This is a sponsored guest post.
Certainly, we all set goals. But, how many set these goals in a smart way, by the use of the SMART goal setting formula? By now you have learned that without a thoroughly researched target your marketing efforts are going to fail. Therefore, let us look at a fundamental goal setting design, the SMART model to optimize your chances of achieving your goals. You can also use digital asset management software to help.
In this article, we will discuss what you need to know about SMART goals. We will talk about how these SMART goals can be of importance to your digital marketing strategy and how to set SMART goals which really work for your digital marketing business.
What are SMART goals?
Basically, when it comes to digital marketing agencies, SMART goals are particular objectives which will undeviatingly add to your overarching marketing goals. The goals ought to form the basis on which your marketing activity is focused on achieving.
SMART is actually an Acronym for:
Specific– If your goal is not specific; it’s going to seldom be achieved. For example, when Japan decided to produce computers & electronics (in 1980) their goal number one was that they were pretty specific. They concentrated on a very particular product, striving for the prime spot within the computer & electronics niche. Presently, the Japanese electronics industry is among the most notable industries in the world, and Japan is the largest computer & electronics producer in the world!
Measurable– Simply, you require knowing whether you’re realizing your target or not. For instance, as you embark on your digital marketing strategy and create a website for your products or services, you need to simply track who is viewing your page, where they are coming from and which pages guests view the most. Thus, rather than putting a mere website up and only “hoping to get the best” results, you require having an automatic way of tracking these “site statistics” which inform you of your website’s visitors. Learn even more strategies and get more help at hubspot.
Attainable– Don’t set unreasonably high targets. Define the steps which will let you attain the goals. You ought to be in a position to reach it, however, it ought to make you stretch. Now, this stretching is going to help you reach even bigger targets in the future. In other words, balance your optimism and enthusiasm with a reliable handful of realism.
Relevant – SMART goals have to be very relevant to your overarching marketing targets AND, in this situation, your “digital marketing strategy”. You should be able to ask yourself; what can possibly be changed to contribute to realizing what your business desire to achieve for example in this year?
Time-Based – Setting a time deadline on your targets will let you benchmark progress during a project or campaign and offers a time of reviewing and reflecting on those targets so as to better inform your subsequent collection of SMART goals.
Why do you need SMART goals?
This really may not be the time to harp on about every benefit of goal-setting since honestly you have probably heard it all before and all you want is to understand how to go about setting SMART goals for your digital marketing. Nonetheless, just to take home any doubt you may be still having, below find some few reasons why SMART goals are important:
Purpose and Direction– Setting SMART goals lets you everyday aim towards something which you KNOW is going to create an impact.
Measure Progress – If you want to be rewarded for the hard work you and your department are doing, setting SMART goals will provide you with the evidence to show to your boss that you’re really making a difference.
Analyze and Improve – Setting SMART goals over a particular period requires time to review your digital marketing strategy, assess what worked and why so as to make the necessary changes which will enhance your digital marketing venture.
5 Step Guide to Measuring Marketing Success
Step 1: Bring Your Overarching Marketing Goals to Life
Actually, the beginning point in setting SMART goals, just like it’s mentioned above, is to evaluate what your overarching & broad business targets are for the year. Now, in so as to establish a revenue-based SMART goal for your digital marketing strategy, to begin with, you require identifying the what revenue was for the previous financial year and what that forecasted number is going to be the moment you hit the percentage growth goal. After you have determined this number, you can change a broad goal into a more significant and substantive business target.
Step 2: Apply that to your Digital Marketing Strategy
Understanding your yearly online revenue for the previous year, you then require studying the analytics software on your site. Most sites make use of Google Analytics and you might utilize extra data offered by Shopify, Marketo or whatever platform your site is established on.
By knowing a few critical data including the number of visitors that came to your site throughout that year, the number of inquiries came through the site and the number of those inquiries that turned into clients, you’ll be in a prime position to make digital marketing SMART goals which are worth their salt.
If you’re using Google Analytics, this is going to mean setting the relevant date limit to 1 year and checking the number of sessions in the Audience > Overview tab.
Step 4: Make Imperative Decisions on What marketing Activity Will Accomplish your SMART goals
After making up your mind on what your SMART goals are, you can begin to plan what marketing activity is going to achieve these results. Here, it may be that you require investing in some content marketing, social media advertising or Google AdWords. Thus, you may need to concentrate on “Conversion Rate Optimization” (CRO) to make a greater percentage of sessions turn into inquiries.
Step 5: Review, Analyze & Optimize
Keep in mind that your primary SMART goals are will never be perfect, of course, they aren’t deemed to be. They are present as a motivation, a benchmark and a reminder that your digital marketing activity can & SHOULD make an impact which you can measure down to the bottom line. You’ll inevitably require reviewing these goals to ensure they are adhering to the SMART ideology.
