Strategic Marketing Services for Australian Founders and SMEs

Support for every stage of marketing growth

Whether the business needs a clear strategy, a trusted sounding board, or ongoing senior leadership, the support I offer is designed to help founders and small businesses improve marketing without unnecessary complexity.

Lauren O'Neill senior digital marketing strategist headshot

Strategic Marketing Services for Australian Founders and small businesses who need more than tactics

I'm not an agency pushing tactics. I'm not a consultant who delivers a report and leaves without helping you understand the data. I'm a strategic marketing partner who works with Australian founders to:

1. GET YOUR STRATEGY RIGHT

Comprehensive digital marketing audits and strategic roadmaps that tell you exactly what to do, why to do it, and what to expect. No fluff, no generic advice - just clear priorities tied to your business objectives.

2. HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR MARKETING

Strategy and marketing coaching and analytics training so you can read your own reports, interpret your own data, and make confident decisions without relying on agencies to translate everything. You'll finally understand what's working and why.

3. GUIDE YOUR EXECUTION

Whether you need implementation templates, monthly strategic support, or part-time fractional marketing leadership - I provide the right level of guidance for your business stage and budget. You get enterprise-level marketing expertise without the enterprise-level cost.

I've spent 15+ years leading digital marketing at Flight Centre (94% lead growth, $50M+ revenue, 5x ROI), Queensland Ballet (10% revenue improvement), ghd hair (45% YoY online growth) and leading media agencies. I know what works, what wastes money, and how to connect marketing to actual business outcomes. Now I'm bringing that strategic expertise to Australian founders and SMEs through five flexible service options.

THAT’S WHERE I COME IN

Most Australian founders I speak with have the same challenge: You're doing marketing. You might even be spending serious money on it.

But you don't have a strategy, you don't understand if it's working, and you don't have anyone senior enough to lead it.

You need a marketing leader, who can come in and tell you what’s working, what’s not, where the gaps are and opportunities you need to implement to improve your commercial growth - BUT you can't justify a full-time salary yet.

Sound familiar?

Most Australian founders face the same dilemma:

→ Agencies sell you tactics (Google Ads, SEO, social media) without strategic thinking or regular alignment

→ Marketing consultants deliver 60-page strategy documents and you don’t understand what it all means

→ Junior marketers can execute but can't provide strategic direction or understand how it all works together

→ Full-time Marketing professionals cost $100K - $150K+ (out of reach for most growing businesses)

→ Doing it yourself (even though marketing isn't your expertise)

You're left doing marketing without strategy, investing budget without clarity, and making decisions without confidence or understanding of whether you’re moving in the right direction.

My Services, At a Glance

  • Get A comprehensive marketing audit and 12-month strategic roadmap with clear priorities and expected ROI.

    Perfect for Founders & Business Owners Who:

    • Need strategic direction before investing further in marketing execution or hiring an agency

    • Are preparing for growth phase or fundraising and need to professionalise their marketing approach

    • Have scattered marketing activity that lacks cohesion or clear connection to business objectives

    • Want to educate their teams on marketing priorities and strategic thinking

    • Have worked with agencies but want an independent strategic perspective before recommitting budget

    FIND OUT MORE

  • Everything in the Strategic Audit & Roadmap, PLUS the templates, frameworks, and implementation tools your team needs to execute your strategy effectively.

    Perfect for Founders & Business Owners Who:

    • Are ready to implement their strategy immediately and want professional frameworks to guide execution

    • Need to professionalise their marketing function with enterprise-grade systems and processes

    • Are building internal marketing capability and want to set up their team for long-term success

    • Are planning to hire a Marketing Manager and want proper systems in place before they start

    • Want to move from ad-hoc marketing to systematic, scalable, repeatable processes

    FIND OUT MORE

  • Not ready for a full-time partnership? Don't need a complete audit? Just want someone senior to help with specific marketing challenges as they come up?  This is your flexible monthly retainer where you decide the priorities each month

    EXAMPLE:

    • Month 1 - Audit channels

    • Month 2 - Review campaigns

    • Month 3: Coach your team on marketing,

    • Month 4: Get strategic input on specific challenges.

    Depending on the level of support you need, I dedicate time to what you need most as your experienced marketing consultant.

    Perfect for Founders & Business Owners Who:

    • Know they need marketing help but aren't sure where to start or what the real priorities should be

    • Have specific tactical needs that change month-to-month based on business priorities

    • Want strategic guidance without committing to a full fractional partnership yet

    • Need someone to review, audit, or troubleshoot specific marketing initiatives before they waste budget

    • Have been burnt by agencies and want someone genuinely on their side, not selling more services

    FIND OUT MORE

  • You've invested in a strategy. Maybe you hired an agency, or a consultant gave you a 60-page document. But when you read it... you don't actually understand what it means or how to use it.  That's what this is for.

    Learn to interpret your marketing strategy and analytics so you can make confident decisions in your business.

    I will design a tailored coaching / training session for you and your team based on what your training needs are.

    Perfect for Founders & Business Owners Who:

    • Want to learn, not just delegate - you want to understand your marketing, not hand it off blindly

    • Need to present marketing performance to your board and want to confidently explain what the numbers mean

    • Have been given strategies by agencies or consultants that you don't really understand how to use

    • Are tired of nodding along in agency meetings whilst secretly having no idea what they're talking about

    • Want to become a more informed buyer of marketing services and make better vendor decisions

    FIND OUT MORE

  • Get senior marketing leadership without the full-time price tag.

    I become your outsourced Head of Digital Marketing providing strategic leadership, team guidance, and agency management on a flexible retainer so you can focus on what matters most for your business.

    Perfect for Founders & Business Owners Who:

    • Are growing but can't yet justify a $00K+ full-time Marketing professional salary

    • Have execution teams (coordinators, agencies, contractors) but need strategic leadership to guide them

    • Require flexible, senior-level marketing guidance that scales with seasonal demands or growth phases

    • Need a trusted strategic partner to pressure-test ideas and make better marketing decisions

    • Are transitioning between full-time marketing leaders and need interim strategic guidance

    FIND OUT MORE

I offer five different ways to work together - from one-time strategic projects to ongoing fractional marketing leadership - each designed for different business stages, budgets, and needs.

All services are founder-focused. All start with strategy. All focus on helping you understand your marketing. All are flexible to how your business actually works.

A Service,
tailored to you

Each Service Package offers a different Need - but all are built to meet you where you are, and move you forward with Clarity and intention.

Strategic marketing audit for Australian founders

Strategic Audit & Roadmap

“Get clarity on what you should be doing and why”

For businesses that know something is off, but need an expert to diagnose the gaps and define the right next steps. This service gives a clear view of what is working, what is not, and where to focus first.

What's Included:

  • Marketing audit and review

  • Key issues and opportunities

  • Prioritised recommendations

  • Clear next-step roadmap

Perfect for Founders & Business Owners Who: Need strategic direction before investing further in marketing execution

Specific Business Situations:

  • You're doing marketing but can't confidently explain whether it's actually working or worth the investment

  • You've plateaued at your current revenue level and need a strategic roadmap to break through

  • You're about to hire a Marketing Manager and want clarity on what they should prioritise first

  • You're receiving conflicting advice from different vendors and need an objective expert opinion

  • You're presenting to your board or investors and need to articulate a credible marketing strategy

  • Your team is executing tactics without a clear strategy connecting to business goals

Timeline: 1-2 weeks from kick-off

If the marketing could be stronger, simpler, and more commercially effective, a discovery call is the best place to start.

Flexible marketing support consulting

Flexible Marketing Support

"Strategic expertise when you need it, for whatever you need"

Not ready for a full-time partnership? Don't need a complete audit? Just want someone senior to help with specific marketing challenges as they come up?  This is your flexible monthly retainer where you decide the priorities each month.

For founders or teams that want strategic support without fully outsourcing the thinking. This is ideal for businesses that need guidance, accountability, and a senior marketing perspective to make better decisions.

What’s included:

Depending on the level of support you need, I dedicate time to what you need most as your experienced marketing consultant.

Perfect for Founders & Business Owners Who:

  • Know they need marketing help but aren't sure where to start or what the real priorities should be

  • Have specific tactical needs that change month-to-month based on business priorities and need strategic guidance

  • Need someone to review, audit, or troubleshoot specific marketing initiatives before they waste budget

  • Have been burnt by agencies and want someone genuinely on their side, not selling more services

Examples of how you could use my hours for:

  • Audit specific channels (Google Ads, Meta, email, website)

  • Sit in on vendor/agency meetings and translate the BS

  • Review campaigns before launch

  • Troubleshoot why leads aren't converting

  • Coach your marketing team on best practices

  • Second opinion on vendor proposals

  • Quick strategy sessions on new initiatives

  • Whatever else you need that month

Timeline: Dependent on what you need. Minimum commitment of 5 hours per month.

Marketing coaching and training for SMEs

Marketing Coaching & Advisory for Founders

"Finally understand what your marketing strategy actually means"

THE PROBLEM:

You've invested in a marketing strategy. Maybe you hired an agency, or a consultant gave you a 60-page document. But when you read it... you don't actually understand what it means or how to use it. Your agency sends monthly reports full of metrics. You stare at Google Analytics or Meta dashboards for hours and you don’t understand how to interpret the data. You sit in meetings where everyone nods along. But you're secretly thinking: "I have no idea what any of this actually means."

That's what this service is for.

TWO WAYS TO LEARN: I offer two delivery models to suit different learning styles and budgets:

Option 1: Private Coaching & Custom Training

One-on-one coaching or custom training sessions designed specifically for you and your team.

Perfect For Founders & Business Owners Who:

  • Founders who want personalised, confidential coaching on their specific marketing strategy and data

  • Business owners who need to train their internal marketing team on specific skills or platforms

  • Teams that learn better in person at their own office rather than generic public workshops

  • Founders who need to understand their unique marketing situation, not general principles

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Option 2: Public Training Workshops

Group training sessions covering foundational marketing topics. Multiple business owners attend the same session - less personalised, but more affordable and great for learning alongside peers.

Workshop Format:

  • Small group setting (max 10-12 business owners)

  • Held at a booked venue (location TBC based on registrations)

  • Mix of teaching, real examples, and Q&A

  • Take-home resources and templates

  • Light refreshments provided

Perfect For Founders & Business Owners Who:

  • Founders who want to learn foundational marketing concepts without a large investment

  • Business owners who prefer learning alongside other founders in a group setting

  • Small business owners who need general marketing knowledge, not company-specific consulting

  • Founders early in their marketing journey who want to build baseline knowledge before hiring agencies

Fractional CMO services for growing businesses

Fractional Marketing Leadership

“Your part-time strategic marketing partner, tailored to your needs, on retainer”

THE CHALLENGE:

Your business is growing, and you need senior marketing leadership. But a full-time Head of Marketing costs $150K+ annually (plus all the extras that go along with a full-time hire). You can't justify that investment yet - but you absolutely need strategic marketing leadership.

Your current options all have problems:

❌ Hire a Marketing Manager → Too junior, they execute but can't lead strategy

❌ Promote internally → Your team doesn't have the strategic experience yet

❌ Hire another agency → They sell tactics, not strategic leadership

❌ Do it yourself → You're the founder, marketing isn't your core expertise

For businesses that need ongoing senior digital marketing leadership, but do not need a full-time hire. This option provides strategic direction, leadership across channels and priorities, support for internal teams or external partners, and stronger alignment between marketing and business goals.

That's exactly what Fractional Marketing Leadership provides.

What you get:

I become your outsourced Head of Digital Marketing on a flexible retainer basis.

I provide strategic leadership, not just execution. I don't "do" your marketing - I lead it. I guide your team, manage your agencies, make strategic decisions, and ensure everything connects to your business objectives.

Think of it as having a senior marketing executive on your leadership team - someone who attends your strategy meetings, advises on growth initiatives, and takes ownership of marketing performance but without the full-time salary commitment.

Perfect For Founders & Business Owners Who:

  • Are growing but can't yet justify a $150K+ full-time Head of Marketing salary

  • Have execution teams (coordinators, agencies, contractors) but need strategic leadership to guide them

  • Require flexible, senior-level marketing guidance that scales with seasonal demands or growth phases

  • Need a trusted strategic partner to pressure-test ideas and make better marketing decisions

  • Are transitioning between full-time marketing leaders and need interim strategic guidance

Timeline: 3 months (month-to-month thereafter)

How I Work

Understand Your Business First

Before I make any marketing recommendations, I need to understand your business model, commercial objectives, target customers, competitive landscape, and constraints. I don't believe in one-size-fits-all strategies.

Diagnose What's Actually Wrong

Most founders think they have a 'lead generation problem' or a 'conversion problem,' but the real issue is often upstream or downstream. I audit your entire marketing ecosystem to identify the true bottlenecks—not just the obvious ones.

Prioritise Based on Impact

You can't do everything at once. I prioritise initiatives based on expected business impact, resource requirements, and dependencies. We focus on what will move the needle most, fastest, with the resources you actually have.

Make It Actionable

Strategy without execution is just a thought exercise. Every recommendation comes with clear next steps, resource requirements, success metrics, and timelines. If you can't execute it with your team or budget, I won't recommend it.

Measure What Matters

I'm obsessive about measurement and accountability. We define clear KPIs upfront, build proper attribution, and track progress against objectives. If something's not working, we adjust quickly. If it is working, we scale intelligently.

  • "Creative, reliable, and genuinely passionate about what she does."

    - Aunty Dale Chapman, Founder [My Dilly Bag]

  • "I finally understand what my Google Analytics data is actually telling me. Lauren didn't just show me where to click - she explained what each metric means for my business and which ones actually matter. I used to nod along in agency meetings whilst having no idea what they were talking about. Now I can challenge their recommendations with informed questions and make better budget decisions."

    - Tameryn Kemp, Founder [Selkia Skincare ]

  • "Our lead quality improved 73% in 4 months. Lauren audited our entire funnel, identified conversion bottlenecks we didn't know existed, and gave us a clear roadmap to fix them. Before, we were generating leads but couldn't tell which channels were worth the investment. Now we have full attribution and know exactly where to allocate budget."

    - Eric M, Owner, [Ace Powder Coating]

Lauren O'Neill senior digital marketing leader headshot

Let’s talk about your marketing challenges

Book a complimentary 20-minute discovery call. I'll review your situation and share 2-3 immediate insights you can act on - whether we work together or not.