Fractional CMO for financial advisors
I’m Christopher P. Wendt. I lead marketing for independent advisors, RIAs and wealth management firms on a part-time basis. My agency, Midstream Marketing, carries out the plan.
Founder of Midstream Marketing, 2002. Articles on advisor marketing in Forbes, WealthManagement.com and Advisor Perspectives.
What is a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive who works with your firm part-time for a monthly fee. For an advisory firm, that person sets the marketing strategy and budget, directs SEO, content, advertising and email, keeps messaging within compliance rules, and reports results against growth targets each month.
Firms usually bring one in when marketing has grown past what the founders can manage and a full-time executive would be hard to justify. Some firms call the role a fractional marketing director.
What does a fractional CMO do for a financial advisor?
Sets the strategy. Defines the clients you want more of, how you describe the firm to them, and the budget.
Writes the plan. A 90-day roadmap with targets for qualified leads, booked meetings and cost per lead.
Runs the channels as one program. SEO, AI search, content, Google Ads and email are planned together.
Manages vendors. Your agency, freelancers and staff report to one person.
Checks compliance. Marketing is reviewed against the SEC Marketing Rule and FINRA Rule 2210 before it reaches your CCO.
Reports monthly. Leads, booked appointments and new assets.
Fractional CMO, full-time CMO or marketing agency?
How the three options compare for an independent advisory firm.
| Option | Fractional CMO | Full-time CMO | Marketing agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Monthly retainer | Salary, bonus and benefits | Retainers or project fees for each service |
| Commitment | Month to month after the first term | Permanent hire | Contract per channel or project |
| Who sets strategy | A senior executive working with your partners | A senior executive on staff | Usually the firm's partners |
| Who does the work | Your staff, your agency or Midstream | A department they hire | The agency's staff |
| Industry focus | Financial advisors only | Depends on the hire | Many agencies serve every industry |
| Typical fit | Independent firms that need senior direction without an executive salary | Large firms with a full marketing department | Firms that already know which services they need |
Fractional CMO services for advisory firms
I’m responsible for six areas. Midstream’s team, which works only with financial advisors, handles production.
Positioning
A clear statement of the clients you serve and why they hire you, written for business owners, executives and families with significant assets.
Marketing plan
A financial advisor marketing plan with a budget and quarterly targets tied to new assets.
SEO and AI search
SEO for financial advisors, plus the page structure and content that AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews draw on when they answer questions.
Lead generation
Offers, landing pages, Google Ads and email follow-up that turn website visitors into booked introductory meetings.
Content
Content marketing for financial advisors: long-form articles, guides and FAQs in your voice, drafted with InkTrust and approved by you before publishing.
Compliance review
Testimonials, endorsements and performance language checked against the SEC Marketing Rule and FINRA Rule 2210 before your CCO sees them.
Midstream Marketing does the work
I founded Midstream Marketing in 2002. Today it works only with financial advisory firms, and its team of 15+ specialists handles production for every engagement I lead: websites, local SEO, content, Google and Facebook ads, email, conversion tracking, PR, video and branding.
“Before, we had zero leads online. Now, nearly 70% of our leads come from inbound traffic. It's completely transformed how we market and grow our firm.”
Mike Minter, CFP®, CFS®
Shareholder and Portfolio Manager, Financial Synergies
Patent pending · In development
Software that writes in your voice
InkTrust is software I’m building for financial advisors. It drafts long-form articles, guides and FAQs from your own writing and brand guidelines. Each draft uses question headings, answers the question in the first paragraph of each section and cites primary sources, so it’s ready to rank in search and to be quoted by AI answer tools.
- Drafts match how you write and speak.
- Your brand rules apply to every piece.
- Risky wording is flagged for review. Your firm's compliance team makes the final call.
- Nothing is published until you approve it.
How a draft is made
You share past writing, recordings and your brand guidelines.
You pick a topic and the question your clients are asking.
InkTrust writes the long-form draft with sources.
Wording that may need compliance review is flagged.
You edit, your firm approves, and it’s published.
How to hire a fractional CMO
Discovery call
We talk through your firm, your clients, your current marketing and your growth goals.
Audit and roadmap
I audit your marketing and write a 90-day plan with targets for leads, meetings, cost per lead and new assets.
Launch
Midstream’s team, your staff or your current agency carries out the plan under my direction.
Monthly review
We look at results each month and move budget toward what is producing meetings.
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
A fractional CMO is paid a monthly retainer instead of a salary and benefits. My retainers start at $1,000 per month for strategy and oversight. Engagements that include Midstream Marketing’s production team are priced after a discovery call, based on your firm’s size and goals.
Advisory
From $1,000 per month
For firms with a marketing coordinator or agency already in place. Includes strategy, the 90-day roadmap, oversight of your team and vendors, and monthly reporting.
Advisory with Midstream
Priced by proposal
Everything in Advisory, with Midstream’s team handling SEO, content, advertising, email and your website.
About Christopher P. Wendt
I started Midstream Marketing at my kitchen table in 2002. Since 2015 I’ve worked only with financial advisors, and today I serve as fractional CMO for independent firms across the U.S., including firms managing more than $2 billion in assets.
My articles on advisor marketing have run in Forbes, WealthManagement.com and Advisor Perspectives. I’m also building InkTrust, software that drafts content in an advisor’s own voice.
I live in Ave Maria, Florida, near Naples, with my wife and our nine children. Outside of work I hike, run the Tough Mudder each year and volunteer at my church.
Companies
Founder and CEO, Midstream Marketing
Founder, InkTrust
Education
M.A., Gannon University
B.A., Franciscan University
Location
Ave Maria, Florida, near Naples. Clients nationwide.
Fractional CMO questions from financial advisors
How much does a fractional CMO cost for a financial advisory firm?
Most firms pay a fractional CMO a monthly retainer. Mine start at $1,000 per month for strategy and oversight. If you want Midstream Marketing’s team to handle production as well, I’ll quote that after a discovery call. There’s no salary, bonus or benefits package to fund.
How is a fractional CMO different from a marketing agency?
An agency produces the work in the channels you hire it for. A fractional CMO decides who you’re marketing to, what the message is, which channels get budget and whether each vendor is delivering. I can direct the agency you already use, or Midstream’s team can do the production.
Can you work with our in-house marketer or current agency?
Yes. Many firms have a marketing coordinator or an agency and no senior person setting direction. I give that team a plan and priorities and hold everyone to the same targets. You only add Midstream’s team if you need more capacity.
How do you handle the SEC Marketing Rule and FINRA requirements?
Testimonials, endorsements, performance figures and promissory language are checked against the SEC Marketing Rule and FINRA Rule 2210 while the plan is built, and again before anything goes to your compliance team. Your CCO makes the final decision on every piece.
What is InkTrust, and when will it be available?
InkTrust is patent-pending software I’m developing. It drafts long-form articles, guides and FAQs for financial advisors in the advisor’s own voice and brand, structured for search and for AI answer tools. Join the early-access list to hear when it opens.
Which firms are a good fit for a fractional CMO?
Independent advisors, RIAs and wealth management firms that want a growth plan and senior marketing leadership without hiring a full-time executive. Clients range from established solo practices to multi-advisor firms managing billions in assets.
Schedule a call
Tell me about your firm and what you want marketing to do for it over the next three years.
© 2026 Christopher P. Wendt. Midstream Marketing is a division of Wendt Enterprises Inc. InkTrust is patent pending.