What comes first – the chicken or the egg? Well, in marketing, it’s pretty clear. You need goals before you can celebrate wins because, without a goal, how do you really know what constitutes success anyway?
Embracing Goal Setting
Like with many things, it can be easy for marketers to become hyper-focused on results. Results, results, results. You hear it all day long from the literal or metaphorical boardroom. But what is a result anyway without a goal attached to it?
Before you go down the rabbit hole of scouring data to come up with results, define your objectives first. Here’s what to know about identifying short-term and long-term marketing goals for your business.
What’s the Purpose of Your Goal?
Short-term goals are generally achievable within 3-6 months. Looking for a quick win? That’s a short-term goal. They help drive immediate results that build momentum.
Long-term goals usually span 6 months to several years. They focus on sustained growth, such as building brand authority, achieving market share or developing a loyal customer base.
How Do They Align with Your Objectives?
Next, you want to tie your goals to business objectives. Does that mean boosting revenue? growing web traffic? building brand loyalty? The key is to balance short- and long-term marketing goals to maintain momentum while building lasting business and brand success.
Make Your Goals SMART
Yes, you’ve heard this before, but it’s because it works! A SMART goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. An example of a short-term SMART goal might be: “Increase email newsletter sign-ups by 15% within 3 months through social media ads and blog CTAs.”
Similarly, a long-term SMART goal could be: “Grow organic web traffic by 50% in 12 months by optimizing content for SEO and targeting relevant keywords.”
As you set about identifying goals for your marketing objectives, keep the short and long game in mind. Sometimes you need bursts of speed while balancing endurance, but whatever you do, make sure you have a plan. Goals help focus your efforts, so you start seeing results faster.
To learn more about setting goals and building a successful marketing program, contact our team at The Found Gen today.