Nobody wants to spin their wheels when it comes to getting marketing results. We're anxious to do things that make an impact. This often leads to jumping into things like betting your entire marketing spend on social media ads because that's where we think the people are.
However, before jumping into tactics it's important to know whether they're in-line with your larger marketing goals and objectives. Unfortunately, goals and objectives are often ill defined. Below is a framework to help you establish marketing goals and objectives that will inform the proper tactics.
Goals (Key Performance Indicators)
Marketing goals typically fall into three categories: Monetary, Behavioural, and/or Attitudinal.
Once you've determined the goal category the next step is defining key performance indicators (KPI) related to marketing efforts that show whether changes are attributable to your marketing. Many external forces can impact your business so KPIs are metrics specifically associated with marketing activities.
Monetary: Making or saving money. A common monetary goal is often "increased sales", but this could come about, or not, for a variety of reasons. Assigning marketing KPIs to the goal allows for more accurate tracking and evaluation.
- Monetary Goal with KPI: Increase sales as a result of optimizing website inquiries and shortening the online sales cycle.
Behavioural: Changing how people use your product/service (e.g. baking soda as a fridge deodorizer) or the actions they take (e.g. increasing recycling).
- Behavioural Goal with KPI: Decrease call-centre support by encouraging usage of online resources.
Attitudinal: Influence the perception of how people view your brand/product/service/cause. Often associated with awareness building.
- Attitudinal Goal with KPI: Position product as a premium offering through re-branding and refined distribution channels.
Objectives (Things to Achieve)
Objectives relate to the plan/strategy and manifest as Outputs, Outtakes, and/or Outcomes (depending on your goal). Objectives are tasks that are quantifiable, time-bound, actionable, and correlate to goals (KPI).
Outputs: Campaign deliverables. For example, develop a communications plan, define target audience, and select marketing channels.
Outtakes: The feedback generated - Messages, perceptions, and understandings. Measured via mentions, likes, shares, and comments.
Outcomes: Changes in action, behaviours, or attitudes that can be tied to marketing activities. For example, 25% rise in website inquiries, 50% more visits to online help resources, increased mentions of people complimenting your product online. These are tied directly to your overall goal and KPIs.
Tactics (Activities to Implement)
The actual execution of ad campaigns, cold-calls, emails, events, and other actions. They will be informed by the goals and objectives you've decided upon.
Need help defining your marketing goals, objectives and tactics? Drop us a line through our contact page.
