If you are anything like me, New Year resolutions never seem to actually happen. I set goals in the end December and suddenly it's the middle of January I'm still eating Doritos and frozen pizza instead of a bowl of vegetables. I always blame it on time. I tell myself, “Once things settle down, I will get back on track” or “I will start tomorrow” and suddenly tomorrow turns into next week, then next month. So, how does this relate to marketing? Well, the same can be said about setting marketing goals. You need to set goals that you stick to and then see results from! We recommend using the SMART methodology that our partner HubSpot has created.
Specific
When you create your goals, make them as specific as possible. You want them short and to the point, leaving no room for negotiation. Broad goals like, “Improve marketing this year” are not worth harping on. How are you going to get there? What will be different in 2015? What are you improving?
Measurable
Set goals using numeric values. Saying you want to increase home page views is a start, but if you get 20 more views, that's technically an increase - but not a very big one. Try setting a goal like, “Increase home page views by 25%.”
Attainable
I know you want to have a record-breaking year and write yourself into the history books, but this might not be the year for that. Michael Jordan didn’t go from being cut from his high school basketball team to being the best NBA basketball player in history in a single year. Success takes time and patience. Set goals that you can reach, but aren’t too easy!
Relevant
You want your goals to be relevant to your company’s needs and capabilities. Let's say your company is a fairly new web design firm and is looking to attain more clients. Well, a good way to go about that, is by generating more web views. So, set a goal to increase homepage viewership by X%.
Time-bound
You may be setting goals that sound great, but if you don't include a timeline, they will likely never be completed. Set a firm timeline of when you will achieve each of your goals. Break it down by day or week or month and commit to meeting each deadline.
The best way to be successful is to set strong goals that are achievable yet challenging. Download a free SMART marketing template created by our partners at HubSpot to help you create solid goals!
