Marketing and project management might not seem like natural bosom buddies, one priding itself on its ability to be creative, innovative and to do things outside the norm, while the other tries to systematize, analyze and generally keep everything as regular as possible. However, with the growth of Agile methodologies and project management tools that can enable much greater flexibility yet also clarity in how teams collaborate, many successful marketing companies have begun to see the great benefits of adopting project management principles.
Whether it’s employing communication software or hiring a specialized marketing project manager, there are many things that marketing companies can learn from the world of project management. Here are just a few ways marketing companies are benefiting from project management principles.
- Keep a unified calendar
One of the central elements of any marketing team, but especially content marketing teams, is the editorial calendar. Effective use of calendars helps to keep everything on track and focused. With each team member knowing precisely what their role is, there is much greater ownership of processes and operations, as well as a clear view of where bottlenecks are occurring or resources are being strained.
- Make goal-setting a part of everyday life
Goal-setting, especially in a systematic and repeatable manner, is one of the hallmarks of project management functionality. Set what you want to achieve, figure out how you’ll get there, what it will take and when it will be done by, then measure success based on those estimates. For successful marketing companies, having clearly defined objectives both gives a target for teams to aim at as well as giving clients confidence that you are doing what you say you will.
- Use enhanced visibility to strengthen relationships
One of the biggest innovations of project management software is the ability to identify and inform stakeholders of project progress. This key information means that all stakeholders are constantly aware of a project’s situation, meaning they never have to be informed of any major shocks and have a better understanding of the processes involved in the project.
When it comes to communicating the value and progress of your marketing projects to clients, this kind of visibility can be the difference between a one-off project and a long-lasting relationship.
- Build communication from transparency
It’s an old adage to “say what you’ll do and to do what you say,” but it’s also one that fits very well for how Agile project management functions. There’s less lone wolf, maverick behavior and more constructive collaboration. This is true for all project management, but especially if you are implementing Agile as a marketing project manager.
So much of marketing is about collaborating on creative tasks and communicating across teams and departments to ensure that all work is aligned with overall objectives. Project management software gives all team members a central place to come together and make that work happen.
- Build flexibility into your resource and deliverable schedules
One of the complaints that marketing teams often have about project management methodologies is that it can be too strict and constraining, not allowing them to soar like the creative eagles they are (of course there are some very strict fundamentals that govern bird flight too – it’s not exactly free jazz). Well, especially in Agile project management, flexibility is something that’s accounted for and schedules are built around, not least when it comes to budgets and resources usage.
More than ever, marketing companies are discovering how project management fundamentals can drive their success. Whether it’s greater insight into ongoing campaigns, better management of resources or learning how to maintain a flexible, Agile approach, the world of marketing can definitely benefit from adopting many PM principles.
As one of the world’s leading project management software companies, we have received massive positive feedback from marketing teams about how our PM tools have helped them get to the next level. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with us today to organize a guided demonstration.
