IS a fractional CMO right for your dealership?

If you’re a dealership looking to hire a “Marketing Manager” for $60K per year, it’s time to take a step back and rethink that strategy. Here’s why.

At that price point, you’re likely hiring someone who is either entry-level or has very little automotive experience. Yes, they may have a general marketing background, but automotive retail is an entirely different animal. It’s a high-stakes, highly competitive space where experience, real battle-tested experience, makes all the difference.

Marketing in automotive Is not a one-person job.

Think about what you’re expecting this person to do:
- SEO
- SEM
- Social media (organic and paid)
- Website management
- Coop (franchise stores)
- Video production
- Email campaigns
- Reputation management
- Third-party lead providers
- Third-party plugins and tools
- Traditional media (TV, radio, direct mail)
- Creative strategy and content
- Lead analysis
- Market analysis
- Community initiatives
- Branding

That’s not a “Marketing Manager” job description - that’s a Marketing Director role, and an experienced one at that.

A $60K hire is not going to bring the strategic vision, executional expertise, or industry insights required to compete in today’s market. They haven’t seen enough or done enough in the auto space to drive real, measurable results.

Instead of stretching a junior marketer too thin or expecting them to figure it out as they go, consider outsourcing your marketing leadership to someone who knows the business inside and out.

An outsourced CMO should be able to do the following:

- Build a real marketing strategy tailored to your dealership
- Manage vendors and hold them accountable for results
- Optimize your ad spend across all channels
- Identify opportunities and threats before they cost you money
- Align marketing with sales and fixed ops for maximum ROI

You still need boots on the ground - someone to execute daily tasks - but posting on Facebook and sitting in meetings on your behalf does not make someone qualified to lead your dealership’s marketing efforts.

You need to invest wisely.

If you want real growth, don’t underinvest in your marketing leadership. Hire for experience where it matters, and don’t set someone up to fail by expecting a $60K employee to perform like a seasoned Director.

Your dealership’s success depends on it now more than ever.