Marketing Campaigns and SMART Goals

 

Developing and executing a marketing campaign can be a very complex feat to conquer. There are so many moving parts that are included with the planning of a campaign. This is why using a solid structure to plan and implement a marketing campaign is necessary in order to obtain the success desired. In this blog post I will be discussing the SMART goals framework and the role these goals play in creating a potentially successful marketing campaign.

The SMART goals model stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. These words and the foundation for creating goals that are going to contribute to the desired outcome as it pertains to a marketing campaign. Let’s discuss what each of these words mean in the acronym SMART regarding setting goals for a marketing campaign.  

The ‘S’ stands for specific. The goals that are being set for the campaign must be specific. This means we are not being general about what we desire. We are to be detailed about the reasons for the campaign and the outcome we want to see. For example, a specific goal would be to attract new customers. An example of a less specific goal would be the desire to have a successful business. This goal is too broad and general because a successful business could look like anything to different people.

The ‘M’ stands for measurable. In order to be able to assess if the campaign helped us to achieve what we desired from launching the campaign, we must have goals that can be measured. This will reveal to us if we have indeed hit our target or if we missed the mark. An example of a measurable goal would be the goal to increase the brand’s new customer base by 2%. This is a goal that can be tracked and measured.

The ’A’ stands for attainable. There is no point in creating goals that cannot be achieved. When setting a goal, the goal must be something that can actually be done. An example of an attainable goal would be to increase the sales of a particular product. An example of an unattainable goal would be to get 100% of your current customer base to buy a new product, especially if it’s a larger brand.

The ‘R’ stands for realistic.  The goals that are being set must be realistic goals.  This means that with everything considered, including resources, the goal is a goal that can happen and makes sense. An example of a realistic goal would be to open a lemonade stand in the middle of summertime. An example of an unrealistic goal would be to sale out of hot chocolate drinks in the middle of the summer. It is not realistic to think that people would prefer a hot beverage over a cold beverage in the summertime, let alone, sell out.

The ’T’ stands for timely. When we set goals, there must be a start and end date. This also means that the goals for a campaign will be executed within a timeframe that is relatively short or has a close deadline, creating urgency. An example of a timely goal would be to have a summer campaign that runs for 14 days, starting the 1^st of next month.

If we put all of these aspects together to create a SMART goal, the goal would look something like this:

To create and implement a marketing campaign that will increase our sales by .05% within 90 days, starting on the 15^th of next month.  

 

As you can see, using the SMART goals model, I can create goals that are going to have an improvement on the brand and its position in the marketplace. I hope that you have learned something that is going to help you to improve upon your brand and business as well.