Agencies and Project Management
The work in marketing is extremely diverse, dynamic, but also stressful. Due to the advancing digitization and today’s possibilities, marketing encompasses much more than just traditional advertising. Sounds demanding, right? It certainly is. And that’s precisely why project management is a continuously growing, highly sought-after profession.
Structured and efficient project management is essential for the success of agency projects and the achievement of company goals. Due to the multitude of projects that a marketing agency – regardless of its type – has to undertake, the demand for qualified project managers increases annually, and they are now highly sought after in agencies as well. However, the tasks and responsibilities can vary significantly depending on the industry, area of activity, or type of project.
Tasks and Challenges of Marketing Agencies in Project Management?
Before delving into the tasks of project managers in a marketing agency, let’s briefly outline the areas of responsibility in which a marketing agency can operate.
A marketing agency develops and implements marketing strategies and campaigns in collaboration with its clients. The traditional advertising agency is now scarce. Some agencies are highly specialized, focusing on a specific marketing segment, while others, known as Full-Service Agency, offer a broader range of services like a one-stop-shop. The services provided by an agency include, among others:
- App Development
- Brand Development
- Social Media Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Corporate Design
- Corporate Publishing
- E-Mail Marketing
- SEO – Search Engine Optimization
- SEA – Search Engine Marketing
- Web Design and Development
- UX Design
- Website Hosting
- Market Analysis
- Event Planning and Event Marketing
- Campaign Control and Monitoring
- PR and Public Relations
- Video Creation and Editing
- Graphic Design
- Campaign Marketing
- …
And these services are realized within a project with many different tasks and subtasks, carried out by various employees and project participants, such as freelancers. Marketing personnel and those in marketing agencies have different competencies that need to be managed and allocated efficiently to the projects of the clients. Right: This is where the project manager of a marketing agency or advertising agency comes into play.
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What are the challenges of project management in marketing?
Marketing agencies and companies in the software or web development field face the significant challenge of fulfilling the promises they made to their clients at the beginning of the project. While agencies often rely on collaboration and input from clients, the resulting product is usually not detailed in advance. Instead, the customer’s vision takes center stage in the project process.
In contrast to traditional project management, which is very plan-oriented and allows for minimal deviations in the planning and project progress, project management in agencies is more flexible and dynamic. Examples of projects that are implemented with traditional project management are construction projects. The building plan is fixed at the start of the project and is rarely changed during implementation. In contrast, agencies and software or web development frequently use agile project management.
Agile project management is an approach that helps project teams respond better to feedback and external changes. It is an iterative, permissive, and customer-centric approach to project planning and execution, aimed at continuous improvement. Accordingly, projects are divided into work cycles, called sprints, in this approach. We will delve into the topic of “Agile Project Management and Sprints” in a separate blog post.
Especially in online marketing, another crucial point is the rapidly changing online world, requiring an increasing amount of knowledge and know-how in various marketing areas, and necessitating that responsible parties stay up to date. Strategy changes during a project phase are not uncommon. But what does this mean for project management? Project managers must be agile and able to respond quickly to changing circumstances.
Given the variety of services and tasks within an agency, it is evident that project managers cannot single-handedly realize projects. They need to strategically deploy their team members with their respective expertise. Additionally, they are responsible for ensuring that all involved parties – whether clients, employees, superiors, or suppliers – collaborate effectively to ensure timely project completion, even in the agile context of the project.
Marketing agencies and companies in the software or web development field face the significant challenge of fulfilling the promises they made to their clients at the beginning of the project. While agencies often rely on collaboration and input from clients, the resulting product is usually not detailed in advance. Instead, the customer’s vision takes center stage in the project process.
In contrast to traditional project management, which is very plan-oriented and allows for minimal deviations in the planning and project progress, project management in agencies is more flexible and dynamic. Examples of projects that are implemented with traditional project management are construction projects. The building plan is fixed at the start of the project and is rarely changed during implementation. In contrast, agencies and software or web development frequently use agile project management.
Agile project management is an approach that helps project teams respond better to feedback and external changes. It is an iterative, permissive, and customer-centric approach to project planning and execution, aimed at continuous improvement. Accordingly, projects are divided into work cycles, called sprints, in this approach. We delve into the topic of agility in our blog post “Agile Project Management and Sprints“.
In online marketing, another crucial point is the rapid changes in the online world, which require an increasing amount of knowledge and expertise in various marketing areas. Responsible individuals must always stay up to date with the latest developments. Strategy changes or last-minute adjustments during a project phase are not uncommon. So, what does this mean for project management? Project managers must approach projects with agility and react quickly to any changes.
Given the diversity of services and tasks within an agency, it’s evident that project managers cannot realistically handle projects alone. They need to strategically deploy their team and employees’ expertise. Naturally, they are also responsible for ensuring that all involved parties—whether clients, internal staff, supervisors, or suppliers—collaborate effectively to ensure the timely completion of the project, even when the project’s execution requires agility.
What are the tasks of project managers in a marketing agency?
Fundamentally, project management in marketing agencies has to handle numerous tasks, subtasks, and their dependencies. They must manage various projects and cater to a constantly growing customer base while overseeing internal team members with diverse competencies.
This is where the project manager comes into play: Project managers in a marketing agency serve as the interface between the agency, the operational team, and the agency’s clients. They keep everything together and are responsible for ensuring that projects are executed within the specified deadlines and requirements. In online marketing, it is typical to connect different areas of responsibility, marketing services, and project-influencing variables (time, costs, budget).
In a nutshell, the task of project managers is to ensure that the services to be provided are delivered on time and within budget, while keeping the agency’s clients informed about the project’s status.
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In principle, it sounds quite simple and not so extensive: Not at all; in practice, the job requires a lot of know-how, diligence, tact, and social competence. Project managers often have to handle multiple agency projects and client projects simultaneously, ensuring they stay within the specified timeframe and planned budget. With the right project management tool, the ideal software for project management, this should not be a problem. Fortunately, I have a good recommendation for efficient project management in marketing.
The tasks of project management in marketing include:
- Organizing kick-off meetings to understand goals and requirements
- Defining the project scope
- Planning timelines and budgets
- Creating project proposals
- Conducting meetings with clients to understand project objectives and requirements
- Defining and managing project scope
- Planning project manager’s calendar and budget
- Assigning tasks within project teams
- Preparing cost estimates and creating offers
- Scheduling and conducting initial meetings, conducting frequent status checks
- Assigning tasks and responsibilities
- Optimizing communication within the team
- Monitoring project progress and resolving obstacles
- Checking project deliverables before delivery
- Sending progress reports to clients
- Handing over the project and summary to the client
- Monitoring project status and setting milestones
- Initiating communication
- Monitoring project progress and preventing pitfalls
- Preparing reports and discussing evaluations with the client
- …
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it can be said that complex projects in marketing and marketing agencies have little chance of success without proper project management.
Therefore, project managers are one of the most crucial interfaces in an agency and in marketing. Regardless of the agency’s specialization and expertise, project managers must also be team-oriented, possess strong communication and leadership skills.
The coordinated and structured project workflow – made possible by project management – facilitates all processes and optimizes the utilization of resources such as time, employees, and budget. Together with the project management tool smenso and its excellent project documentation, all information is centralized, tasks and subtasks are assigned to the appropriate team members. The project status allows for quick decision-making and agile responses. Efficient project management ensures the successful and smooth realization of projects in agencies.
