No company wants to be left in the dust by their competition. That’s why it’s important to prioritize things like flexibility and speed. You need to be able to handle any abrupt changes that arise, make decisions quickly, and then act accordingly. It’s essential to be willing to pivot when necessary.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder so many people turn to agile marketing in an effort to be more innovative and stay relevant in a saturated niche.
In fact, 51% of marketers surveyed said they used at least some aspects of an agile marketing approach in their work. That includes things like working in sprints. But what exactly does all that mean?
In this article, you’ll learn what agile marketing is and how you can begin implementing it within your organization to create massive success. Let’s dive in!
What is Agile Marketing?
If you’re a small business owner or marketer, you’ve probably heard of agile marketing. It is a strategic approach largely focused on the ability to execute projects quickly. This type of marketing relies on rapid experimentation to help you find the best ways to reach your audience and drive results in business.
Tasks that previously took months to complete can now be accomplished in just weeks. This is done by implementing a work schedule featuring short sprints, or bursts, when working to achieve goals. These sprints are short periods of time with intensive work to get things done quickly.
It’s unlike traditional marketing, which typically requires large budgets and elaborate plans that take months to fully implement. With this approach, you constantly test new ideas and have the ability to tweak your strategy according to what’s performing the best at the moment. Then, once you’ve found something that works, you can build a full-fledged campaign.
The best part of agile marketing is that you don’t really need any specific tools or software. You just need the right mindset to implement the appropriate strategies and the drive to keep pushing forward. Those qualities are crucial to keeping up in today’s fast-paced market.
You can read the Agile Marketing Manifesto if you’d like to learn more.
The Benefits of Going Agile in Your Business
Whenever the idea to try something new in business arises, hesitation often follows. Will this really be worthwhile to pursue? Will you see a return on your investment or will it be a major flop? Truthfully, you never know until you try. However, there are some great reasons to give agile marketing a go if it sounds appealing to you thus far.
Here are some benefits you can expect:
- Increased Efficiency:Working in sprints prevents projects from being unnecessarily drawn out for months. After all, if you give yourself months to complete something, that can be how long it’ll take. Give yourself a couple of weeks to accomplish the same task, and you’ll be more likely to make it happen.
- Boost in Innovation:By implementing this approach to marketing, you’ll get feedback sooner rather than later. This will allow you to act on that data at lightning speed, meaning you can make changes to your strategy quickly and effectively to drive your desired results.
- More Business Growth: When you’re dedicated to your work and focused on efficiency, growth at a rapid rate is more likely. Before you know it, you’ll have generated more brand awareness, you’ll see more engagement, and your sales will skyrocket.
These benefits show just how powerful this approach can be, which is perfect if you need help getting your team on board and eliminating any skepticism they may have.
How to Get Started with Agile Marketing
Although agile marketing has been around for some time, it’s still a relatively new concept for many businesses. Not only that, but those that have adopted this approach have done so in different ways. That’s because there isn’t one set process to follow. It’s more about having the right mindset and implementing the practices that work best for you. There are a few methods you can use to get started.
1. First and Foremost, You Have to Set Your Goals
Before you begin pondering the strategy you’ll implement, you need to understand exactly what you want to achieve from your marketing efforts. Knowing your goals means you can take action accordingly, pursuing the things that will get you closer to where you want to be.
So, what results do you want your marketing to produce? Do you want more website traffic or to increase your social media following? Are you hoping to generate more leads per month? Do you have a specific sales goal you’re trying to hit? It all depends on your business focus at this moment. Take some time to figure that out so you can map your work sprints accordingly.
2. Decide Which Elements of Agile Marketing Make Sense for You
Because there are different ways to go about agile marketing, you get to decide what this approach looks like for you and your team. Remember that it’s all about flexibility. That’s why there’s no such thing as a rigid framework you need to follow to create success. You can do what’s best for you.
With that said, there are two main ways to implement agile marketing for your team. They’re known as Scrum and Kanban. Scrum revolves around sprints that last anywhere from two to six weeks. There will also be dedicated team members, such as the Scrum Master, to ensure everyone stays on track. Plus, you’ll incorporate meetings for planning, stand-up (daily 15-minute check-ins), and reviewing the work you’ve accomplished.
But if your team finds it challenging to follow a predetermined timeline for a sprint, there’s Kanban. This approach is a bit more visual when mapping out the structure for your team’s workflow. There will be a board that displays tasks to complete, tasks that are being worked on, and tasks that have been completed. Boundaries will be put in place to outline how team members will accomplish tasks. And of course, regular meetings will keep everyone on track.
3. Design Your Marketing Team
When putting your agile marketing team together, don’t just pick those already working in your marketing department. Your team should be comprised of people from different departments so everyone can come together and work toward a common goal. For instance, get those on your sales team involved. Bring in people from customer service, human resources, and even public relations if you have those departments.
You never know when someone might have a fresh perspective to add that could transform how you work. And if you’re planning to implement the Scrum framework, there are unique roles that you’ll need to fill to keep everyone working accordingly.
4. Start Mapping Out Your First Sprint
To begin planning a sprint, you need to determine the end goal. Knowing what you want to achieve helps everyone on the team keep the bigger picture in mind. From there, tasks can be mapped out based on priority. Once you know what work needs to be done, it can be assigned accordingly. Consider a team member’s strengths and interests so they can do the things they’re best at and will most enjoy to ensure productivity.
Another important element of mapping out a sprint is determining the time frame. The point of agile marketing is to get things done at a quicker pace than normal. However, you still need to be realistic about what you can achieve in a specific timeframe. Sprints are typically anywhere from two to six weeks, so think wisely about how much time your team needs to do a job well.
It’s also helpful to have daily goals and milestones to ensure everyone stays on track instead of falling behind. This is when those daily stand-up meetings come into play since each team member can share what they accomplished the day before and what their focus is for the day.
5. Come Together to Review Progress After the Sprint Ends
Once your sprint has wrapped, it’s helpful to schedule a team meeting to review how it went. This is an opportunity to show off what you’ve accomplished during the designated sprint timeframe. Team members should be encouraged to show off the results of all their hard work. They can even share any wins, no matter how big or small. You can also use this time to give the team feedback and discuss ways to improve for the next sprint.
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