Fractional Marketing Partner for Early- Stage Software Startups

Summer Lambert of Rare Bird Lab, marketing freelancer

I'm Summer Lambert of Rare Bird Lab, a Chicago-based seasoned marketer supporting early-stage startups globally. I craft go-to-market marketing strategies to help your brand stand out in crowded markets.

You're ready to launch. Now what? šŸ«£

It's time to tell the world about your precious baby - ahem - product. I ignite the match that sparks conversations about your product. šŸ§Ø

Wethos logo
Instana logo
Prodly logo
Steadybit logo
DBmarlin logo

ā€œ

I hired Summer as a freelancer to fill critical gaps on our small marketing team. She quickly grasped what we were trying to accomplish, brought creative ideas on how to achieve our goals, and never lost sight of tailoring messages and tactics to our target personas. She knows how to apply modern marketing tools and approaches, and suggests cost effective solutions. I recommend Summer to any Marketing leader that needs to add horsepower to their team.

ā€” Chris Newton, Fractional CMO in SaaS Startup Space

Chris Newton, Fractional CMO in SaaS Startup Space

How we get there.

A GTM Blueprint

I craft a full range of launch communicationsā€”from press releases and blog posts to emails, social content, and review campaignsā€”to build visibility and spark engagement from day one.

An Alliance Boost

I engage your technology, reseller, and integration partners, along with your broader network, to amplify your launch and drive collective momentum.

A Founder Blitz

I partner with your founding team to elevate your visibility, build authority, and grow brand awareness through speaking engagements, video content, and strategic online presence.

A Sticky Message

I shape the language that defines your brand and product, creating consistent, impactful messaging for your website and materials that resonates with your audience and communicates your unique value.

Iā€™m here to guide your brand from launch to lasting growth, handling everything from strategic planning to day-to-day execution. With a full spectrum of marketing expertise, I make sure your vision turns into measurable results.

Guiding the flight... šŸ‘©ā€āœˆļø

Website & SEO Optimization

Your site isn't getting the traffic it deserves. I help drive visitors through targeted metadata, SEO-focused content, long-form articles, and strategic paid search marketing.

Social Media

I handle every stepā€”planning, designing, writing, publishing, and promotingā€”focused on aligning your content with your brand and KPIs.

MarkOps Engine

I orchestrate every piece of your marketing strategyā€”from email, ads, and SMS to events, content, and PRā€”ensuring all channels work together seamlessly to keep your marketing engine running strong.

Champ Advocacy

I boost your brandā€™s social proof through video testimonials, case studies, webinars, and reviews, showcasing your greatest championsā€”your customers.

Kristine M. Newman, Vice President, Marketing at Shoreline

ā€œ

Summer is a marketing pro. Competent, knowledgeable, creative and effective. She's uncovered lead gen opportunities in B2B with engineering ICPs that have measurable impacts to our business.

ā€” Kristine M. Newman, Vice President, Marketing at Shoreline.io

Writing samples:

Want to work together? Drop me a message and Iā€™ll get back to you in no time.

ā€œ

I've had years of amazing experiences working with Summer across a span of different types of projects, from short-term initiatives to ongoing monthly retainers, and she never disappoints! Summer is reliable, enthusiastic, creative, and she can effortlessly flex between quick execution and strategic partner. She's constantly up-to-date on the latest trends, and is able to plan ahead while leaving room to iterate until she sees results.

ā€” Rachel Renock, CEO & Co-Founder, Wethos

Rachel Renock, CEO & Co-Founder, Wethos

What is your pricing model?

I offer both project-based and monthly retainer options. For short-term needs, Iā€™ll outline a project scope. For ongoing support of three months or more, a retainer provides the best value and continuity. I don't work on an hourly rate.

Who's your ideal client?

My ideal client is someone who understands the importance of marketing, but either doesn't know where to start or just doesn't have the bandwidth for it. I work especially well with founders. My most successful retainers have been with remote software/SaaS startups with 10-30 distributed employees.

How much do you charge?

I recommend gathering proposals from at least three freelancers to compare rates. I wonā€™t be the cheapest, and I likely wonā€™t be the most expensive. The best way to proceed? Letā€™s hop on a call, and Iā€™ll provide a custom proposal.

Where can I see your work?

Most of my work is confidentialā€”think strategic plans, internal decks, ghostwriting, and all that jazz. While I canā€™t share much directly, Iā€™m always up for a quick call to discuss your needs.

I can share additional info upon request. If you're reaching out about a project, please share your goals, and weā€™ll take it from there.

You can also contact via email at: summer@rarebirdlab.com

Or connect with me on Linkedin.