Boost your marketing strategy with agile methodologies

Agile is a widely used methodology within the IT world, that is, Information Technology. The implementation of these processes in the company meant a great transformation, which can go beyond the world of software. Marketing can be one of the areas that will benefit from your application.

What is agile marketing?

Agile marketing consists of the application of agile techniques to the advertising department. What does this mean? It is about the adoption of cross-functional teams that organize themselves autonomously. These teams have constant interaction that allows them to give a new strategic vision to their work.

The application of this methodology is of great help due to the speed at which the digital world moves. Constant publications, the response to other people’s campaigns, or virality require agile strategies. In other words, a quick response is needed that is capable of encompassing the entire work area.

All this must be done respecting the basic values of marketing:

• Give value to the customer.
• Get sales results.
• Add value from the start.
• Respond to all possible changes.
• Get to create a positive awareness of the brand abroad.

The characteristics of this methodology

But what is different about this system? Next we will explain and analyze the different characteristics of this work technique. Specifically, it is based on 4 aspects that must be balanced equally.

1. Joint work of all team members

Hierarchies disappear, what we are looking for is a constant collaboration between everyone. To do this, regular meetings are held where all team members have complete freedom to contribute ideas to the tasks of others.

Although each person works in a different area of the campaign, everyone must have a common link and for this reason, communication is essential. It is not a set of independent pieces, but a puzzle in which all of them must fit.

2. Data: the basis for decisions

The data becomes the true protagonists of the campaigns. It is the engine that manages to drive new experiments or changes in strategy.

All actions are measured and analyzed so that the team can correctly know its own performance. Thanks to this, adjustments can be made that can be applied in the current campaign. In other words, those responsible for measurement interact fluidly with those responsible for development to achieve the greatest possible efficiency.

3. Speed posts

In the world of digital marketing, time runs very fast. Therefore, applying agile allows you to use sprints. These are short periods of time in which you have to complete a small and much more specific task. This allows you to generate much more constant posts and respond to the interactions you count on.

The action plan can be modified after each sprint by looking at all the data collected. As a general rule, these periods of time do not usually exceed two weeks.

4. The Manifesto as a basis

The arrival of this type of work in the advertising department is a consequence of the appearance of the Agile Marketing Manifesto. This was created in 2012 by a group of experts who shared ideas and experiences. From the failures and successes, a guide was generated that is currently the basis of the departments that apply this technique for the development of their campaigns.

The most used techniques for its development

Of the different agile application options, the two most used are the following, which we will discuss below.

The scrum framework

The scrum is actually an original framework that gave rise to the agile development of different projects. It is based on 4 fundamental pillars:

Sprints: the periods of time in which the different tasks that make the entire project possible are planned.

Daily meeting: every day there is a meeting that is usually quick in which it is necessary to share how the development of the assigned task is being carried out.

Review: at the end of the sprint, it is analyzed that the work has been carried out in the agreed manner.

Retrospective: after the publication of the work, the results are observed to make the pertinent changes in the next sprint.

the kanban technique

In the case of the kanban technique, the process times are longer. A more visual reference is sought to capture the different flows of work development. Each step of the project is done in more depth to be able to manage the results in a broader way. In addition, the teams that apply it have a lower workload, so the flows are more important. Its use is recommended for teams with high work variability and priorities.

Benefits of applying the agile methodology in marketing

Applying this methodology has advantages for the company that can be interesting. They are the following:

Speed: agile marketing allows you to increase the speed of delivery of the work and the quality of the same. This is achieved by using multidisciplinary teams that work together without creating dependencies or having to wait for a response from other departments.

Transparency: everyone is aware of what others are doing, for this purpose quick meetings or boards are used in which all the information is visible. In this way, priorities and progress are visualized to be more efficient.

Adaptability: interactive planning allows campaigns to be adapted to the different situations that arise. There is no need to stick to a predetermined annual plan, the teams modify it on the fly by reacting to the environment after the end of each sprint.

Competitiveness: by not being confined to a predetermined campaign, the impact on consumers can be measured and adapted to their tastes and needs. In this way a more competitive company is achieved.

The application of the agile methodology in the world of software has benefited many companies such as Catalana Occidente. But this can go further as demonstrated by its implementation in marketing. A service specialized in this type of technique can allow the company to enjoy all the advantages that we have mentioned.