“What are your goals?”
“We want to improve our search rankings, grow our followers and increase our web traffic.”
“That’s great. Why?”
This is a conversation we have regularly, and it isn’t a bad thing. When we talk to business owners, founders and CMOs about their goals, they often go straight to tactical marketing objectives. Which is fair. We are a marketing company, after all.
To gain a deeper level of understanding of your business – where it needs to be, where it’s headed – we need to look more closely at your business goals. While marketing objectives are more short-sighted, looking at your deeper business goals involves a long-term vision.
So, what are the business goals that your marketing supports?
First – what is the difference between goals and objectives?
Goals surround a greater purpose, whereas objectives tell us how to achieve them. For example, I want to increase revenue by 20% this year, which means I need a solid pipeline of 200k worth of leads per quarter.
Business goal: Become a key player in my industry.
Business objective: Increase revenue by 20% YOY.
Marketing objective: Increase website leads by 50%.
Objectives are narrower than goals, and more clearly defined. They are also easier to measure.
Goals are more long-term, while objectives typically involve a fixed period.
Everyone wants to grow.
Nearly everyone wants to grow their business, but for different reasons.
Some may want to scale and grow large teams, ultimately stepping back from many elements of the business. Some want to be more involved in the day to day and grow to a substantial but modest level.
For others, the prospect of being purchased by another company is a major driver in the desire for growth. Or maybe, you are wanting to attract investor funding.
The reasons behind your goals have a direct impact on the appropriate solutions that will help you get there.
Planning short-term targets that drive towards larger goals
Once you have a clear vision of your larger goals, you can break those down into smaller short-term goals. These will inform your marketing tactics, help you get specific, and determine how you’ll measure success.
Getting the support of a marketing strategist who sees the bigger picture can point you in the right direction for setting effective, realistic marketing targets that will help you reach your larger business goals.
Here are some examples of short-term marketing objectives:
- Improve customer retention by 10%
- Cross-sell to existing customers
- Launch a new product or service
- Begin marketing on a new social media platform
- Grow your social media following by 10%
- Launch case studies on your website
- Improve your SEO score by
We understand that marketing your business can sometimes feel overwhelming, or as if there is a lot of guesswork involved. Our signature Digital Brand Roadmap™ is a solution to this, offering companies a vision for the foreseeable future, designed to target a mix of short-term and longer-term solutions.
Leave room for flexibility
If there is one constant in life, it’s change. No business is immune to changes – whether that’s changes in your industry (like governance and regulations challenges), changing trends, changes in your company structure, or changes in customer behaviour.
That being said, goals can change too. An effective marketing strategy is a flexible one. Brands need to be ready to adapt to sudden changes and experiment with different tactics. Revisit your goals quarterly to ensure that you are on the right path.
Our marketing agency aims to support business through growth challenges, helping owners meet their goals and create long-term strategies with impact. Contact us today to book a complimentary consultation.
