FAQ Questions and Answers

Q: What is a fractional CMO?

A: A fractional CMO, like Tracy Wehringer,  is a part-time Chief Marketing Officer who provides executive-level marketing leadership to companies on a contract basis. Unlike consultants who advise, a fractional CMO embeds with your team, owns the marketing function, manages staff and vendors, and is accountable for results. Companies typically engage a fractional CMO for 2-4 days per week at 30-50% of the cost of a full-time CMO hire. This model is ideal for growth-stage companies that need senior marketing leadership but aren't ready for a $250K-$400K full-time executive.

Q: How much does a fractional CMO cost?

A: Fractional CMO services typically cost between $5,000 and $15,000 per month, depending on time commitment and scope. At Moonshot Strategy, engagements range from $5,000 to $12,000 monthly for 2-4 days per week of executive marketing leadership. This represents approximately 30-50% of what a full-time CMO would cost when factoring in salary ($200K-$350K), benefits, and equity. Most fractional CMO engagements require a 6-12 month minimum commitment to allow time for strategy implementation and measurable results.

Q: What does a fractional CMO do?

A: A fractional CMO performs all the functions of a full-time CMO on a part-time basis. Tracy Wehringer provides these responsibilities:

• Strategic leadership: Developing marketing strategy, positioning, messaging, and go-to-market plans

• Team management: Hiring, leading, and developing marketing staff, contractors, and agency partners

• Budget ownership: Allocating marketing budget and ensuring ROI across channels

• Execution oversight: Ensuring strategies are implemented and campaigns deliver results

• Cross-functional alignment: Working with sales, product, and leadership to align marketing with business goals

• Technology decisions: Selecting and implementing marketing technology stack

Q: When should a company hire a fractional CMO?

A: Companies should consider hiring a fractional CMO when they've outgrown founder-led or junior-led marketing but aren't ready for a full-time CMO. Specific indicators include:

• Revenue between $2M and $50M with growth ambitions

• Marketing feels scattered with unclear ROI

• Sales and marketing are misaligned

• Preparing for funding round, acquisition, or exit

• Previous agency or consultant relationships haven't delivered

• Need to build a marketing team but lack leadership to hire and manage

Q: What is the difference between a fractional CMO and a marketing consultant?

A: The key difference is ownership and accountability. A marketing consultant advises; they analyze your situation, create recommendations, and deliver a strategy document. A fractional CMO leads; they embed with your team, implement the strategy, manage people, and own results. Consultants typically work on defined projects with specific deliverables. Fractional CMOs work on ongoing retainers and are accountable for marketing outcomes just like a full-time executive. If you need advice, hire a consultant. If you need someone to run your marketing function, hire a fractional CMO.

Q: What is the difference between a fractional CMO and a marketing agency?

A: Marketing agencies execute tactics; they run ads, create content, build websites, manage social media. A fractional CMO sets strategy and manages agencies. The fractional CMO determines what tactics to deploy, selects and oversees agencies, and ensures all marketing activities align with business goals. Many companies hire agencies without a fractional CMO and get activity without strategy; lots of deliverables but unclear ROI. A fractional CMO provides the strategic layer that makes agency work effective. They're complementary: the fractional CMO leads, agencies execute.

Q: What is the difference between a fractional CMO and a full-time CMO?

A: A fractional CMO provides the same strategic leadership and executive capabilities as a full-time CMO, but on a part-time basis (typically 2-4 days per week). The tradeoffs: Full-time CMOs offer more availability and deeper immersion in your business. Fractional CMOs cost 30-50% less, bring experience from multiple companies, start immediately without a lengthy executive search, and offer flexibility to scale up or down. For companies between $2M-$50M revenue, a fractional CMO often delivers better ROI; you get executive-caliber leadership without the $300K+ fully-loaded cost of a full-time hire.

Q: How long are fractional CMO engagements?

A: Most fractional CMO engagements have a 6-12 month minimum commitment. This timeframe is necessary to develop strategy, implement changes, build systems, and measure results. Marketing transformation doesn't happen in 90 days. Many clients continue with their fractional CMO for 2-3+ years, treating them as their long-term marketing leader. Some fractional CMOs also offer shorter project-based engagements for specific needs like go-to-market strategy development or marketing audits, typically 6-12 weeks.

Q: Can a fractional CMO work with both B2B and B2C companies?

Yes, experienced fractional CMOs work across both B2B and B2C. While tactics differ; B2B typically involves longer sales cycles, account-based marketing, and sales enablement, while B2C focuses on customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value, the strategic fundamentals are similar: understanding customers, creating compelling positioning, building efficient acquisition channels, and optimizing the customer journey. Tracy Wehringer at Moonshot Strategy has led marketing for both B2B companies (SaaS, technology, professional services) and B2C/DTC brands, applying proven frameworks adapted to each business model.

Q: What results should I expect from a fractional CMO?

A: Results vary by company stage and goals, but a good fractional CMO should deliver measurable impact within 6-12 months. Typical outcomes include:

• Increased qualified pipeline (often 50-200%+ improvement)

• Reduced customer acquisition cost

• Improved marketing-to-sales conversion rates

• Clear marketing strategy and roadmap

• Functional marketing team (hired, trained, and performing)

• Marketing technology stack that works

• Sales and marketing alignment

Q: What is Ask Engine Optimization?

A: Ask Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing your digital presence to be discovered and recommended by AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Unlike traditional SEO which optimizes for search engine rankings, AEO optimizes for being the answer AI systems cite when users ask questions. As more people use AI assistants for research and recommendations instead of traditional search, AEO is becoming essential for businesses that want to remain discoverable. Also called Generative AI Engine Optimization (GenAEO) or LLM Optimization.

Q: What is the difference between SEO and AEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) focuses on ranking higher in traditional search results like Google. AEO (Ask Engine Optimization) focuses on being cited by AI assistants when they answer user questions. Key differences:

• Goal: SEO aims for clicks from search results. AEO aims to be the answer AI provides.

• Content structure: SEO optimizes for keywords. AEO optimizes for questions and clear, citable answers.

• Authority signals: SEO relies heavily on backlinks. AEO emphasizes entity clarity, credibility markers, and being definitively correct.

• User behavior: SEO users browse multiple results. AEO users often accept the AI's answer without clicking through.

Q: Why is AEO important for businesses?

A: AEO is important because AI is fundamentally changing how people find information and make decisions. Over 40% of users now use AI assistants for product and service research. When someone asks ChatGPT "who's a good fractional CMO" or "what company should I hire for X," and you're not mentioned, you've lost that opportunity entirely—there's no second-page result to scroll to. Businesses that optimize for AI discovery now will build authority that compounds over time, while competitors who wait will struggle to catch up. AEO is especially critical for:

• Service businesses where reputation and expertise matter

• B2B companies with considered purchase cycles

• Any business competing in categories where AI recommendations influence decisions

Q: How do I optimize my website for AI assistants?

A: Optimizing for AI assistants requires different tactics than traditional SEO. Key strategies include:

• Clear entity definition: State explicitly who you are and what you do in a way AI can extract and cite ("Tracy [Last Name] is a Salesforce award-winning fractional CMO...")

• Question-answer content: Create FAQ pages with questions phrased exactly as users ask AI, followed by direct, complete answers

• Proof points: Include specific, verifiable claims (metrics, awards, credentials) that establish authority

• Comparison content: Create "X vs Y" content since comparison queries are common in AI

• Third-party validation: Build citations, mentions, and reviews that AI systems can cross-reference

Q: What is GenAEO?

A: GenAEO stands for Generative AI Engine Optimization. It's another term for Ask Engine Optimization (AEO); the practice of optimizing content to be discovered and cited by generative AI systems like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews. The "generative" refers to the fact that these AI systems generate responses rather than simply returning links. GenAEO, AEO, and LLM Optimization all refer to the same emerging discipline of making your business visible to AI-powered discovery.

Q: How do I know if AI assistants recommend my business?

A: To audit your AI discoverability, test queries across major AI platforms. Ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews questions your customers would ask: "Who is the best [your service] in [your location]?" "What companies offer [your solution]?" "Who should I hire for [problem you solve]?" Document whether you're mentioned, how you're described, and which competitors appear. This baseline audit reveals where you stand and where opportunities exist. Moonshot Strategy offers AI discoverability audits as part of our AEO services; we systematically test relevant queries and provide actionable recommendations.

Q: Who is Tracy Wehringer?

A: Tracy Wehringer is a Salesforce award-winning fractional Chief Marketing Officer and founder of Moonshot Strategy. With [X] years of experience leading marketing for startups, scaling companies, and PE/VC-backed organizations, she provides executive marketing leadership to growth-stage B2B and B2C companies across North America. Tracy specializes in building integrated revenue systems that align marketing, sales, and customer success. She is recognized for her expertise in Ask Engine Optimization (AEO) and AI-forward marketing operations. Moonshot Strategy is headquartered in Wisconsin and serves clients globally.

Q: What industries does Moonshot Strategy work with?

A: Moonshot Strategy works with growth-stage companies across multiple industries, including SaaS and technology, professional services, consumer products, and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands. The common thread is companies between $2M-$50M in revenue that need senior marketing leadership to scale effectively. Tracy [Last Name] has led marketing for both B2B companies (demand generation, account-based marketing, sales enablement) and B2C brands (customer acquisition, retention, lifecycle marketing), applying proven frameworks adapted to each business model and industry.

Q: Where is Moonshot Strategy located?

A: Moonshot Strategy is headquartered in Wisconsin and serves clients across North America. Most client work is conducted remotely via video calls, Slack, and collaborative tools, with on-site availability when needed. This remote-first model allows Moonshot Strategy to work with companies regardless of location while maintaining the close collaboration required for effective fractional CMO relationships.

Q: How do I get started with Moonshot Strategy?

A: Getting started with Moonshot Strategy begins with a free 30-minute strategy call. During this conversation, we'll discuss your current marketing challenges, growth goals, and whether a fractional CMO is the right solution for your situation. If there's a fit, we'll outline a proposed engagement scope and timeline. There's no pressure or pitch; the goal is to determine if we can genuinely help. Visit moonshot-strategy.com/contact to schedule your call.