SMART Marketing Objectives: What are they & How to Write them?

Imagine a race without a finish line.

What does the contestant run towards? How long do they keep running? When will they know who won? But most importantly, what’s the point of it all?

Without a finish line, a race is just people running aimlessly. That’s exactly how running a marketing campaign without setting marketing objectives would be like.

But we know that most marketers have some goal in their mind before they start a campaign. Maybe it’s increasing the number of leads or improving sales or drive website traffic, but that’s not enough for a marketing campaign.

You need to have clear, well-defined objectives that show results. For that, you need to have a SMART marketing approach towards set objectives.

Yes, you have to be SMART about it.

No idea what we’re talking about? Not to worry, this blog covers everything you need to know about SMART marketing objectives, their importance, and how to create them!

So without further ado, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of SMART marketing objectives. Shall we?

What are SMART Marketing Objectives? (Definition)

When we say ‘marketing objectives, we are referring to a specific set of goals that are designed to give your business a direction to move forward and achieve results within a specific period of time.

For example, this is how a marketing objective would look like: Increase conversion rate by 15% in the next 6 months.

SMART marketing objective is more like a framework for successful goal setting. It’s an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

It breaks down larger goals into smaller, detailed, and focused goals and helps you determine whether they are achievable and, if so when exactly they will be achieved.

Let’s quickly run through what each letter in S.M.A.R.T means with reference to marketing objectives.

Specific

While setting marketing objectives for your business, your objectives shouldn’t be general or broad. They need to be specific. The more specific your objective, the more likely you are to accomplish it.

Measurable

Your marketing objectives need to be measurable or quantifiable so that you are able to understand how much progress has been made in terms of meeting your marketing objectives.

Attainable

The question we need to ask while setting a marketing objective is “Can we get this done?” Your objectives need to be achievable and factors such as your skills, budget, resources, etc. decide it.

Relevant

From a marketing perspective, you have to ask whether your marketing objective is something you should be working towards. The key is to understand whether it is relevant to your brand and your target market.

Time-bound

All marketing objectives need to have a deadline or a time frame by which it should be achieved.

In short, your marketing objectives need to be specific with a measurable goal that is attainable and relevant to the business and is within a time frame.

But why is being SMART such a big deal? Let’s find out in the next section!

Why are SMART Marketing Objectives Important?

Business managers have been using SMART marketing objectives for a really long time to ensure that their teams are on track. This is because of SMART marketing objectives:

Provide increased clarity and transparency, which allows team members to understand what exactly to focus on and what exactly to accomplish in a set timeframe
Offers a simple and structured approach to setting goals in the company
Ensures that teams’ efforts are aligned with the overall business objectives
Boost motivation as teams have a better grasp on what to accomplish
Helps prioritize different goals based on their relevance and importance

In essence, SMART marketing objectives outline the purpose of your marketing team, guide them in their journey by giving instructions to follow, and provide information for reviews and evaluation.

A boy marketing it's product

All of this ensures that your SMART marketing objectives help improve the overall efficiency of your organization.

So, now that you know how crucial SMART marketing objectives are for your business, let’s check out the steps involved in writing them down!

How to Write SMART Marketing Objectives? Follow these Steps!

Step 1. Define Your Goals

The first and foremost step in setting SMART marketing objectives is to define your goals. These goals set the overall tone for your marketing initiatives.

You have to think about the bigger picture of what you wish to achieve in your company, then only you can proceed to create marketing objectives.

The important thing is to make sure that when you set these goals, you set them for both revenue and brand success. For example: To increase the number of leads for our business.

Step 2. Set a Specific Numerical Goal

Now that you’ve defined your company goals, the next step is to narrow it down and set a specific value to work towards. By specific, we mean in terms of numbers.

A man with sales data

By setting a specific and numerical objective for your business, it makes it easy for you measure your achievements and give you a better idea of where you stand in terms of progress.

Example: To increase the number of leads for our business by 20%.

Step 3. Fix a Deadline

The next most important step in creating a SMART marketing objective is to set a deadline or decide on a date of completion for it.

With a time frame for your objectives, you will be able to achieve your goals more efficiently and then measure your success based on them.

But, it’s important to make sure that the time period that you allot to your own marketing objectives are realistic and attainable based on the resources available to you.

Example: To increase the number of leads for our business by 20% by the end of the year.

Step 4. Break Down Your Tasks

Now that you have a deadline or time frame to achieve, you can break down your marketing objectives into smaller tasks. These short-term goals will eventually help you in achieving your long-term goals.

You can break down these tasks and assign them to each team to be completed within the specified time frame. This will ensure that your team easily understands each task and thus will help you quickly reach your goals.

Example: Break down the marketing objective of increasing leads into small tasks such as improving blogging, conducting SEO or keyword research, creating new content, etc.

Step 5. Track and Monitor

You can’t just set goals and leave it at that. It’s important that you take the time to review, track and monitor your progress after a certain gap.

You need to analyze and assess your objectives and results. It could be after a month or two, but you need to be consistent with your evaluations.

This will help you understand whether your strategies and method are working and whether you need to make any changes.

Example: Checking the view count on your landing page, monitoring conversion rates, etc. are examples of tracking and measuring your objectives.

Step 6. Be Prepared for Trouble

It’s always best to be aware of any potential threats or hurdles that might come your way while trying to work towards your marketing objectives.

Being informed about such obstacles will help you be prepared for trouble that might arise over the course of your marketing journey so you can either prevent them or resolve them easily.

Step 7. Communicate Everything

Communication is the key to successfully achieving any marketing objective or goal. It is extremely important that you communicate your marketing objectives clearly to your team.

A lady sending out emails

It is equally important to also communicate the progress of your team as well. This includes letting everyone know about the milestones that you’ve achieved and the challenges you are facing so that everyone is constantly updated about their work.

Our team at bit.ai has created a few awesome marketing templates to make your marketing process more efficient. Make sure to check them out before you go, your marketing team might need them!

Conclusion

Whether you’re running a successful business or not, it is extremely important that you take your marketing objectives seriously. After all, they help your business grow and achieve your ultimate goals.

In this blog, we have shown you how to be SMART with your approach, now it’s up to to you to put it into practice.

But remember, the important thing is to make sure that no matter what, you must give time and attention to your objectives, support your team and your organization and make space for personal growth.

Now go out there and make some smart decisions! You’ve got this!

Further reads:

12 Sales KPIs Your Sales Department Should Measure!

11 Amazing Goal Tracking Apps and Tools! (Free & Paid)

17 Marketing Terms You Must Be Aware Of!

User Persona: What is it & How to Create it?

Marketing Management: Definition, Importance, and Process!

Marketing Funnel: What is it & How to Create it? (Steps included)

Marketing Campaign Plan: What is it & How to Create it?

Marketing Budget: What it is & How to Put it Together?

SMART Marketing Objectives: What are they & How to Write them?