Too small for a marketing team, too big to wing it – where do you start?

If you’re running a small to medium-sized B2B business, you’ll know that marketing often ends up on the “we’ll sort that later” pile. When the time finally comes to invest properly, the question is: what’s the best way to build a marketing function that actually works?

With a modest marketing budget, there are three main options:

1. Outsource everything to an agency

2. Hire an in-house junior marketer

3. Bring in experienced fractional marketing support

Each has its place, but how do you know which one is right for you? Here I explore these three options (being as objective as I can…!) to help you make the best choice for your business.

Option 1: Outsource everything to an agency

I know that agencies can look tempting – I spent seven years working for one. They come with glossy case studies, slick presentations, and a whole team of specialists ready to go. The idea of handing everything over and waiting for the leads to roll in feels easy. But that’s not always the case.

Pros:

• Access to a full mix of skills - design, copy, SEO, PPC, strategy, and more

• Specialist agencies, for things such as SEO, are often a must for smaller businesses

• You can start quickly, without recruitment faff

• You benefit from their tools, systems, and experience across multiple clients

Cons:

• Agencies can be expensive, especially if they’re handling everything

• You’re one of many clients, so you won’t always be top of their list, especially if you’re a small fish in their big pond

• Without in-house direction, they can drift, doing what they think is best (or most profitable!), not what your business really needs

• High agency fees often mean less of your budget goes on actually doing the marketing – content creation, ad spend, campaigns, events. That’s because so much is spent on project management, fees and overheads

When it’s the right choice: If you have clear direction from a senior marketer, maybe a founder with strong marketing experience who is able to put their biases aside, or an existing strategy that just needs delivering, then using a trusted agency can make sense. They’re great for short-term bursts of activity, project-based work, or specialist areas like SEO or design that you don’t need in-house full time.

Option 2: Hire a junior marketer

Plenty of growing businesses decide to “hire young”, bringing in someone with three to five years’ experience and hoping they can handle it all. It seems smart: you get someone in-house, full-time, and far cheaper than a senior hire.

Pros:

• Lower salary and overheads

• Someone fully embedded in your business, full time

• Enthusiastic, adaptable, and keen to learn

Cons:

• Limited experience across channels, strategy, and planning

• Likely to need direction, mentoring, and structure you can’t yet provide

• Will take up a lot of the Founder or CEO’s time, which they rarely have to spare

• They’ll often end up doing what the Founder thinks best, rather than what’s actually best for the business.

• A lack of experience often leads to a lack of challenging senior decisions made by non-marketers

The reality is that a junior marketer often ends up as a “doer” without guidance. With some good AI training, they can produce social posts, build emails, or update your HubSpot. But they’ll struggle to decide what should be done, why it matters, and how to measure success, and are unlikely to push back against poor Founder-led ideas. Without senior input, they’re set up to fail.

When it’s the right choice: If you already have an experienced marketing leader (internal or external) to guide them, or if your marketing plan is already clear and you just need someone to execute it, then a junior marketer can be a great addition. They’re ideal for maintaining momentum once strategy and systems are in place, or when paired with a fractional marketing leader for mentoring, structure, and strategic input.

Option 3: Hire a fractional marketing expert

A fractional marketer sits neatly between the other two. They’re a senior marketing professional who works with you on a part-time or flexible basis, typically a few days a week, providing the leadership, experience, and strategy your business needs, at a cost comparable to a full-time junior hire, and far less than that of an agency.

Pros:

• You get board-level marketing expertise for a fraction of the price

• No long-term commitment, holiday pay, pension, or other benefits

• Brings an outside perspective and honest feedback, free from internal politics

• Acts as an extension of your team, embedding into your culture and goals

• Access to wide-ranging experience from multiple sectors and challenges

• Can manage agencies or mentor junior staff, maximising what you already have

• Takes control of marketing, freeing up the Founder or CEO’s time to focus elsewhere

• Can challenge leadership on the best approach, using experience and an objective, slightly removed position to bring clarity and confidence

Cons:

• Not there every day (although the right one will feel like they are)

• Works best when leadership gives them the freedom and trust to deliver, something many Founders struggle with

A good fractional marketer bridges the gap between strategy and execution. They’ll build your marketing plan, sharpen your positioning, and ensure your spend delivers tangible results. They bring the expertise of a Marketing Director (planning, prioritising, and setting direction) but without the full-time price tag.

When it’s the right choice: If you’re ready to get serious about marketing but don’t have the budget or need for a full-time Marketing Director, fractional support is ideal. It’s also a smart move if your Founder or CEO is currently steering marketing but doesn’t have the time or headspace to do it justice, or the ability to view it objectively from an outside point of view. You’ll gain strategic leadership, executional oversight, and external perspective, all wrapped up in one efficient package.

Why the fractional route often wins

If your business has reached the point where marketing is too important to wing, but not yet big enough for a full-time senior hire, fractional support is often the smartest move.

Here’s why:

• You get instant impact. No six-month onboarding or “settling in” period - they hit the ground running.

• You save on overheads. No bonuses, equipment, pension, or holiday costs. Just clear, predictable fees.

• You stay agile. Scale up or down as your needs and budgets change.

• You get real experience. Fractional marketers have seen what works (and what doesn’t) across dozens of businesses.

• You keep ownership. They’ll work closely with you and your team, not hide behind agency walls.

Think of it as renting a marketing brain, not buying one outright. You get strategic thinking, senior accountability, and a plan that joins the dots between activity and revenue.

In summary

If you’re a growing B2B software or services company, your options come down to control, cost, and capability.

• An agency gives you execution, but not always ownership.

• A junior marketer gives you enthusiasm, but not always direction.

• A fractional marketer gives you senior expertise, strategic focus, and flexibility, all without the price or commitment of a full-time hire.

So, when’s the right time to bring in fractional marketing support? When you’re ready to stop dabbling and start growing. When you want someone who’s been there, done it, and can show you what good marketing actually looks like.

Because the smartest move is never to spend more money on marketing, it’s to spend it better.