Agile Marketing: 5 benefits of implementing agile management

Do you still feel like your operation is stuck, with many bottlenecks and difficulty producing more efficiently? Maybe it’s time to implement Agile Marketing and boost productivity in marketing.

Agile methodologies add more assertiveness and speed to adapt to an increasingly volatile and competitive world . Read this content until the end and check out tips on how to implement this methodology in marketing.

Agile Manifesto: The Beginning of Agile Methodology

In 2001, a group of 17 people met to discuss new approaches and improvements in project management.

This is how the so-called Agile Manifesto came about , which despite many methodologies being prior to the date of its creation, it was there that 4 values ​​that guide the method were established and consolidated , they are:

1. Communication: individuals and interaction between them more than processes and tools;
2. Practicality: Working software rather than comprehensive documentation;
3. Alignment of expectations and collaboration: collaboration with the client and project members rather than contract negotiation;
4. Adaptability and flexibility: responding to change rather than following a plan.

In addition to these 4 essential pillars above, there are 12 principles of the agile manifesto . This guide has become world-renowned for guiding actions and helping in the choice of methods and tools to optimize results:

1. Satisfy the customer with fast and continuous deliveries;
2. Flexibility to accept changes at any stage of the process, even if late;
3. Deliver software more frequently and in the shortest timescale ;
4. Align those involved in the projects . Managers and developers should talk daily throughout the project;
5. Provide a healthy environment, support and confidence to keep the team motivated ;
6. Working software is the primary measure of progress;
7. Maintain a constant and continuous pace of development ;
8. Continuously pay attention to technical excellence and good design to be more agile;
9. Simplify to have a routine guided by efficiency;
10. Provide autonomy and confidence for teams to organize themselves;
11. Evaluate effectiveness at regular intervals to adjust and refine important design points .

What is Agile Marketing?

Agile Marketing is a work methodology that consists of adopting more efficient work methods . That is, creating marketing strategies and campaigns based on short and precise processes and creation cycles.

The main idea is to react quickly to changes and challenges imposed by the market. In addition, another important factor is to create a continuous cycle of learning, implementation and measurement to avoid waste throughout the process.

5 benefits of implementing agile management in marketing

Agile methodologies are fully connected to the mindset . Therefore, they shape the way a team thinks, acts and executes in the company.

According to the 3rd Annual State of Agile Marketing Report , 41% of marketers report using Agile today, and of those non-users, 42% plan to adopt it .

Whatever your current situation, check out the reasons to implement this methodology in your daily life.

1. Increases productivity

Wasting time on meetings that could be an email or projects that do not contribute to achieving strategic objectives can hinder your deliveries.

And according to The State of Agile Marketing report , increasing productivity is the top reason to adopt agile marketing .

In other words, this is proof that if you don’t invest in improving your productivity, your competitors probably will or already will.

2. Reduces costs

Time is money is a maxim we have always heard. And if you can manage your business more quickly and efficiently, it is quite possible that cost reduction will be one of the first benefits your team will generate.

Agile methodologies value organizing processes, analyzing and measuring results . Therefore, if an initiative is not working, the best choice is to rethink the investment of time and money in it.

3. Focus on the consumer

It may seem like a cliche, but teams that focus on customer experience achieve more sales and build customer loyalty . This is extremely relevant in such a competitive market.

Marketing is often focused on the brand’s products/services, but it can forget about the people who matter most: its target audience who buys.

The way your consumers react to launches and consume your products/services can help you adapt your strategies.

4. Easy adaptation to changes

The philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus once said that the only constant is change. The increasingly volatile and fast-paced world means that those who do not adapt are out of the game.

And this is the essence of agile marketing. This methodology understands that changes always happen. And so, instead of making rigid plans with a longer time frame (6 months or 1 year), it is recommended to focus on flexible plans, which must react and change according to the moment .

5. Enhances communication

According to research by the Content Marketing Institute , the biggest challenge for 53% of marketing professionals is communication between teams .

And one of the pillars of agile management is to always bring your team together in quick but constant alignments.

This way, it is possible to check how activities are going, share challenges, tests and some results.

In addition to putting everyone on the same page, the routine becomes more transparent and provides better strategic visibility among the internal team.

How to implement Agile in practice

Over the years, agile management has gained frameworks, which are working models for applying the methodology in practice.

To implement one or more of these in your team’s day-to-day activities, you need to consider a series of factors, such as the adaptation of your team and the business model (if it makes sense for your brand). Check out some models:

Kanban

The term of Japanese origin is a visual management system for controlling tasks and workflows through the use of columns and cards, simplifying activity management.

It is usually divided into three columns where you should place your activities as “to do”, “doing (or in progress)” and “done”. This visual structure helps you have more control over the steps and projects that have been requested.

Lean

This method has become established in the startup universe and consists of working with leaner projects, with its main focus being on eliminating waste during execution .

MVP comes from the Minimum Viable Product . In other words, the more functional the version of the product (or project), the easier it is for the company to validate and test projects to identify positive and negative points before investing more time and effort to put the complete version on the market.

In a marketing campaign, the KV (Key Visual) can be considered an MVP, as it is a single piece that works as a guide, representing the essence of the project. This way, the marketing team does not need to redo all the necessary pieces due to rejections.

In short, this method is recommended for validating ideas and hypotheses and consists of three steps, which are building, measuring and learning .

Scrum

One of the most popular methods, developed by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherlande, has the main objective of assisting in the management and development of projects that have a short delivery deadline.

In practice, Scrum works by creating cycles, known as sprints , which are the time intervals for the development of each stage. At the end of each stage, there is a review of the tasks for validation. It is only after this that the team begins the next cycle.

In this methodology, it is important to distribute responsibilities. Therefore, there is the role of the project owner ( Product Owner , or simply Owner ), who will be the main person responsible and will make the main decisions about the development of that project.

SMART

Without setting goals, the path to growth tends to be foggy and confusing. Therefore, this method is ideal for creating more realistic and tangible goals. After all, goals that are too far from current reality tend to demotivate your team. Its 5 pillars are linked to each acronym , learn more:

S – for Specific : First of all, your goal needs to be specific, that is, very clear and straightforward. Address one point at a time, after all, too many ideas at the same time can be confusing and give rise to misinterpretations.

M – for Measurable : your goal must be measurable and quantifiable. Without data to demonstrate the value of your work, all your effort can be nullified. Numbers are essential to prove reality.

A – for Attainable : it is essential that the objectives are achievable . This way, as previously mentioned, your team will not become demotivated for not being able to achieve impossible goals at the moment.

R – for Relevant : your goal needs to be relevant . That is, it needs to have an impact and truly change the company’s direction. Be careful with vanity metrics so you don’t get lost.

T – for Time-related : set a deadline for project delivery. This way, you avoid procrastination. This way, your team can focus and be more effective in projects and results.