What is Lean Marketing?

If you're like most organizations, there are far too many initiatives to accomplish and nowhere near enough resources to do them all. This is especially true of marketing. We are drowning in too many things to do (like all of those social posts that get five likes) and struggle to achieve the growth the organization is demanding. The answer to this is to stop trying to do everything and laser focus on the activities that achieve the most effective results.

Lean Marketing is a shift from the traditional marketing model (do big things based on opinions) to a results-driven framework that focuses on iterative improvements and faster learning based on data. It involves ditching traditional marketing plans (static annual planning) and instead using iterative monthly planning to build faster learning and adjusting the tactics based on changing results.

Here are the practical implications for your organization:

1. Ditch your marketing plan. Build a marketing framework: Rather than operating from a static marketing plan that is often focused on budgeting rather than growth strategy, define the overall goals for the marketing organization with clear expectations for outcomes and defined performance indicators. Align these goals with management, sales, and product development to ensure marketing is connected to the overall strategy of the organization.
2. Align your team on your goal line: Create a dedicated team with a team captain (project owner), a fixed sprint length, and a defined objective. Focus on improving key metrics identified in the marketing framework, such as increasing Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) from PPC or reducing the cost per SQL from $153 to $70.
3. Create a prioritized marketing backlog: Each month, add ideas and initiatives to a prioritized running list. The team will identify 1-3 priorities to address. Break down large tasks into smaller ones to ensure realistic estimates and accountability.
4. Run optimizations through sprints: Turn your marketing process into a continuous improvement process. Define each month's sprint with a strategic brief that outlines objectives, tactics, timeframe, and measurements of success. This approach allows for solving specific problems in bite-sized pieces.

The goal of Lean Marketing is to achieve the organization's growth goals with the most efficient effort. Learn faster, refine, and repeat.

If you’re interested in hearing more about how we can enhance your marketing efforts, make sure you fill out this form to start a conversation with our team.