If you were asked to identify two career professionals that most resemble “The Odd Couple,” you might choose marketers and software programmers. They often operate in two very separate worlds, and knowledge is rarely shared between the two groups beyond product timelines and launch strategy. However, programmers are on to something big that savvy marketers would be wise to tune into…agile development.
Prior to the advent of the agile model, software programmers followed the rigid approach of “write requirements, design, implement, test, integrate and maintain.” These methods were slow to deliver value to the customer, not responsive to changes, and stifled creativity as new ideas or approaches could not easily be incorporated. Then in the early 1990s, the agile development practice debuted. Agile methods focus on quick, iterative, team-based efforts that create small instances of success. They allow, and expect, changes throughout the process.
Today, traditional methods of developing marketing content independently for the Web, brochures, presentations, training materials and other collateral are not sustainable. The same disciplines that have helped reinvent the software development process can be applied to the process of creating and publishing marketing content.
As a result, marketers have started to apply agile development methods to the process of creating content. Paraphrasing the widely adopted “Agile Manifesto“, my firm Lionbridge developed the following Agile Principles for Content Development:
- Make it your priority to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable, market-ready content.
- Aim to deliver segments of content frequently — from a couple of days to a couple of hours — with constant emphasis on shorter time cycles.
- Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
- Compelling, market-ready content is the primary measure of progress. Attention to design details is crucial to producing a final product.
- Continuous attention to communications excellence and good design enhances agility.
- The best content and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
- Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
- Client stakeholders, subject matter experts and production teams must work together daily throughout the project.
- Conduct live conversations. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation, whether in person, via webcam or video conference.
- Agile processes promote sustainable development. The stakeholders, production teams and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
- Simplicity — the art of maximizing the amount of work not done — is essential.
- At regular intervals, step back and reflect on how to become more effective, then tune and adjust behavior accordingly.
Many companies say that it is too hard to change so many behaviors. But he reality is that they don’t have to achieve every standard to see improvement. Simply choosing a few of the principles will generate tangible benefits, such as streamlining knowledge sharing and speeding delivery of new content.
For instance, start with the review meetings. Shift from a once-a-week marathon session to a daily 15-minute briefing, where only critical issues affecting that day’s work are addressed. Encourage short online meetings using free instant messaging systems to conduct video Web calls so everyone can stay connected, no matter where they are based. Roadblocks to progress will be resolved faster and members relying on the work of associates will be able to start downstream processes earlier.
If the principles are used to drive true behavioral change, they will, in return, improve productivity. Bringing in off-shore teams can further accelerate these cycles by enabling true 24/7 production.
Agile principles work, and have helped programmers synchronize their efforts and work quickly. That is behavior any team – including marketers – should want to replicate.
Kevin Bolen is chief marketing officer of Lionbridge Technologies
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