Digital marketing agencies use all sorts of buzzwords to describe what it is they do without actually coming out and saying anything concrete. It is a way of providing a bit of insight into digital marketing services without giving away the store. As someone involved in this business, I can confidently say that buzzwords should be taken with a grain of salt. But what about ‘agility’?
‘Agility’ may be thought of as just another marketing term designed to make agencies sound impressive. But it’s not. Agile digital marketing is actually a real thing. If you’re curious to know the details, I recommend this fantastic piece by Forbes Council’s Member Jonathan Schwartz. If you can get by with an overview, keep reading.
Birthed From Agile Software Development
The concept of agility is not original to digital marketing. Marketing professionals borrowed the idea from software development. And in fact, agile software development is now more than two decades old. It is the counter to more traditional waterfall development.
In software development, the waterfall process is linear. Software is developed in stages. Each person and department must wait for the previous stage to be completed before starting its portion of the work. Making it all the way down the line is what completes the project.
Agile software development looks completely different. Each department and its team members are working on their aspects of the project simultaneously. Departments are encouraged to collaborate as they go. Agile software development prioritizes interaction over process and adaptability over following a linear plan.
Applying Agility to Digital Marketing
The concept of agile software development is rooted in the understanding that there is more than one way to get from point A to point Z. In addition, everyone who contributes has something important to offer – even the customer. The question is how to apply the same concept to digital marketing.
For that, I turned to Webtek Digital Marketing in Salt Lake City, UT. According to Webtek experts, agile digital marketing is based on five key principles:
1. Incremental Work
Agile digital marketing takes large and complex marketing campaigns and breaks them down into smaller, manageable increments. In addition, the marketing team looks for continuous feedback while adjustments are made accordingly. Frequent releases are offered to garner as much feedback as possible.
2. Interdisciplinary Collaboration
The various disciplines within digital marketing all contribute to the whole. But in an agile environment, there is interdisciplinary collaboration between departments. In some cases, departments are built to be cross-functional to ensure that work gets done in a timely manner.
3. Data Driven Decisions
Decisions are driven by data in an agile environment. Marketers rely heavily on data analytics to inform their strategies and decisions. New sources of data are constantly considered. Teams test the data, evaluate the results, and rapidly iterate.
4. Marketing Flexibility
The primary benefit of agile digital marketing is flexibility. Agile digital marketing agencies can quickly adapt. They can pivot almost immediately when new data or market conditions demand. Likewise, they are equally responsive to customer needs.
5. Value Over Numbers
Finally, digital marketing agencies that follow the agile model place more emphasis on value than raw numbers. Their services are designed to ensure that customers get what they pay for in real-world results that translate into better sales. They do not merely chase numbers for their own sake.
There is a lot more I could write about agile digital marketing if not for lack of space. Know this: ‘agile’ is not just a buzzword in digital marketing. It is an actual marketing philosophy that’s just now starting to catch on.