Bringing Agile to Marketing
It's kind of funny for me to even title this article that way. Because Marketing is inherently evolutionary. And what's behind any evolution? Well, agility is at least ONE of the factors.
And we could DEFINITELY get carried away in this conversation in definitions. But more so what I wanted to explore is how the Agile Framework for Software Development MATCHES the requirements of any great marketing program. So, let's focus on that and get to it.
Agile Principle: Customer Collaboration (over contract negotiation)
One of the things marketers CANNOT control is the evolution of the customer. Since most customers at this point in history are still HUMAN, and humans have a natural tendency to change (based on new knowledge, social cues, and a million other things I won't spend time listing here, but you know as a human yourself); there is no ONE steady state for any of our customers, or alas, prospects.
Which means, collaborating with them as frequently as possible gives us the greatest insight into how we can best support them, as people AND with our products and services.
Agile Principle: Responding to Change (over following a plan)
I was recently listening to the Mastering Uncertainty audio book, and one of the bits about planning really resonated with me. It was about how the VALUE in a plan is in going through the experience of PLANNING, NOT in the final "plan" as a product.
And why?
Well, I don't know about you, but what percentage of the plans YOU have made manifested PRECISELY the way you planned them?
For me, I can't think of any.
Your Marketing Plan falls into this category.
And when we DON'T evolve them, we get left behind.
But if we take what we learn in the planning, ADD new data as it comes in (and potential some new tech when it makes sense), and adapt the plan, then we can REALLY respond to change. And keep our marketing agile.
Agile Principle: Continuous Improvement
I don't know about you, but when I hear "continuous improvement", it doesn't seem to match "sitting on our laurels".
So, let's look at a marketing tactic that gets really stale really fast: Tradeshow Booths.
And it kind of makes sense. I mean, one you've printed a booth backdrop for $10k, you probably don't want to do a different one for the next tradeshow. But then it also doesn't create an opportunity for continuous improvement.
UNLESS...
You look at how you can use the SAME thing in a NEW way.
That's totally possible.
But how many people are doing that? vs. how many people are using the same, tired tradeshow strategy over and over, getting the same so-so results?
My bet is that 90% (if not more) people fall into the latter category.
But if we brought the Agile Framework with us?
Maybe, just maybe, we'd get a lot more bang for our buck.
Agile Principle: Embracing Change
I mean, it seems simple, right? But it's SO easy to just keep doing the same things over and over. Writing a blog post every Monday (guilty!) Sending out the same type of collateral to your partners (that isn't actually engaging them). Posting on multiple social media channels daily (just to say you did). Breezing past entering that data in the CRM because "no one's going to look at it again anyway".
Oh SO many ways we get sucked in.
But in marketing, it's CRITICAL to be able to respond to the market as it changes.
We can't CONTROL the changes. So we need to find ways to embrace them.
My favorite way to do this is by bringing PERMISSION back into your organization. Permission to do something OUTSIDE the norm. Outside the calendar. Outside the schedule.
With freedom to fail.
THAT'S how we embrace change for REAL.
Agile Principle: Working "Software" is the Primary Measure of Progress
What's YOUR "working software"?
And no, that doesn't mean I turned all of you into software developers, valued readers. I'm not one either.
But when it comes to Marketing, there are a LOT of things we measure that DON'T measure progress towards where we're going. Again, I'm not going to list them, because I'm sure your brain is doing it for me 😉
So, if "progress" is "more clients" or "more revenue", what's your "working marketing" that gets you closer to those things?
If you're not sure, and you'd like to explore it with someone, we should chat!
Agile Principle: Business People & Developers MUST Work Together Daily
Ok, so let's assume "Developers" in this sense becomes Marketers.
This one is really about collaboration.
As a business evolves, leadership and organizational goals shift. And in order to stay aligned, it requires communication. And not just a MEMO. But a "working together" that allows the business as a whole to move towards the goals.
Agile Principle: Respond to Change Quickly
If you're actually in the development realm from a business perspective, you will already know that this is true. Often, the first company that responds to a market shift, hit's the jackpot. But the results are not the same for those who follow suit.
And if you, again, "sit on our laurels" because you got ahead of that ONE change, there are going to be a bunch more that you miss.
Now, no one can predict the future; that's not what I'm saying here.
But there are companies that can move FAST. And there are companies that can't.
To be a COMPANY that moves fast, you need a Marketing Department that moves fast.
And what it takes to make YOUR Marketing Team move fast is DIFFERENT than what it takes to make another marketing team move fast.
What's yours?
Agile Principle: Individuals & Interactions (over processes & tools)
This one might surprise the people who assumed the Agile Principles were only relevant to software. But it's one of my favorites.
PEOPLE are the foundation.
And people are the foundation of Marketing, too. When we're not getting too distracted by doing THINGS, and finding tools that can automate those THINGS.
Our customers, and our prospects, are people. And even if you're selling to a TEAM, that team is made up of individuals. And their experience of YOU is made up of individual interactions.
If you were measuring YOUR Marketing on "the number of individuals having interactions" with your brand (and I would go one step deeper to say "meaningful interactions" with those individuals), how would you rate yourself?
Let's get REALLY honest with ourselves. Is a website click a "meaningful" interaction? When YOU click on a website, it is meaningful to you? How about when you sign up for an email list? Or download a PDF? How meaningful are those actions to you?
Yeah, they're the SAME level of meaningful to YOUR clients.
But some interactions ARE meaningful? And how are you creating THOSE in Your Marketing?
Agile Principle: Build Projects around Motivated Individuals
Oh, how the corporate work world misses out on this one.
Based on Gallup's last State of the Global Workplace report (2023), 62% of employees are NOT engaged, and 15% are actively disengaged. Which means, you're LUCKY if 23% of your employees fall into the "motivated individuals" category.
So, how do we motivate people in Marketing?
Define what motivates them
Create time for them to do what motivates them, ON COMPANY TIME.
When we ASSUME people are going to create their OWN motivation on their OWN time, we always end up disappointed. So let's NOT do that.
And once we enable their motivation, we can create projects for them that both tap into that motivation AND take us closer to our business goals.
Yes, it's possible. With the right intentions.
P.S. This works for Partners too 💞
In Summary
Honestly, I could write a WAY longer article and dive into more of the Agile Framework and why it makes SO much sense for Marketers, but then it wouldn't leave YOU any room to explore it for yourself. And if you WANT to do that, here is a link to the Agile Manifesto.
At the end of the day, it's about BEING AGILE.
Yes, it's about a BEING-ness. Not about a list of tasks you do.
It's about WANTING to change, to evolve, to motivate people, to develop things that HELP people (yourself and your customers).
Which is something I think we all WANT to do.
But it's NOT how most Marketers hit their desk in the morning.
So, what could it look like if YOU were going to be more agile? Maybe, just maybe, some of you will be brave enough to try that today ✨
