Since the original Agile Manifesto of 2001, which was written by and for software developers, the Agile movement has spread exponentially. It’s provided a tried-and-true process for continual improvement and a focus on providing value to customers, not an obsession with following stiff procedures. In fact, to many, it’s a breath of fresh air.
So why haven’t marketers adopted Agile for project management?
What does it mean to be Agile?
Instead of planning out all work in advance and then rigidly sticking to that plan for the long haul, Agile separates projects into mini “sprints.” This ensures that progress is made and that the process can be refined continuously based on real-time customer feedback. With Agile, the primary focus is about delivering real value to the customer, right away and continuously, without getting bogged down in procedures and outdated ways of thinking.
Agile for marketers? It hasn’t really caught on yet
According to Workfront’s Agile Marketing Report 2016, marketers are lagging behind when it comes to Agile. In fact, attempts to implement Agile is scattershot at best:
- 40% of marketers report using a “mixed” methodology, or basically creating their own workflows from a hodgepodge of methodologies
- 26% prefer the “waterfall” method, or planning everything at once and then executing the plan
- 14% are “reactive,” which means they choose a project management style as a reaction to the specific demands of a project.
- 14% do use Agile
At the same time, more and more marketers see the benefits of Agile for organizing their work. 71% of marketers say they have an internal expert to train them on the Agile process, and 40% of marketing teams are either using Agile or have plans to implement it in the near future.
Is Agile Catching on With B2B Marketers?
Software as a Services (SaaS) is such a big player in the B2B space, that it would make sense that B2B marketers would also see the benefits of Agile for work management.
Yet there isn’t any indication that B2B marketers are implementing Agile at a faster rate than anyone else. So perhaps you can decide for yourself, whether or not you want to join your software-development comrades on the Agile bandwagon.
For more information on Agile Marketing trends, check out the infographic below.
