Setting goals is important for any business in order to achieve growth. However, when those goals aren’t clear, organized, or thought all the way through, they can sometimes be unachievable or unrealistic. The best way to make sure you can reach your 2023 goals is to convert them to SMART goals! We’ll get into exactly what that acronym means below. But SMART goals can help you and your team feel motivated, focused, and understanding of what your business strives to achieve this year. Here’s what to know about SMART goals and how to apply them to your marketing strategy this year.

What are SMART goals?

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Here’s what each standard means:

• Specific: Your goal should be narrowed down to one clear metric.
• Measurable: You should have a clear way to measure your progress toward the goal.
• Achievable: Your goal should not be impossible to reach.
• Realistic: In the same vein as Achievable, your goal should be something your business can realistically do.
• Timely: Your goal should have a start date and a target date.

Molding your goals with the SMART method gives you a fair chance of reaching them. We’ve all set unachievable or unrealistic goals for ourselves at one point — for example, on a personal level, someone might say they want to lose 10 pounds in a week. Sure, some people might be able to do this, but it’s usually not healthy or advised by doctors. For some people, it’s also impossible. When you set impossible goals, all it does is harm your mindset in the end when the goals aren’t achieved. It’s also important to have time limits on those goals to give a sense of urgency and push you to get it done.

Common marketing goals to improve using the SMART method

Marketing goals often revolve around growth — getting more engagement, more followers, more leads, more sales, etc. Think about everything you want your business to achieve from a marketing standpoint, whether it’s big or small. With each goal, follow the SMART outline to craft a goal statement.

For example, one common goal in marketing is for a brand to be recognized/to raise brand awareness. OK, what exactly does that mean to you? Do you want more followers? More people talking about your business? CoSchedule shared a great SMART goal example for brand awareness:

“In six months, we will boost our social media following, reach, and engagement by up to 50%. We can do this by creating and sharing more educational interview-type blog posts and video content.”

The above goal is specific in saying we’ll build a series of blog and video content to boost our following, reach, and engagement. It’s also measurable in saying we will achieve a 50% increase. It’s achievable and realistic if we have writers and video creators who have the knowledge and skills to create this content. Finally, the six-month window is timely.

Remember that SMART goals can change

One final note: Keep in mind that you are allowed to change your goals at any time. If you find that you no longer have the resources or time to achieve the goal, by all means, adjust it! You can even come back to a goal later on if needed. Again, if your goal is impossible to achieve, it can harm your focus and motivation in the long run. Just be SMART about it! (Sorry, had to.)

Contact October Dreams Marketing for help with setting your 2023 SMART goals.