Agile Marketing: How Nimble Are Your Marketing Efforts?

In software development, the agile approach is very focused on the customers’ needs and in improving functionality based on that feedback. The agile approach has migrated to the marketing world, and blog MindJet sums it up best: “Agile marketing means taking small steps and not being afraid to fail. It also means never failing the same way twice.” How agile are your marketing efforts? What can you do to move more quickly, and with greater purpose and efficacy?

At its core, agile marketing is customer-centric. It is non-siloed; it’s fast; it’s changing. It’s…agile.  Here are some tips to ensure you can keep up:

• One of the best tips is to implement “timeboxed” meetings. Everyone stands: what did you do yesterday? What challenges did you face?  What are you doing today?  That’s it; every team member goes through their quick spiel, and then we get to work. This is beneficial because everyone gets insight into other parts of the project without sacrificing time to the black void of meetings. This also helps break down silos, which can impede speed and agility.
• Let consumers in on the party. Advanced information, feedback, and change – this is the heart of agile.
• Reevaluate your strategy monthly. Nothing has a chance to get stale. Agile marketers call this “sprints.” Simply set a time limit, test, evaluate, and see if change is called for.
• Prioritize tasks to cut workload and unnecessary “busy work.”
• Speed is important, but so are best practices. Don’t cut those structural corners that can knock your marketing structure down. Here, slow and steady doesn’t necessarily win the race; brisk and steady has a much better shot.

Marketers face a variety of challenges, from the variety of media consumers to the sheer volume of brand interactions they have per day. An agile approach is a must for reaching and responding to consumers.