Agile marketing techniques: Is it just another fancy jargon or some meat to bite Let us start with the flip side of the reporting. How does it impact for b2b marketing?
Pessimists will tell you that agile marketing is not a solution that can magically solve the complexities of marketing because every company is unique and works on campaigns that are too. Under these conditions, no management method, however useful, can be applied to all cases. Agile marketing may need more team member. More content creation. b2b marketing is about content creation. It is expensive, or the budgets are high.
It requires special consultants who know process excellence experts on board. To verify the tasks have progressed and completed without having to resort to short cycles or the Kanban / SCRUM method. For each Design, Develop, Test, Deploy and Review, do we need tools? It would be best if you had additional tools for these process applications. It was enough to organize regular team meetings to exchange creative ideas, solve problems and communicate with all stakeholders, and the work was going smoothly.
What was missing in marketing?
The Agile method is a concept from the United States. For decades, likewise, marketers have strived to move their projects forward as efficiently and as quickly as possible with traditional methods. . Manufacturing industry started implementing process excellence methods such as TQM, Toyota way of production, Lean and more. The prominence of process excellence came in early 2000 in the software industry and software product projects to address the CHANGING customer needs while executing the projects. In early 2010, then the agile method came along, was publicized by the technology publications and then to social media. All of a sudden, agile marketing became the new way of marketer life.
Continuing the same argument, the same pessimists will tell you that for marketers, it’s not the method that matters most, but the result. You have to do whatever it takes to get the result you want, no matter what way you use, whether Agile or Waterfall method.
Agile is about change: It impacts marketing budgets.
Agile is open for change. Marketing budgets for b2b marketers are fixed. Agile needs time and material based pricing, not fixed budgets projects. Marketing needs content. The more changes in marketing content deliverables will affect the budgets of the marketing assets. Marketing budgets fixed are fixed for working deliverables and outcome. The concept of ‘we are open to deliver as per customer request’ will impact marketers budgets. This CHANGE is opposite to any fixed budget/ price activities. This customer change is opposite to any specified bid/budget marketing activities for marketers.
In short, for these pessimists, agile marketing is just another fancy jargon to describe what marketers have been doing for decades. The fact is that unlike tradional marketing in b2b business, agile marketing do not recommend in printing marketing materials and use it for years! Its about every day change in marketing. Go digital. Design, Develop, Test, Deploy and Review marketing steps. Going digital will automate the change in marketing approach based on feedback/review with the customer.
Some facts:
In 2016 Wrike State of Agile Marketing Report, which gathered statements from over 800 marketers, found that:
63% of marketers practising agile methods were delighted with their work, compared to 26% of non-agile marketers.
79% of agile marketers found their meetings extremely productive, compared to 46% of non-agile marketers.
Whatever the pessimists say about Agile marketing methods, application of Agile marketing adoption in b2b marketing agencies has three fundamental advantages:
Customer delight: Agile ensures fast and continuous deliveries. Design, Develop, Test, Deploy and Review are executed for short cycles. Results are quick and not wait for a long period.
Cost minimisation: Design, Develop, Test, Deploy and Review of content and communication for a shorter cycle or each step. Continuous monitoring of the quality and process leads to fewer repetitions are avoided, and it will safeguard trust from the customer.
Collaborative spirit: Morale boost to the teams since mistakes and challenges addressed at an early stage and more productive and delighted team
Many b2b digital marketing agencies use Agile methodologies since they are proven to increase productivity and offer proven results in providing the best outcomes. Let’s do agile marketing methods!