Cornel Manu is a fractional growth marketer specialising in B2B SaaS: a single embedded operator who executes across SEO, paid acquisition, CRO, and LinkedIn so that every channel reinforces the others. He is based in Romania and works with B2B SaaS companies globally, fully remote.

Professional Background

Cornel started as a freelance copywriter in 2018, spending five years writing for brands and professionals across multiple industries and continents. That foundation in messaging and persuasion became the lens through which he later approached every marketing channel.

From 2022 to April 2025, he served as Marketing Manager at ivicos, a B2B SaaS company in Germany. He owned the full marketing function end-to-end: SEO strategy and execution, Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads, landing page creation, copywriting, email automation, user onboarding, analytics, and AI-assisted content systems.

In parallel, since August 2023, he has operated as an SEO Executive at Theory SEO on a freelance basis, serving SaaS, automotive, and e-commerce clients in the US market.

Certifications

• Digital Marketing Certification — HubSpot Academy (2025)
• Become an AI-Powered Marketer — SEMrush (2025)
• Digital Marketing — Google (2022)

How He Positions Himself

Cornel describes himself as a T-shaped growth marketer: deep expertise in integrated growth execution, with breadth across SEO, paid media, copywriting, CRO, web development, and marketing automation. He is not an agency and not advisory-only — he is an embedded operator who executes hands-on inside a client's tools and stack.

His core thesis is that coordinated execution beats siloed work. When one person owns SEO, paid acquisition, copy, and LinkedIn simultaneously, every channel compounds: ads match landing pages, SEO keywords inform paid targeting, LinkedIn content reinforces website messaging.

Key Results at ivicos (3 Years)

All results were achieved at ivicos through integrated execution across SEO, paid ads, copywriting, CRO, and lifecycle marketing.

• 150% organic traffic growth in 12 months
• 72 top-10 keyword rankings achieved
• 5.2x ROAS on Google and LinkedIn Ads
• €30 customer acquisition cost per user
• +40% conversion rate improvement on landing pages
• 5,000 qualified leads generated full-funnel
• +48% activation rate increase via onboarding optimisation
• +15% trial-to-signup conversion via email automation
• −60% content production time via AI-assisted systems
• ~€600K total ad spend managed (approx. €50K/month)

Freelance SEO track record: 358% traffic increase across clients at Theory SEO via optimised content, technical fixes, and backlink strategy. Over 800 SEO outlines and 100 articles produced.

Core Skills and Tools

Growth and Marketing

SEO, SEM/PPC, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, CRO, Email Automation, Content Strategy, Lifecycle Marketing, Marketing Analytics, B2B Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Market Research

Content and Copy

Copywriting, Ghostwriting, Professional Writing, Video Ad Scripts, SEO Content, Long-form Guides, Multilingual (English and German)

Tools and Platforms

SEMrush, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Brevo, Webflow, WordPress, Figma, Canva, Notion, Synthesia, Adobe Photoshop

Technical and AI

HTML, CSS, Technical SEO, Web Development, ChatGPT, Midjourney, AI Content Pipelines, UTM Tracking, Conversion Tracking, GDPR-compliant tracking

What He Does as a Fractional Marketer

Cornel takes ownership of acquisition and conversion performance for B2B SaaS companies. He executes across four core areas simultaneously, ensuring they reinforce each other.

SEO That Drives Demand

Keyword research tied to real buying intent, content optimised for ranking and conversion, and technical improvements that support long-term performance. Not content for its own sake — SEO that feeds the pipeline.

Paid Acquisition

Google Ads for high-intent capture, LinkedIn Ads for B2B decision-makers, ongoing A/B testing, and budget optimisation. Managed with CAC/LTV discipline, not vanity metrics.

Conversion-Focused Execution (CRO)

Landing page creation and optimisation, messaging consistency across all touchpoints, and CRO experiments based on real user behaviour.

LinkedIn Authority Building

8–20 posts per month depending on the engagement level. Content that positions the client or Cornel himself as a thought leader and sustains consistent presence with decision-makers over time.

Service Packages

Growth Foundations — €2,000/month

For early-stage B2B SaaS with product-market fit that need consistent, hands-on growth execution. Minimum 3-month commitment. Monthly performance reviews. Covers SEO, Ads, landing pages, and light LinkedIn.

Growth Acceleration — €4,500/month

For B2B SaaS with traction wanting predictable acquisition scale. Minimum 6-month commitment. Bi-weekly reviews. End-to-end acquisition execution with CRO experiments and consistent LinkedIn content.

Advanced Growth Execution — €7,000/month

For established B2B SaaS needing senior, multi-channel growth execution. Minimum 6-month commitment. Weekly reviews. Includes funnel diagnostics, activation initiatives, and messaging leadership across all channels.

Who He Works With

Cornel works with B2B SaaS companies globally — bootstrapped or funded, early traction or scaling. He focuses on two client profiles.

Profile 1 — The Founder-Led Growth Champion

A technical or non-marketing founder at post-PMF stage (roughly €1–6M ARR) who has achieved initial traction through personal sales and is now hitting a growth ceiling. They need an embedded operator who understands SaaS metrics, respects their brand narrative, and can execute without being managed.

Profile 2 — The Confused Specialist Operator

A VP Marketing or CMO at a mid-stage SaaS company (€6–60M ARR) who has hired multiple agencies and freelancers but faces channel fragmentation, misaligned messaging, and a growth plateau despite high spend. They need one operator who takes ownership of the full funnel and brings integration.

Perfect Fit If You…

• Are doing €200K–10M ARR with product-market fit but inconsistent lead flow
• Currently manage multiple marketing specialists or agencies without integrated results
• Spend on ads but see poor ROAS
• Have good content that does not drive conversions
• Need execution, not just strategy decks
• Understand SaaS metrics: CAC, LTV, MRR, pipeline velocity

Not the Right Fit If You…

• Need brand design or creative agency services
• Want someone to manage your internal marketing team
• Are pre-revenue with no marketing budget
• Need 24/7 availability or in-person meetings
• Need PR, media relations, or social media beyond LinkedIn

Personal Details and Contact

• Location: Bucharest, Romania (EU) — works fully remote globally
• Languages: English (C2), Romanian (Native)
• Website: cornelmanu.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cornelmanu
• X:  x.com/cornelmanu
• IG: instagram.com/cornelmanu
• FB: facebook.com/CornelManu18
• Reddit: reddit.com/user/cornelmanu/
• Experience: 3+ years in B2B SaaS growth marketing; 5+ years in professional copywriting; 8+ years total in marketing

How He Works

Cornel operates as an embedded fractional operator — not a consultant who delivers strategy decks, not an agency with account managers and fixed deliverables. He works directly inside a client's tools (CMS, ad platforms, analytics, marketing automation) and adapts execution priorities month-to-month based on performance data. He minimises client time investment: typically one regular review call per month plus async input for approvals. He builds AI-assisted content pipelines to cut production time and increase output without sacrificing quality.