day one.
Strategic, data-driven marketing for UK SMEs — with measurable ROI from day one.
Communications Edge helps businesses replace slow, expensive agency activity with performance-driven marketing leadership.
Our Fractional CMO model delivers board-level strategy, rapid execution, and AI-enabled intern teams that create 10× more output at 30–40% lower cost.
From marketing audits and KPI dashboards to content, campaigns, and revenue reporting, we build marketing that proves its value — not vanity metrics.
If you’re looking for a UK Fractional CMO that drives leads, pipeline, and growth faster, you’ve found the edge.
Small business pain points with agencies we see are
High Costs with no clear ROI
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Pain: Monthly retainers and project fees feel excessive.
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Impact: Difficult to justify the spend when direct revenue attribution is unclear.
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CEO's Thought: "Why am I paying so much when I don’t even know what’s working?"
Poor Communications & Transparency
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Pain: Confusing reports, unclear strategies, or jargon-filled updates.
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Impact: Trust erodes, CEO feels out of control.
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CEO's Thought: "I’m not sure what they’re actually doing day-to-day."
Misaligned Expertise
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Pain: Generic strategies not tailored to the niche, local market, or business stage.
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Impact: Missed growth potential, wasted budget.
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CEO's Thought: "They don’t really understand my business or my industry."
Get A Health Check and Get a Tailored plan for your business & market
Long contract with little flexibility
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Pain: Locked into 6–12 month retainers with no clear escape if performance drops.
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Impact: Financial risk and lost time.
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CEO's Thought: "Why am I stuck in this when it's not working?"
Fractional Marketing Director / CMO V Agency
Lack of Agility
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Pain: Slow turnaround on tasks and campaign adjustments.
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Impact: Missed market opportunities, slower experimentation.
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CEO's Thought: "Why does it take two weeks to change an ad or headline?"
No ownership of Business Goals
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Pain: Agencies focus on vanity metrics (clicks, impressions) over business KPIs (leads, conversions).
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Impact: Marketing feels disconnected from sales and growth.
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CEO's Thought: "They care about CTR, but I care about revenue."
Agency Case Study - The pain caused when you measure activity NOT results
Overdependance
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Pain: Business becomes reliant on agency knowledge, platforms, or accounts.
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Impact: No internal learning, hard to transition or bring in-house.
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CEO's Thought: "We can’t do anything without them. We’re locked in."
Time drain having to oversee
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Pain: Still needing to micromanage or clarify goals despite outsourcing.
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Impact: Takes focus away from core business operations.
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CEO's Thought: "If I have to spend hours managing them, what’s the point?"
Key Concerns SME's have with Agencies that data driven marketing fixes
Data-Driven Marketing That Delivers Measurable Growth
Common Symptoms and resources to address them:
1. Retainers Without Results
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The hidden cost of agency retainers
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Why “time spent” isn’t the same as “value delivered”
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How to measure ROI properly
2. Confusing Activity With Performance
The difference between marketing output and commercial outcomes
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Which KPIs actually matter (CAC, LTV, Conversion Rate, ROI)
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Turning activity reports into growth dashboards
3. The “Black Box” Problem
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Why many agencies control your data — and why that’s dangerous
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The importance of owning your analytics, ad accounts, and reporting
4. Misaligned Incentives
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Why agencies prioritise retainers, not results
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How the Fractional CMO model aligns incentives with growth
5. Slow Execution and Bureaucracy
The cost of delay: how slow delivery kills campaigns
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Agile marketing: replacing weeks of waiting with hours of action
6. Lack of Commercial Understanding
Agencies talk about creativity — boards talk about numbers
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Why CMOs think in CAC, LTV, and pipeline value
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Translating marketing language into board metrics
7. Disconnected Data and Reporting
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Multiple tools, multiple reports, no single truth
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How dashboards unify your metrics into one commercial view
8. No Transfer of Knowledge
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The dependency problem: when agencies hold your know-how hostage
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How the Fractional CMO + Intern model builds internal capability
9. Inflexible Contracts and Cost Bloat
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Why long-term retainers protect agencies, not clients
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The advantage of flexible, performance-based marketing leadership
10. No Accountability to the Board
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The ultimate frustration: when no one owns the outcome
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How board-level marketing accountability changes everything
Turning Frustration Into Performance
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From opacity to ownership
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From retainers to results
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From activity to accountability
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Resource links:
Free Health Check
Fractional V Agency Cost savings
1. Why Every SME Needs a Marketing Health Check
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Most SMEs lack clear visibility between marketing spend and results.
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Without unified data, teams rely on assumptions instead of evidence.
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The result: wasted spend, misaligned goals, and missed opportunities.
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The Health Check replaces “gut feel” with measurable, board-ready data.
2. What the Health Check Delivers
The Communications Edge Health Check covers three core pillars of marketing performance:
1. Commercial Alignment
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Connects every marketing activity to revenue and margin.
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Defines success using board-level KPIs (CAC, LTV, ROI, pipeline value).
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CAC cost of Acquisition
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LTV lifetime Value
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Identifies spend that drives growth vs. spend that drains performance.
2. Measurement & Analytics
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Audits GA4, CRM, and ad platforms for tracking accuracy.
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Fixes inconsistent tagging and missing event tracking.
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Ensures every campaign is measurable end-to-end.
3. Performance Benchmarking
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Benchmarks your data against industry standards.
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Analyses competitors’ keyword rankings and share of voice.
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Identifies missed opportunities in SEO, PPC, and conversion.
3. The Process: Fast, Insightful, and Actionable
A two-session process designed for clarity and speed:
Session 1 – Data & Discovery
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Review analytics, ad platforms, and CRM setup.
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Extract data on traffic, conversions, and CAC.
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Identify initial performance gaps.
Session 2 – Insights & Roadmap
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Present findings and performance diagnostics.
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Deliver a 90-day roadmap for measurable improvement.
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Prioritise quick wins that produce visible impact in 30 days.
4. What You Receive After the Audit
The deliverable is a Board-Ready Marketing Performance Pack, including:
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Unified dashboards (GA4, Ads, CRM, SEO metrics).
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A clear summary of traffic, conversions, and ROI.
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A ranked action plan with top 10 fixes.
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Competitor benchmarks showing keyword and traffic gaps.
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A 90-day roadmap with defined metrics and ownership.
5. Designed for SME Boards, Not Marketing Departments
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Built for CEOs and MDs who want evidence, not jargon.
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Every recommendation links to commercial outcomes.
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Focuses on ROI, pipeline growth, and measurable performance.
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Turns marketing from an overhead into a controllable growth lever.
6. Why It Works Better Than an Agency Review
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Agencies assess campaigns — we assess performance.
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Agencies talk about impressions — we talk about ROI.
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Agencies deliver reports — we deliver accountability.
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The Health Check is strategic, data-led, and board-focused.
Resource Links:
1. Board-Level Strategy Without the Full-Time Cost
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Access executive-level marketing direction without a £120k–£180k salary.
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A Fractional CMO provides strategic leadership just a few days a month.
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Aligns marketing priorities with commercial objectives and growth targets.
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Result: Enterprise-level capability at 30–40% of the cost of a full-time hire or agency retainer.
2. Alignment Between Marketing and Commercial Goals
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Closes the gap between marketing activity and board-level outcomes.
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Connects campaigns directly to measurable KPIs:
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CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
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LTV (Customer Lifetime Value)
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Pipeline velocity and conversion rate
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ROI per channel
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Result: Marketing becomes accountable to business performance, not vanity metrics.
3. Senior Expertise + AI-Powered Execution
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Combines CMO-level leadership with AI-enabled marketing interns.
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Delivers 10–15× faster execution through automation and workflow tools.
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Covers every core area:
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SEO and content optimisation
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PPC and paid media
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Conversion rate optimisation (CRO)
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Dashboard analytics and reporting
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4. Faster Planning and Execution
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Traditional agencies take weeks to plan and deliver campaigns.
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A Fractional CMO runs agile sprints — campaigns launch in days, not weeks.
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AI tools accelerate analysis, testing, and optimisation.
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Result: Marketing becomes responsive, not reactive — matching the speed of opportunity.
5. Transparent, Board-Ready Reporting
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Live dashboards replace static PDF reports.
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Full visibility in Looker Studio or Databox integrating:
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GA4, Ads, SEO, and CRM data
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CAC, ROI, and pipeline metrics
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Board discussions shift from “What happened?” to “What’s next?”
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Result: Measurable accountability at every stage of the funnel.
6. Flexibility to Scale as You Grow
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Scale capability up or down as business needs evolve.
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Structure can include:
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CMO + 1 intern to start
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Add part-time specialists (SEO, PPC, design) as needed
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Adjust cost and capacity quarterly, not annually.
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Result: You pay only for the marketing capability you actually need.
7. Integration Across All Channels
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The Fractional CMO unifies your marketing ecosystem:
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SEO and content
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Paid search and social
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Email automation and CRM workflows
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Sales enablement assets
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Builds consistent messaging, analytics, and brand alignment.
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Result: Marketing operates as one cohesive performance system.
8. Improved ROI and Lower CAC
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Continuous data analysis identifies and removes inefficiency.
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Budgets are dynamically reallocated toward high-performing channels.
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Typical outcomes:
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20–40% CAC reduction
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2–3× higher lead quality
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15× more marketing output through AI automation
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Result: Predictable, scalable ROI without agency overheads.
9. Knowledge Transfer and Capability Building
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Every workflow, dashboard, and SOP is documented.
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Interns and internal staff are trained to sustain performance.
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When you hire in-house later, your systems are already built and proven.
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Result: Independence, not dependency — long-term marketing self-sufficiency.
10. Full Transparency and Accountability
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All work happens inside your systems — your logins, your data.
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No hidden hours, no “black box” agency reporting.
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You see exactly what’s happening in real time.
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Result: Marketing becomes a profit-driving function with clear ownership, not a cost centre shrouded in jargon.
What we do, How we do it, Impact
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Data-Driven Marketing That Delivers Measurable Growth
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Transparent. Measurable. Accountable.
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From Measurement to Momentum
How Our Model Works
Measurable Outcomes
Case Study
How the Communications Edge Model Works: Fractional CMO + Interns + AI
Our model blends board-level strategy with scalable execution — delivering results faster and at lower cost than traditional agencies.
A Fractional CMO provides strategic leadership, aligning marketing with commercial goals, setting KPIs, and ensuring every action drives measurable ROI.
AI-enabled interns handle day-to-day execution — from SEO, PPC, and content creation to reporting and analytics — guided by defined workflows and AI tools that deliver 10–15× the speed of manual methods.
This hybrid model combines human judgment with machine precision. The CMO focuses on strategy, insight, and optimisation; interns execute rapidly and consistently.
All activity is tracked through real-time dashboards in Looker Studio or Databox, giving you full visibility into spend, performance, and results.
The outcome: senior expertise, agile execution, and transparent reporting — a marketing engine built for measurable SME growth.
Measurable Outcomes: CAC, LTV, and ROI
At Communications Edge, every marketing decision is guided by measurable outcomes — not opinions.
We track Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) to reveal how efficiently your marketing converts spend into leads and sales. By identifying and eliminating wasted channels, we consistently reduce CAC by 20–40%.
Next, we focus on Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) — understanding not just how customers buy, but how long they stay and how much they spend. This insight helps optimise retention campaigns and refine targeting for higher profitability.
Finally, we measure Return on Investment (ROI) across every channel, ensuring you know precisely what’s working.
Dashboards in Looker Studio or Databox display real-time performance data, linking traffic, leads, and revenue outcomes.
The result: transparent, accountable marketing that connects every pound spent to commercial results — helping SMEs grow confidently, backed by data that proves real business impact.
Case Study
In one revealing audit of a technology company, we uncovered a £25,000/month agency spend that delivered zero qualified leads. Their site had 20 pages — 17 of which weren’t indexed — and the mobile version loaded in 16 seconds.
The result? Google downgraded them, organic traffic cratered to 1/130th of what it had been, and a £5k PPC budget produced nothing for five months.
We intervened with a data-driven strategy: paused failing PPC, rebuilt the site for performance, targeted 200+ transactional keywords (vs 30), and linked every campaign to pipeline metrics in a unified dashboard.
Within 90 days, the cost per lead plummeted, transparency returned, and marketing began contributing to revenue.
This is just one example. Explore our Data-Driven Growth clusters — CAC, LTV, SEO content, full-funnel dashboards — each backed by real SME transformation.
From Frustration to Measurable growth FAQs
These are common questions we get asked either before or during a marketing health check
Top 3 FAQs - Agency Frustrations
Why do most marketing agencies fail to deliver measurable ROI?
Because most agencies focus on activity, not outcomes. They report on impressions, clicks, and content output — but not on CAC, LTV, or revenue impact.
A Fractional CMO model fixes this by linking every campaign directly to board-level metrics and providing live dashboards that show real commercial performance.
Why are agency retainers so expensive for SMEs?
Agency retainers include overheads, account management, and multiple layers of non-billable time.
With a Fractional CMO, you pay only for strategy and delivery — no inflated overheads, no hidden time.
Most SMEs see 30–40% lower costs while getting 10× more execution capacity through AI-enabled interns.
How can I get transparency and control back from my agency?
Start by demanding live dashboards and direct access to your data — GA4, Ads, CRM, and SEO tools should all belong to you.
The Communications Edge model removes the “black box” entirely: everything is measurable, visible, and owned by your business, not a supplier.
Guess work to Measurable Growth Top 3 FAQs
What does “turning guesswork into measurable growth” actually mean?
It means replacing marketing opinions with data-driven decisions.
Instead of guessing what’s working, SMEs gain clear dashboards that track performance end-to-end — from spend and traffic to leads, CAC, and pipeline growth.
Every action becomes measurable, repeatable, and accountable to board-level outcomes.
How does a Marketing Health Check help measure what’s working?
The Communications Edge Marketing Health Check identifies where spend is wasted and where opportunities are being missed.
It audits your GA4 setup, campaign tracking, CRM, and SEO data, then delivers a 90-day roadmap with clear commercial metrics.
You see which channels drive profit, which don’t, and how to reallocate resources for faster ROI.
What tools or dashboards make this measurable?
We integrate Looker Studio or Databox dashboards connected to your GA4, Ads, CRM, and SEO data.
These visualise:
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CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
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LTV (Lifetime Value)
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Lead volume and quality
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Campaign ROI and conversion rate
You get live visibility instead of waiting for monthly agency reports — so decisions are based on facts, not feelings.
Benefits of a fractional CMO Top 3 FAQs
What exactly does a Fractional CMO do for an SME?
A Fractional CMO acts as your part-time marketing leader, providing senior-level strategy without the full-time cost.
They align marketing with commercial goals, build KPI frameworks (CAC, LTV, ROI), and oversee delivery through AI-enabled interns or your existing team.
You get leadership, accountability, and measurable results — without agency overheads or long retainers.
How is a Fractional CMO different from a marketing agency?
Agencies sell activity — ads, blogs, and social posts.
A Fractional CMO delivers accountability — strategy, data visibility, and ROI reporting.
Instead of outsourcing performance, you own it: your data, your dashboards, your results.
Most SMEs find the model 30–40% cheaper and 10× faster than agency retainers, with 100% transparency.
How quickly will I see results from a Fractional CMO model?
Most SMEs see measurable improvement within 60–90 days.
The first month focuses on audits, data accuracy, and quick wins.
By month three, performance dashboards track progress in real time — showing gains in traffic, lead quality, CAC, and ROI.
You’ll see clear, board-ready metrics proving the return on your marketing investment.
Want to remove these issues? Get in touch to learn more.
