The craze for the Agile approach has been sweeping through the world of marketing for years now. What started out as a software development technique has evolved into one of the most reliable approaches for marketers looking to revolutionize their workflows. Today, the Agile methodology is at the heart of many of the most prominent project management techniques. Famous techniques like SCRUM are based around Agile principles; it is one of the most influential philosophies in 21st-century business.
There are numerous benefits of Agile marketing. Businesses who have introduced the Agile principles to their marketing departments have reaped the benefits of doing so. The Agile approach involves applying a specific methodology and a set of principles to your marketing. This article looks at what these principles are and how they can benefit marketers.
The Origins of Agile
The principles that underpin Agile marketing were first established within the world of software development. Developers in the late ‘90s were finding the traditional methods for managing project insufficient. The so-called waterfall approach just wasn’t working in the realm of software development. As a result, developers devised a collection of techniques that project managers could use to better inform themselves about the project they were overseeing and communicate their requirements to developers effectively.
The original Agile manifesto for software development was released in February 2001. This manifesto sets out the principles of Agile software development, and the results were overwhelmingly positive. The Agile philosophy soon became mainstream in the software development industry. After seeing how successful it was, numerous other industries soon began incorporating Agile principles into their own workflows. It is from these principles that marketers were able to compose their own manifesto in 2012.
Agile in Marketing
Agile marketing is not supposed to be exactly the same for every business. Each business should customize their approach to play to the strengths and weaknesses of their company. The Agile approach to marketing revolves around some simple key principles:
- Verifiable objectives are given higher status and priority than opinions
- An emphasis on business-wide customer-focused collaboration instead of disparate units working individually
- Iterative rather than adaptive campaigns
- Embracing the power of prediction
- Flexible planning
- Being responsive to changes and other feedback
Numerous specific implementations of Agile have sprung up in recent years; you may have experienced one without realizing its origins. These include the SCRUM and Kanbanize systems.
The Benefits of Agile Marketing
Embracing Agile marketing offers several benefits for businesses. When appropriately practiced, Agile marketing makes marketers more efficient, versatile, and adaptive.
Adaptability
Effective teamwork is a core pillar of the Agile framework. Many people have said that the Agile approach is more of a sprint than a marathon. When you have a fixed period of time to complete a project, your team must be capable of producing quality work within a time-sensitive environment. By using the Agile approach, you can retain many of the advantages that would usually require an open-ended time frame.
Because Agile has its roots in software development, feedback is an essential aspect of the Agile method. A marketing campaign is often a multistage process. Receiving feedback at each stage enables marketers to adapt the approaches on the fly. Provided you keep communication lines open and flowing efficiently, you should find it easy to request and implement changes from up and down your workflow.
Collaboration
The most successful marketing campaigns are those that draw on input from a range of individuals. Every business should be aiming to foster a culture of teamwork and collaboration. Teamwork is essential within marketing, although this department is frequently overlooked in this regard. Planning, creating, and deploying a marketing campaign should pull together the talents of numerous people working together.
A solid long-term marketing strategy should include collaboration and teamwork components. If you want to adopt the Agile mindset, you are going to need to put these front and center of your marketing efforts.
The best way of ensuring that your business is benefiting from the collaborative nature of Agile marketing is to utilize Agile software that enables you to manage and monitor your work blows. One of the most famous options for this is Kanbanize. Numerous businesses have found success by implementing the Kanbanize method.
Measurability
If you want to implement Agile principles in your marketing successfully, you will need to get used to developing measurable objectives. This is especially the case when you use advanced tactics like eCommerce SEO. Through measuring and monitoring, the Agile methodology emphasizes accountability. Where issues are discovered, they can be fixed promptly. But, if you don’t know that problems exist, you cannot address them. Regularly measuring and evaluating your progress ensures you are aware of any issues.
Constant monitoring of your campaigns also ensures that you are able to communicate vital information promptly. Agile marketing is built upon a system of monitoring and feedback. Instead of waiting until the end of a campaign to dissect and evaluated, the Agile method encourages marketing teams to watch that campaigns evolve in real-time, from concept to deployment.
Transparency Across Departments
Many businesses operate with their marketing departments treated differently from the rest of their departments. This setup creates numerous difficulties for marketers and makes it much more difficult for them to get the information they need from other parts of the business. The link between marketers and other key departments like sales is a common weak point for many companies.
The output of sales and marketing are intrinsically linked. Encouraging these departments to collaborate throughout the process ensures that both operate with up-to-date information relative to their respective roles. This exchange of information also enables both departments to plan their workflows to complement one another.
For most businesses, an Agile marketing approach will enable them to do more with less. Because Agile marketing campaigns are continually incorporating the feedback and input they receive, shortcomings are more likely to be identified and fixed beforehand. Not only does this constant feedback loop benefit your marketing output, but it also encourages better teamwork and collaboration throughout your business. Your whole organization will benefit, not just your marketing department.