How to Set Marketing Goals
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know when you get there.”
And you can’t improve, if you don’t have a baseline to compare to. The point is: you need goals. But how do you set them? Especially when it comes to your marketing.
Start with Your Business Goals
What do you want to achieve in your business? How much money do you want to make? How man customers would you like to serve?
These are just a few sample questions that you should ask yourself when you are trying to figure out your goals. You can’t set good marketing goals until you understand what you are trying to achieve in your business.
Set Measurable Goals
One of the biggest mistakes that companies make when setting their marketing goals is not being specific. They may say, “I want to grow my social media presence.” Or “I want more customers.”
The problem with these goals is they can’t be measured. And the goals have little to no impact on the business itself. More customers and a bigger social media presences don’t always mean more money. You need to set a goal that you are able to measure both for progress and success.
Set a Goal with Multiple Stages
If you are aiming to make more money through social media, you will need to break that goal down into sub-goals. For instance, you may decide to start by connecting to 1000 people on LinkedIn or getting 500 new likes on Facebook. Once that stage is complete, your goal may be to set up meetings with 100 people from that group to talk about how you can help them. You may then refine that list to 20 people who you want to continue to speak to because they might become clients in the future.
The point is simple. Your big goal isn’t always the goal you need to accomplish first.
Don’t Relax When You Reach Your Goals
Your goals should not be static. If you hit your goal, you should set new ones that will help you improve. And if you don’t hit your goal the first time, don’t automatically lower your goal. High goals that are close to attainable but still challenging will help you reach higher than you thought possible.
A Warning
Not every goal is financial. For some companies, using their marketing to eliminate confusion and reduce inquiries from people who are not in their target market is a better goal than making sure everyone tries to buy your products or services. You will also need to set timelines for your goals. Your goal for the year might be to increase business by 25% and your 6 month goal might be to get 5 new sales calls every week. The shorter term goal is part of the method for reaching the longer term goal.
If this raised more questions than answers, don’t panic. We are available to help answer your questions and get you more clarity. You can still sign up for our free marketing course or get a free strategy session.
Have some questions about the worksheet or your marketing? Schedule a free 30 min. strategy call.
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