The Waterfall approach, one of the earliest software development methodologies, is a linear and sequential model. Each stage must be completed before moving to the next - much like water flowing downwards.

I’ve been working in PPC marketing for a long time, and the usual steps are: business questions, competitive and market research, ad copy creation, keyword research, campaign setup, and launch. One step leads to another, and in 90% of agencies these steps are not iterative.

But these steps should be repetitive, forming a loop of feedback and adjustments. This is the essence of account management. You ask basic questions at the beginning with a short survey, but every additional step should circle back to the business questions. Why? Because you’re exploring new opportunities through unique selling propositions (ad copy), intelligence (research), intent (keywords), and so on. This applies to every subsequent step.

Even if you have Loom AI assistants to record business questions, AI agents to write ad copy, ML inside digital platforms, and APIs for bulk campaign uploads - none of these tools will change company culture or methods by themselves.

On another level, the Waterfall approach limits collaboration and specialization within a team. Usually a single account manager takes responsibility for every step. I’ve seen this not only in small agencies but also in a large personal-injury firm with only two in-house PPC specialists. With a step-by-step approach, you can’t expect one team member to collect keywords while another explores business needs - because without iterations, small batches, and agility, you’re forced to wait for the entire “waterfall” to complete before acting.

That said, this is often an excuse. While you can’t begin client work without understanding their needs, you can start many microservices in parallel. If they already have a website, run keyword-planner research. If you know their industry and locations, analyze competitors. Small, independent tasks can start immediately and feed insights back into the larger process.

This applies to agencies of every size - from solo shops to global teams. A small agency can scale by launching more accounts per week; a large agency can improve campaign quality through better optimization and faster learning cycles.