The Future of Marketing Agency Project Management: Software Trends to Watch

The marketing world is transforming as fast as we’ve ever seen. Marketing agency project management is similarly crying out for change, and marketing agency project management software is getting smarter, more integrated, and more functional than ever. More and more agencies are heading towards digital transformation.  

On the Aproove blog today, we explore what project management software for marketing agencies will look like in the future and discuss some major software trends that will transform the agency project management landscape. 
 

1. Integration of AI and Machine Learning

Terms such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are no longer fancy buzzwords in trendy project-management software – they’re becoming features in those platforms. They can bring various benefits: 
 

Predictive analytics: AI can examine past project data and formulate predictions for the future, which can then assist marketing managers in taking action. Suppose your company is working on a project. With the help of AI, you can infer if the project will be delayed or if you will have to spend more money than expected on the project cost.

Routines: Automated tasks, such as scheduling, reporting, and resource allocation, can be tracked; strategic work, such as thinking and creating, can be carried out.

Improved Communication: AI-powered chat functions can address basic inquiries, and @mentions can provide instant team and project updates, enhancing team communication and client interactions. 
 

Marketers employing AI and ML tools within their marketing agency project management software can reduce mistakes, free up more time for creative work, and increase speed and efficiency. 

2. Cloud-Based Collaboration Tools

The increased shift to remote work, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has entrenched the need for cloud-centric collaboration tools such as marketing agency project management software. These tools have several benefits:

Access: Team members can access project files and information from anywhere, anytime, on any device. This is incredibly important for global teams and people who do a lot of remote work.

Tools that power real-time collaboration: Thanks to real-time cloud-based collaboration tools, collaborating on documents, spreadsheets, or presentations becomes much more accessible. All team members can access the same files, and changes are reflected on the screen in real-time. Colleagues can add comments or decide to revert to a previous version of the file.

Scalability: When organizations grow, cloud-based solutions can more easily scale to larger numbers of users and more substantial projects without the significant additional infrastructure the traditional on-site infrastructure model would require.  

3. Advanced Analytics and Reporting

When working on marketing campaigns, agencies can use data to help them make informed decisions. The more advanced the reporting aspect of the marketing agency project management software, the more it can help managers understand the progress of the project's performance.

Customizable dashboards: Sophisticated marketing agency project management software comes with options where people can monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) on a one-page dashboard that gives an overview of the health of a project.

Robust Reporting: Automated reporting gives you detailed reports of any aspect of a project, from time spent on tasks to how much of the budget has been utilized. The reports can be tailored to a client's or an internal stakeholder's needs.

Trend Analysis: Trend analysis tools can identify data patterns and trends that can be utilized in strategic planning for future projects. These tools help them stay on course and in line with marketing goals. 

4. Integration with Marketing Automation Platforms

Project management software for marketing agencies is now often built on marketing automation, and that has real beneficial impacts: a project can be assigned, and numerous other inner integrations can take place. 
 

Lean Processes: With integration in place, data sharing occurs automatically between the project management and the marketing automation tool, eliminating the need to enter and re-enter information so data-entry errors are minimized.

Campaign-Level Insights: Combining the data generated by project management software for marketing agencies and marketing automation creates a holistic view of campaigns. This will help agencies in their planning, execution, and analysis. 

Enhanced Reporting for Clients: A unified view of project development and marketing performance creates greater client trust. Marketing agency project management software systems that integrate data allow people unprecedented insights into the broader contexts of projects they are involved in. 

However, as marketing gets increasingly intricate and data-driven, this type of integration will become vital to ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.   

5. Enhanced Security and Data Privacy
   

As the marketing world relies more and more on digital tools and the threat of cyber attacks rises, security and data privacy are more important than ever. Project management software for agencies is developing to address these issues.

Advanced Encryption programs: Nowadays, most modern software has highly advanced encryption techniques that protect sensitive data so that only those who are permitted to have access to it can see it. 
 

Compliance: Hard as it sounds, the future may involve demanding compliance with data privacy legislation such as GDPR and CCPA into project management tools. Agencies don’t want to break clients’ trust, nor do they want to face criminal charges for non-compliance.

Access Controls: More robust access control features define roles and permissions. Team members may then be assigned a role so that they are authorized to fulfill their given tasks, but only those tasks. 

6. Mobile Optimization

Many companies now require mobile versions of the classic, general-purpose methods of program or project charters, progress charts, and rapid deployment of resources. With more and more people working away from their desks, there's a demand for mobile-enabled project management tools to use 'on the go', and teams need ones that offer the following advantages: 
 

On-the-Go Access: Mobile-optimized marketing agency project management software allows team members to access project details, make on-the-spot updates to tasks, and communicate with colleagues as easily as they would from a desktop. This feature is invaluable for staying productive when outside of an office.

Push Notifications: Push messages from your mobile apps keep team members informed about important updates, reminders, and deadlines on their mobile devices as soon as an action item is completed.

User-friendly: Optimized for mobile, apps or websites have an intuitive small-screen interface that allows users to accomplish tasks quickly and on the go. 

Mobile optimization means that project management software for marketing agencies can help teams stay on the move and keep their work under control.  

7. Customizable Workflows

All marketing agencies are unique, and customizable workflows are increasingly becoming a central selling point of project management software products. ​​  

The Process Can Be Customized: With a tailored process, agencies can create a project management workflow that conforms to their needs and preferences. In this way, the software doesn’t dictate how work can get done – it complements it.   

Scalability: Adjustable workflows can be changed as the agency grows or project requirements change, keeping the software relevant and useful. 

Software such as Aproove allows you to create infinitely customizable workflows, and our versatility means that they suit a broad range of needs that you, as a marketing agency, will likely require. 
 

8. Focus on User Experience (UX)

Since the software-provider field is more competitive, user experience (UX) has emerged as a critical differentiator. These new project management tools are focusing more on UX to improve usability and adoption. 
 

Intuitive Design: Clean user interfaces and easy navigation reduce the learning curve when using the software. 

Personalization: Dashboards, notifications, and workflows can be customized so that users can configure their experience to suit their needs. 

Support and Training: Providers should offer ample support and training resources to users, such as tutorials and demos, live webinars, and customer support so that users can properly leverage the software's features. 

9. Emphasis on Collaboration and Communication

Collaboration and good communication are essential to a project's success, and tools available today are improving these in various ways.

Collaborative features: Allowing users to share files and jointly edit a document or create a discussion thread makes teamwork more effective.

Client Collaboration: Allow clients to review project developments, follow progress, and give input online through various channels. 

The future of marketing agency project management software is rosy. Current software trends and improvements in data collection and integration signal a huge improvement in how marketing agencies run projects, how people collaborate and interact with each other, and, ultimately, how marketing agencies make decisions based on data instead of gut feelings.  

Marketing agencies need to understand these trends, implement them using modern project management tools, and evolve their project management methods to keep up with the industry's constant change. 

However, the future of project management software for marketing agencies will evolve, supporting the new way of working through the use of AI, cloud-based tools, advanced reporting, dashboards, and user experience.