Outsourced marketing director · Hampshire
Senior marketing leadership for Hampshire businesses ready to grow
I’m Paul Cranston. I work as the outsourced marketing director for start-ups and established businesses that want more leads, a website that earns its keep, and a clear plan the whole team can follow.
Based in Hamble and working with businesses across Hampshire. 20+ years in marketing communications.
Trusted by ambitious Hampshire businesses
Healthcare
Home Improvement
Specialist Foods
Security Services
Charities
You have growth plans, but is your marketing keeping up?
“The website looks fine but doesn't bring in enquiries”
You’ve invested in a site, yet the phone doesn’t ring. Nobody can tell you what’s working.
“Marketing seems to rely on AI, but how?”
Everyone is using AI. But when there’s no plan, no one senior owns it – how do you know it is delivering?
“We need more leads to grow the team”
You’re ready to hire, but the pipeline isn’t strong enough to justify it yet.
You don’t need a big agency or a full-time marketing director. You need senior marketing thinking, and someone to make it happen.
How I help
Analysis, strategy and content, joined up
Most marketing fails because these three elements are done separately, or even skipped. I bring them together, so every piece of content has a reason and every decision is based on evidence.
01 · Website analysis
Know where you stand
I dig into your analytics, search performance and customer behaviour to find what’s working, what’s leaking and where the quickest wins are. You get a clear benchmark and the KPIs to track progress.
02 · Marketing strategy
Set the course
Using that evidence, I build a practical plan: who your best customers are, what they need to hear, which channels matter and what success looks like each quarter.
03 · Content creation
Make headway
I write and produce the content that moves people to act: website pages, articles, case studies, emails and campaigns. Every piece is finished by hand, aligned to the strategy and optimised for search.
Results
Results for businesses like yours
Private healthcare
IMPROVED SEO
31% Increase in Impressions; 79% Increase in Clicks
Changing the content, navigation and the tech behind the website, we improved the performance of the website in search rankings. Improving quality of visitor engagement.
Home services
EXPAND SERVICES
Migrated from ‘flat’ website to lead generation AND retail sales
Expanding the website’s capabilities can be perceived as being expensive. For this small business, we gently grew the website to generate service-based enquiries and, a little later, retail sales for related products.
Independent food business
START UP PRESENCE
Created an online presence and generated bookings
As a new business with few existing customers, the need was great: get bookings for cakes for weddings, birthdays and special occasions, and attract customers to the tea room.
I am more than happy to recommend Paul Cranston as a marketing strategist.
MD of Manufacturer
About
Hi, I'm Paul
I’ve spent over 20 years years in marketing communications, starting out making corporate communications before moving into B2B marketing. Notable achievements include launching an iPad app as an internationally used Software as a Service and being the first marketer at Feefo, setting it on a path to successful VC buyout.
Now I act as the senior marketing lead for growing businesses, often as their outsourced marketing manager or director. My job is usually simple to describe: generate more of the right traffic that bring leads, so the business can grow its team with confidence.
And I teach families, adults and children to sail.
Headway (noun): the forward movement of a boat.
I named the business because of my time on the water. A boat moves well when the sails, keel and rudder work together, and someone experienced is reading the wind. Marketing is no different. Analysis reads the conditions, strategy sets the course, and content provides the power.
Ways to work together
Outsourced marketing director
Senior leadership on a monthly retainer: strategy, planning, team or supplier management and reporting. Best for businesses ready to scale.
Marketing benchmark
Best place to start
A deep-dive into your website, search performance and customer perception, with a prioritised action plan.
SEO and content
Ongoing content and search optimisation, aligned to your strategy, to grow visibility and enquiries.
Marketing mentoring
Coaching for an in-house marketer or business owner who wants to build skills and confidence.
Most clients start with a benchmark, so we both know exactly where you stand.
What happens when you get in touch
Growth call
Free, 30 minutes. Where you are, where you want to be, and whether I’m the right fit.
Benchmark
I analyse your website, data and market, and show you what I find.
Plan
We agree the strategy, priorities and KPIs.
Make headway
I deliver, report monthly and adjust as results come in.
Marketing thinking
Questions people ask
AI is a tool that makes life easier. BUT, you need to know what the problem is first and have a robust strategy that AI can then support. Yes, I use AI in my work, but it is secondary to strategic thinking.
Most of my clients are in Hampshire and I’m happy to meet in person, but I work with businesses anywhere in the UK.
Price depends on the scope of work. I can work to a fixed fee for specific projects, ongoing support is through a monthly retainer and other services are pay-as-you-use. I’ll give you a clear price after our first call.
No. You work directly with me, a senior marketer. Where you need specialists, such as designers or developers, I bring in and manage trusted partners.
No, but you do need ambition. I work best with businesses that are serious about developing.
Yes. I often support and lead in-house staff and suppliers.
Ready to make headway?
Book a free 30-minute call. No pressure, no jargon, just an honest conversation about your growth plans.