Agile methodology is a new way to approach complex projects, allowing them to adapt quickly to inputs from different stakeholders. Initially, an agile methodology was a core component of tech and IT projects. Marketing departments have realized that this methodology can be a useful tool to develop adaptable strategies that a business can implement efficiently.
In the modern world of marketing, being able to adapt quickly is crucial. When looking at the agile methodology for developing marketing strategies, it’s best to defer to those who have done it before and found a measure of success. Eleven contributors to Forbes Agency Council discuss vital tips for agencies looking to adopt an effective agile methodology in their marketing strategies.
Members offer their best advice for developing agile marketing strategies.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Embrace The Chaos
Agile is a completely different mindset from waterfall thinking. Embrace the chaos and think in short accomplishable tasks in order to ship something, giving power and authority to your staff. I highly recommend the book “Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time” by Jeff Sutherland. Start by reading “Scrum,” then have your team read it. – Jason Wilson, Strategy, LLC
2. Leverage Collaboration To Remove Silos
Leverage collaboration to remove silos. Remote technology makes it easier than ever to create cross-organizational and cross-functional teams, in order to identify new customer needs, as well as the company’s capabilities, and to design and communicate standout solutions. – Hamutal Schieber, Schieber Research
3. Test And Learn With New Tech
Test and learn with new tech. It is an age-old tactic, but it rings most true as the agile methodology has infiltrated the agency industry. Coupled with software for efficiency, testing and learning can kickstart any marketing strategy and help a team more quickly identify what works and what doesn’t in this digital-first era. – Corbett Drummey, Popular Pays
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4. Keep The Goal Fixed
Keep the goal fixed — at least in the medium-term, but be flexible in the route. Pivot your short-term messaging and channels as needed, but always focus on your outcome. – Robert Warner, InvisiblePPC
5. Work With Other Business Functions
To build agility into your top-level marketing strategy, you must collaborate at the front end with other business functions such as Legal, IT, HR and Finance. Otherwise, you will start and stop too many times as each business function throws cold water on your strategy. Get everyone involved at the start. You must get comfortable with the iterative process of creating marketing strategies. – Elonide Semmes, Right Hat, LLC
6. Change Habits And Culture First
Before you implement any form of strategy — agile or otherwise — it’s important that you invest time in changing the habits and culture so that your team doesn’t feel this is the same-old, same-old — just repackaged. It takes years for an organization to fully embrace and adopt a new way of working, and that needs to be championed into the culture and way of working. – Dean Seddon, Maverrik
7. Be Willing To Change Tactics
Be willing to change tactics when you realize results aren’t what you expected. Always create clear goals before beginning your campaigns, and constantly assess the results against those goals. You’ll often save time and resources by starting a new tactic than by forcing one that isn’t working the way you want it. – Evan Nison, NisonCo
8. Don’t Dilute Your Brand
Don’t get so lost in the weeds of agile marketing that you dilute your brand. Agile marketing should be treated as an earned privilege for well-established brands and approached with caution by emerging brands who have not yet achieved minimum levels of brand awareness, saliency and value. – Abigail Hirschhorn, Human Intelligence | H.I.
9. Focus On Becoming Adaptable
Agile is not synonymous with fast and it doesn’t mean that you have to constantly be burning the midnight oil. It’s about including the ability to adapt, even creating a culture where adaptation is desirable, into your process. It is not about burnout. – Chris Graham, Graham Advisory Network Inc.
10. Plan In Short Increments Of Time
Plan marketing efforts in short increments so you can quickly adapt and optimize. Marketing is not “set it and forget it.” It’s important to keep tabs on customer inquiries, online reviews and adapt your content to the tone of the present situation. – Laura Cole, Vivial
11. Begin With Goals Needed For Client Campaigns
Begin with the goals and strategy needed for your clients’ campaigns — in that order. Agencies that provide multiple services like SEO, PPC, etc. need to realize that pretty much every project and its attributed results are going to have overlap. Pinpoint where that overlap is first to uncover what data should be measured cross-functionally, so you can track the true impact of your campaigns. – Bernard May, National Positions
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Author: Expert Panel®, Forbes Councils Member
