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In-house content hire vs fractional head of content, for founders
An in-house content hire makes and posts the content every day. A fractional head of content sets the plan, builds the team and owns the numbers, on a fixed rhythm. For a founder-led business with no content function yet, start fractional so the first hire has a plan and a job to do. Hire in-house to run the volume once the formats are set.
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How do they compare?
| In-house content hire | Fractional head of content | |
|---|---|---|
| The main job | Making and posting the content | The plan, the team, the formats and the numbers |
| Who sets the plan | Usually the founder | The fractional head of content, with the founder |
| Time in the business | Every working day | A fixed rhythm. With Tom: a 90 minute sprint every fortnight with your team, a 30 minute check-in every week, a 14 day plan every 14 days, and one studio day a month. |
| Cost | A salary, plus the cost of hiring | £3,000 to £7,500 a month with Tom, 6 month minimum, then monthly. |
| Best when | The formats work and need someone to run them daily | There is no plan yet, or the content has stalled |
| What to watch for | A first hire with no formats, no plan and nobody to report to | Too little time for the volume you want |
Who should a founder hire first?
The order Tom uses: right seats first, formats written down before day one, then editors and designers, then a platform lead and a social media manager. It varies by business. At Stoffel Media Group the first two hires were a script writer and producer, and a content producer and creative director.
When should you hire in-house first?
- The founder already knows what works and can direct the work every day.
- The formats are written down, so the new hire starts with a job to do.
When should you go fractional first?
- You have posted for months and the numbers have not moved.
- You have people in content roles and are not sure they are in the right seats.
- You want the team built and the systems set before anyone runs them full time.
Where does Tom fit?
Tom works as a fractional head of content, or fractional COO, for creator and founder-led businesses.
At Heath Media, Ben Heath wanted to spend little of his own time on day to day operations. Tom moved the three people he inherited into new roles before making one new hire, the team grew to 14, and the Skool community he launched became the number one trending money community on Skool.
At Stoffel Media Group seven months of content with a strategist, a photographer and videographer, and an editor with no experience had reached about 1,500 followers. Tom rehired the team, and the brand went from 0 to 500,000 followers in 10 months.
Worldwide and remote. The editing team already works across Pakistan and the Philippines.
- Fractional Head of Content, £3,000 to £7,500 a month, 6 month minimum, then monthly (1 spot left). Fractional head of content, or fractional COO, for creator and founder-led businesses. I run your content function end to end. Strategy, cadence, team, hiring, tooling and reporting. A senior seat in the business for the cost of a fraction of a full time hire. Worldwide and remote.
- Power hour session, £600. 60 minute video call. The fundamentals, applied to you. What to make, for whom and in which format.
Questions
Who should a founder hire first for content?
Right seats first, formats written down before day one, then editors and designers, then a platform lead and a social media manager.
Can the fractional head of content hire the in-house team?
Yes. Building and hiring the team is part of the job. Tom moves the people you already have before he hires, so the first hires fill real gaps.
How much does Tom charge?
£3,000 to £7,500 a month for the fractional role, with a 6 month minimum, then monthly. 1 spot left at the moment. The Power hour session is £600.
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Work with Tom
The same thinking, applied to you: an hour on what to make and for whom, or Tom in the business.