How to Set SMART Marketing Goals [1 Template]

Learn how to set marketing goals based on your business objectives by using the SMART framework. Goals help you stay focused and get results.

The importance of setting marketing goals

You should never just decide to chase random goals. Example: "I want to be rich!"

On the contrary, goals should be engineered to reach success.

Goals help you stay focused on what you want to accomplish with your marketing efforts.

Let’s pretend you are Rosa, a young botanist turned entrepreneur.

You want to get the word out about your new subscription box for natural beauty products and cosmetics, but you have limited resources.

In this case, specific goals will keep you and your team aligned and ready for action.

You should use the SMART framework to reach your objectives.

What is the SMART framework?

As you think about your marketing goals, it helps to abide by the SMART framework.

Let’s take a closer look at each element of the SMART acronym.

S stands for Specific: Your goal should be clear and specific.

You have to be able to write it down or say it in a way that anyone in your team can understand.

For example: Sell 100 products, get 200 new email subscribers, generate 25 qualified leads, etc.

M stands for Measurable: Think about the metrics that you’ll use to evaluate whether you’ve achieved your goal.

They should be quantifiable things (such as sales, revenue or number of website visitors) measured in objective terms (such as cost, quality or quantity).

These metrics will be reported in numbers, percentages or on a binary scale (yes or no).

A stands for Achievable: Always dream big, but be realistic here. Set goals that are feasible for you and your team, but possible with your available resources.

R stands for Relevant: Make sure that your goals align with your wider business strategy.

T stands for Time-bound: our goals should have a precise start and end date. This will help you accomplish your goal by a certain deadline and track milestones along the way.

The marketing goals template

You should use the following template to write down your SMART marketing goals.

I would recommend printing the PDF and writing down your SMART goals with a pencil; rather than a pen.

Fill up the template today, and come back to it tomorrow.

You want to take a little time to think it over before committing to your plan.

However, once you have committed to your plan, don’t change it any longer until your “experiment” is complete.

Let’s see what you want to accomplish as young Rosa:

Download the customer journey template as a PDF.

Your goal is to get 3 subscriptions daily (90 total) by the end of next month.

• This is both specific and measurable. You have been working hard for the last 6 months, and you now have a pretty strong online presence.
• 90 subscriptions by the end of next month is achievable.
• It’s also a relevant goal because it aligns with your business strategy of growing your brand online presence.
• Finally, this plan is also time-bound: the deadline is the end of next month.

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