01
Marketing plan
A 90-day plan and budget tied to a revenue target.
A part-time marketing manager, without the full-time hire.
Most businesses turning over $1M to $20M need someone to own marketing, but not always forty hours a week of it. I work as an outsourced marketing manager: part-time, senior, and responsible for the plan, the channels, the agencies and the numbers. You get one person who knows your business, without the salary, the recruitment fee or the months of ramp-up.
$0M+
Ad spend managed
0+
Brands worked with
$0M
Revenue for a trades business with no marketing hire
0
Years of experience
Results from accounts I run
Businesses that got a marketing function without hiring one.
Google Ads · Canberra electricianFused Electrical CoSearch campaigns split by service and suburb, live from the first month of trading.
- Leads (calls and forms)
- 1,334
- Cost per lead
- A$54.51
- Ad spend
- A$72,748
- Revenue per lead
- A$1,741
- New leads
- 85+
- New revenue
- $1.2M
- Pipeline
- $6.5M
- Period
- Jan to Sep 2026
- Franchise leads
- 3,047
- Cost per lead
- A$11.71
- Ad spend
- A$35.7k
- Locations sold
- 21+
What an outsourced marketing manager does
The same job as an in-house marketing manager: a plan for the year and the quarter, a budget, the channels that bring in customers, the website and content that convert them, the agencies and freelancers who do the work, and a monthly report the owner actually reads.
The difference is the arrangement. I work part-time across a small number of businesses, so you pay for the hours and seniority you need now, and you can scale the role up, down or into a full-time hire later.
Part-time, freelance, fractional or outsourced?
You will see all four labels, and they overlap. A part-time marketing manager works fewer days than a full-time employee. A freelance marketing manager is self-employed and contracts with you. Outsourced marketing means the function sits outside your payroll. Fractional usually means a senior leader shared across a few companies, the same model as a fractional CMO.
What matters more than the label is seniority and accountability: whether the person can set the plan and answer for the result, or needs someone else to tell them what to do.
Hiring or outsourcing: the real cost
The average advertised marketing manager salary in Australia was about $105,000 in October 2026 (Adzuna), before 12% superannuation, recruitment fees, leave, software and the months it takes to find and ramp the right person.
| Cost | Time to start | What you get | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time marketing manager | About $105k salary plus 12% super and hiring costs | Months to recruit and ramp | One person, full-time, at the seniority you can afford |
| Marketing agency | Monthly fees per channel | Weeks | Execution, but rarely someone who owns the whole plan |
| Outsourced marketing manager (me) | From $1,500 a month, flat | Plan and first changes inside 30 days | A senior lead, with a team on call through my agencies |
When to outsource and when to hire
Outsource when you need senior judgement but not a full week of it, when you are not sure yet what a marketing hire should do, or when the last hire did not work out. Hire full-time when there is enough steady work for a team and the playbook is proven.
Often it is both, in that order. In the Captain seat I build the system, manage any agencies and freelancers, and help you hire and hand over to a full-time marketer when the business is ready.
Who does the work
In the Copilot seat your team or agency executes and I lead: a weekly strategy session, reviews within a business day and a quarterly plan. In the Captain seat I own the funnel and the roadmap. When there is no one to execute, Compound Growth builds websites, lead systems and lifecycle, and Content Department handles video and photo.
Related services
Who this is for
A good fit if
- You turn over roughly $1M to $20M and nobody owns marketing
- You have agencies or freelancers but no one directing them
- You want a senior marketer now, and maybe a full-time hire later
Not a fit if
- You need someone in the office five days a week
- You want a junior to post on social media
What I own, end to end
Everything an in-house marketing manager would own.
02
Lead generation
Google, Meta and the landing pages behind them.
03
Website
Pages that convert, and fixes to the ones that do not.
04
Content and creative
Video, photo and social, briefed and produced.
05
Email and CRM
Follow-up, nurture and reactivation of past customers.
06
Agencies and freelancers
Briefing, managing and holding them to the numbers.
07
Reporting
One monthly view of leads, pipeline and revenue.
08
Hiring
Defining, hiring and onboarding your first marketing hire.
How it starts
- 01
Diagnostic
Two weeks in your numbers, channels and team.
- 02
90-day plan
Priorities, budget and who does what.
- 03
Run
A weekly cadence, campaigns live, agencies managed.
- 04
Grow or hand over
Scale the seat, or hire and hand over when ready.
How we'll work together
Fractional CMO and Head of Growth are the job titles. Copilot and Captain are how the role runs day to day. You get a senior marketing leader either way. The only question is who's driving.
You fly · I'm by your side
Copilot
For teams that already execute and need senior judgement on tap.
What you get
- A weekly strategy session
- Reviews of campaigns, copy and creative within one business day
- A quarterly plan and budget
- A direct line on Slack or WhatsApp
Best fit: An in-house marketer or agency already doing the work.
I fly · you're my crew
Captain
For founders without a marketing leader who want a system installed and run.
What you get
- A 30-day diagnostic and plan
- Ownership of the funnel and roadmap
- Creative strategy and briefs for every shoot and campaign
- A weekly cadence with your team
- A monthly board-ready report
- Management of any agencies or hires
Best fit: Businesses between roughly $1M and $20M revenue.
From $1,500 a month. One retainer, either seat, a fraction of what a full-time CMO costs. The exact number depends on scope, and you get it on the first call.
Both seats, first 30 days. Audit, plan, and the first quick wins shipped.
Month one is a paid trial. If the plan and the first changes are not live within 30 days, walk away and I refund the retainer.
Questions
What is an outsourced marketing manager?
A marketing manager who works for your business on contract rather than on payroll, usually part-time. They own the plan, the channels and the reporting, the same as an in-house manager.
How much does a part-time marketing manager cost in Australia?
I charge a flat retainer from $1,500 a month. For comparison, the average advertised full-time marketing manager salary was about $105,000 in October 2026, before super and hiring costs.
How many days a week do you work with each business?
It depends on the seat. Copilot is a few hours a fortnight; Captain is a set number of days each week. We agree it on the first call.
Is this the same as a fractional CMO?
Close. A fractional CMO leads the whole marketing function, including brand and positioning, usually for larger teams. An outsourced marketing manager is more hands-on with the day-to-day channels. Many businesses start here and grow into the CMO seat.
Freelance marketing manager or agency?
An agency executes a brief; a marketing manager writes it and owns the result. If you already have an agency, I can manage it rather than replace it.
Can you manage our existing agencies and freelancers?
Yes. Briefing and managing agencies, freelancers and any hires is part of the Captain seat.
Will you help us hire a full-time marketer later?
Yes. Defining the role, interviewing and handing over a working playbook is a common end point.
Do you work on-site?
Mostly remote, with on-site days in Sydney where it helps. I work with businesses across Australia and New Zealand.
What size of business is this for?
Founder-led businesses turning over roughly $1M to $20M, from trades and construction to SaaS and professional services.
Let's work out which seat fits.
Tell me what you sell, roughly where revenue sits, and what's stuck. I'll reply within a business day with an honest view on whether I can help and what I'd do first.
Or reach me directly at ben@compoundgrowth.au