If you still haven’t jumped on the agile marketing train, then you, my friend, don’t know what you are missing. While the transition isn’t easy, Ben Franklin once said “when you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” Most people do not like change. It’s difficult, and normally people need convincing. Well if you think that agile is worth considering but need some convincing then you’re in luck. Melanie Darienzo does just that. In her recent article, she outlines for killer benefits you’ll see when you make the switch. It’s with that mantra that I would to help educate you to what you are missing.
Know your progress
It’s true that agile marketers tend to get campaigns in market faster and place a larger emphasis on hard data. Part of this stems from the principle that decisions should be based on data. Darienzo states, that “agile marketers always have fresh progress and results to report to senior management.” Basically, the more agile your marketing team is, the more aware you are about which campaigns are performing and which aren’t.
Continual Improvement
Because agile marketers are so heavily metrics focused, they are better able to “leverage compounding insights – that is, the cumulative effect of many small, isolated optimization efforts,” says Darienzo. This provides a more holistic view of the impact each initiative has on the organization. These metrics then inform the next round of changes creating a continuous feedback loop. Additionally, agile marketers who utilize marketing automation software quickly become masters at meeting their prospects wherever they are in the buying process. “To be an effective Agile Marketer you must have the on-demand tools to make frequent adaptations to your process. It is critical that these marketers have cutting-edge technology that can segment all levels of data quickly and easily in order for them to review results, make quick changes, review again, etc. The Continuous Improvement aspect of the Agile Marketer only works if you have the proper tools in place to succinctly measure improvement based on a wide set of parameters.” Matt Filios COO Net-Results.
ROI Clarity
Part of the appeal of agile marketing is that costs, timelines, and expected results are broken down to the most granular level. While this might sound tedious, it empowers marketers to be extremely precise. “With detailed cost and delivery commitments, Agile Marketers can make informed ROI decisions on the fly and feel confident that they are pulling the right lever at the right time.”
Better cross-department communication
By their very nature, agile organizations are more integrated. Agile helps put in place a common language, framework and shared timeline. This helps create tighter cross-departmental integration which in turn promotes project success.
Like what you’re reading? Want to learn more? Well we’re hosting an agile marketing workshop in San Francisco on June 11. So, get your agile on and check out Sprint Zero: The Physics of Agile Marketing.