Agile Marketing: Fad or Future?

Exploring the Benefits of Agile Marketing

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If you’re unfamiliar with Agile Marketing, it can feel a bit like that health trend everyone is promoting: you know it’s supposed to be good for you, but you’re still a bit on the fence (fizzy fermented tea, anyone?).

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To uncover why Agile is having a marketing moment, we’re outlining how it differs from more traditional marketing processes and why this methodology might be just the empowering elixir your team needs.

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Agile vs Traditional Marketing 

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Unlike traditional marketing, which is often outlined in a linear execution process (campaigns and tasks checked off one by one), Agile Marketing emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement.


Rather than creating extensive upfront marketing plans, Agile projects are broken into smaller, manageable tasks or “sprints” that can be completed in shorter time frames. It’s an approach to marketing that draws inspiration from the principles and practices of agile software development which prioritizes launching initiatives quickly and then iterating based on feedback and data.

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And in today’s ever-changing economy, with shifting project priorities, remote communication, and cross-company collaboration needs at an all-time high, Agile allows for quick adaptation, visibility, and alignment where traditional methods often fall short. 

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According to Agile Sherpa’s 6th Annual State of Agile Marketing Report, 76% of Agile marketers stated agile marketing allowed them to prioritize work more effectively.

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The Key Principles of Agile Marketing

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Now that we’ve touched on how Agile differs from traditional marketing processes, let’s dive into the individual principles that create a more nimble marketing function that can support the goals and objectives of enterprise teams.

Iterative and Incremental Work:

Teams set short-term goals and prioritize tasks based on their importance and impact. This iterative approach allows for faster feedback, quicker course corrections, and the ability to respond to changes in market conditions or customer needs more effectively.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Agile Marketing promotes collaboration and communication among individuals from different marketing disciplines, such as content creation, design, analytics, and strategy. Collaborating across functions helps break down silos, encourages knowledge sharing, and fosters a better understanding of the overall marketing goals and objectives.

Self-Contained Teams:

Agile Marketing advocates for self-contained or autonomous teams that have the necessary skills and resources to complete marketing initiatives independently. Self-contained teams are responsible for end-to-end delivery of their projects, from planning to execution and measurement. This autonomy allows teams to work more efficiently, respond to changes quickly, and take ownership of their work. 

Continuous Learning and Adaptation:

Agile Marketing embraces a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. It encourages teams to learn from their experiences–both successes and failures–and incorporate those learnings into future iterations. Teams regularly review their work, gather feedback, analyze data, and seek insights to improve their strategies and tactics. This process of continuous improvement helps refine marketing initiatives, optimize performance, and deliver better results over time.

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As a whole, these principles work to create a dynamic and responsive marketing approach that can quickly adapt to changing market dynamics, deliver value, and drive better outcomes. 

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Putting an Agile Approach into Practice 

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So, you’re understanding the benefits of Agile Marketing, ready to take the (cold) plunge?

What next?
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Educate your team:

• Introduce the concepts and benefits of Agile Marketing, providing training and resources to help the team understand the principles and practices. Here are a few of our top picks:
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• The Agile Marketing Manifesto is a great place to start.
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• We’d also highly recommend Scott Brinker’s book, Hacking Marketing: Agile Practices to Make Marketing Smarter, Faster, and More Innovative.
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• You can also read our recent article, Unleashing the Benefits of Agile Marketing, to further expand on the transformative power of Agile marketing.
  

Implement iterative and incremental work:

• Break down projects into smaller tasks or iterations, prioritize them, and deliver value in incremental stages, allowing for faster feedback and course corrections. 
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• Encourage the team to regularly review work, gather feedback, analyze data, and seek insights to improve strategies and tactics.

Foster a culture of continuous learning:

• Embrace flexibility and adaptability: Prioritize quick iterations, embrace changes based on feedback and market conditions, and empower teams to make informed decisions and adjustments.
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• Align your team: Determine if you can form your marketing organization into self-contained teams, aka pods or agile groups. Each team should be self-sufficient in delivering end-to-end marketing projects and campaigns.
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Remember to Breathe 

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Remember, adopting an Agile Marketing process is an ongoing journey. It requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to adapt. Continuously evaluate and improve your practices based on the feedback and results you receive, and refine your Agile approach to better suit your team and organizational needs.

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Tenon, Marketing Work Management for Enterprise Teams

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Tenon is a Work Management solution developed exclusively for Marketers. We provide a single space for marketing teams to organize and collaborate on campaigns, projects, and tasks so everyone stays in the loop from start to finish. Built on ServiceNow, we're powered by a platform already used by IT, HR, Finance, and Customer Service, so your company can collaborate and get work done like never before.

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