Setting Marketing Goals in 2021

We’re a week into 2021, and if you haven’t read about, talked about, or set new goals yet, we’re here to breakdown why you might want to start (especially for your business). Being a part of this pandemic landscape has changed some of the ways we do business. Some of the “new normal” is here to stay, and some will morph back into what we knew and loved pre-Covid. Your marketing has probably shifted, and it’s time to evaluate what is working and where you’re going from here. All of this can be complicated, so to help un-complicate some of this, let’s break down how setting some SMART goals in the marketing department can help you reach your big business goals this year.

You know where you want to take your business this year—where you want it to grow, where you see it going, and what your overarching goals are. (If you don’t have that, figure that out first, and then move on to the next paragraph.)

Once your business goals are established, the next step is to decide on a purpose for your marketing efforts. A big, overarching goal you want your marketing to achieve. These can be goals you set per campaign, per quarter, whatever you like. BUT having a goal will help you stay on track and make sure you’re working to further your business’s larger goals. This marketing goal can be, but is not limited to:

• Increase awareness of your brand
• Gather customer feedback and reviews
• Promote a new product or service
• Increase client engagement
• Advertise events
• (Insert your goal here)

These goals are great (and we’re here to help you with these if you need), but let’s break them down further into SMART goals so that they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. This is how your big picture goals become actionable. Once you map out the SMART part of your goals, you have tasks, timelines, and details. And once your results come, you will have what you need to assess its success. This is the fastest path to marketing growth.

SPECIFIC - What is the goal?

• Take your general goal and hone in on the specifics

MEASURABLE - How will you track progress and know when you’ve reached success?

• Figure out what metrics you will use to track progress
• Set key performance indicators (KPIs) so that you have benchmarks

ATTAINABLE - Is your goal realistic? And do you have the tools you need?

• Make sure your goal is practical
• Assess you and your team’s skills and tools, make sure they align with the goal
• If you need to amplify your team’s capabilities and resources, how will you do this?
• Decide on a budget 

RELEVANT - Does this goal align with your company vision?

• Make sure your goals reflect how marketing can best help your company’s goals
• Marketing goals should be directly reflective of the company’s larger mission

TIMELY - What is your deadline?

• Talk with your team and decide on something doable. Getting buy-in drives transparency and accountability in the process
• Take vacation time, workable hours, etc into account

Let’s take a general goal example and turn it into a SMART goal:

Goal: To gather customer feedback

SMART Goal: To gather 100 new Google reviews (specific & measurable) by December 31, 2021 (timely), by using an email campaign (attainable) to new and former customers (relevant)

Once you’ve got your SMART goal mapped out, it’s time to make a plan. Outline and assign tasks, set dates, get your tools and software ready to go, and you’re rolling!

Tips to make this go as smoothly as possible:

• Get your team involved
  • If they have a voice, they will feel more invested in making it happen
  • Open and clear communication about what is expected helps mitigate problems that may arise 
• Tools and software are your best friend
  • Excel has its purpose but think about utilizing project management software to help keep you moving toward your goals.
  • There are lots of software tools out there to help you with marketing (and just your business in general). Investigate those if you haven’t used them before for your specific goal. Here’s a list of some we find helpful.
• All of this sound like a lot? An agency might be the move for you.
  • There’s a lot that goes into each and every marketing goal, and if you’re a one-person show, there are things you won’t be able to do. 
  • Working with an agency doesn’t have to be all-encompassing. Choosing to offload certain aspects of your marketing efforts can free up your employees/teammates to do more effective work.
• If you work with an agency, make sure they know your goals
  • This sounds like it should go without saying, but sometimes those goals change and there is a communication blip. It never hurts to make sure everyone is on the same page.
• Roadblocks will occur
  • Keep an eye on your KPIs frequently so you can catch problems in their infancy.
  • Know that things don’t always go according to plan, and be prepared for that. Goals are adjustable! 

Best of luck with your 2021 marketing and business goals! Thinking you may need some help making your’s happen? We’re always here to help.