Marketing objectives and goals may sound the same, but they’re not. And if you don’t define them correctly, you risk not hitting your target. Keep reading!
In the dictionary, “goals” and “objectives” are counted as synonyms.
In the marketing world, they aren’t.
Marketing lingo can seem pretty straight forward, and most of the time, it actually is. But if you confuse these two important terms, you risk not hitting your targets, muddling your meaning, and slowing productivity.
Differentiating between marketing objectives and marketing goals is essential for business growth. Read on to learn what the difference is, and why it matters so much.
Marketing Goals: The Bigger Picture
Picture this: you own a cafe. You love your regulars, but Uber Eats is starting to take business away in the name of your worst nightmare: delivery. You know you need to amp up your business model, and fast.
That’s your vision. Now, how are you going to do it? You brainstorm, trying to pinpoint exactly what your business needs to make you more competitive.
A light bulb clicks on above your head. You need a website that offers online ordering for delivery!
Boom. There’s your goal. It’s what you need to do, in broad terms, to get where you want to go.
This can be remembered by a simple mnemonic device. Goals must be DUMB:
- Doable. Is this goal realistic? Can I pull this off?
- Understandable. Is this goal too esoteric? Is it cut and dry? Does it make sense?
- Manageable. Can I sustainably pull this off? For how long?
- Beneficial. Why am I setting this goal? Are the benefits worth it?
Now that you have your goal in place, you can start to think about the next level: marketing objectives.
Marketing Objectives: Refining Your Goals
It’s time to do your homework.
Let’s reassume the role of the cafe owner. You know you need a website where your customers can order online for delivery. That’s the goal you need to achieve in order to increase sales.
Your marketing objectives need to refine your goal according to specific metrics determined through research. You also need to ask yourself which marketing specifics need to be more focused on to achieve your goal.
For example, by how much do your sales need to increase to make your business competitive in the delivery market? Find that number. Then, ask yourself: which aspect of my business’ marketing needs to change/improve in order to reach my goal?
There’s a simple mnemonic device for objectives as well. Objectives need to be SMART:
- Specific. Have I done my research? Are the details of my objectives specific enough to target a real problem in my business?
- Measurable. Is the outcome of my objective trackable? If not, your objective probably isn’t specific enough.
- Actionable. Can I pull this off specifically? Are my numbers realistic?
- Relevant. I’m addressing the correct problem, right? Will this objective solve my problem?
- Time-bound. Can I set a certain amount of time as a target to review against? This is essential for measurable objectives!
This mnemonic can act as a filter used to assess the quality of measures or actions.
Let’s Get Going!
Now that you know the difference between marketing objectives and marketing goals, it’s time for you to determine both and get started growing your business.
We can help. Website redesign has been shown to lead to a 34% increase in revenue. Can you afford to be missing out on that growth?
In addition to website design, we offer digital marketing services to increase your revenue while you keep doin’ what you do. Get in touch with us today to discuss your business and digital marketing goals.
