We get reflective as the new year approaches, like everyone else. We sit down and ask ourselves tough questions like: Were our efforts really spent on the most rewarding projects? How much can we afford to expand our enterprise, and what small improvements would go the furthest? And how long can you keep an open bottle of champagne?
Chances are, you are already taking stock of what went right this year and making plans for 2023. At Mustang, we believe strategy drives a business and strengthens creative output. That means we make marketing resolutions year-round and are happy to offer some key concepts that support our clients’ growth.
So how do you reach your marketing goals for 2023? You start by picking the right ones.
Get Specific
Broad ambition has its place, but it doesn’t tell you where to start or even what direction brings you closer to your goals. Choosing details like specific business segments, target audiences or quantities for improvement turns wishing into clear instructions.
Instead of “see a colossal increase in sales,” get more focused and try, “generate 50% more sales from purchase links.” Replace “become everyone’s favorite toothpaste brand” with “implement an effective post-purchase survey, and see a 30% increase in satisfaction ratings by the end of the year.” Turn “have new applicants” into “before summer, coordinate recruitment events on the top five community college campuses in our region, with the hope of doubling the current number of first-round interviews from students at these particular schools” and so on.
Instead of trying to improve everything all at once, it’s better to narrow your goals down and focus on one thing at a time. If a goal is too ambiguous, there’s no first step or end point in sight.
Make it Measurable
Setting a marketing goal is like throwing a party; people should know when they’ve arrived at the right place. Not only do we analyze hard data to see areas for improvement, but Mustang also conducts research along the way to see if a campaign has served its purpose. Adding a concrete number to the target might seem too rigid at first, but it’s easier to adjust a percentage along the way than to know if a certain report fits your boss’s definition of “better business.”
Page follows, user impressions, click through rates, average donations, emails acquired – anything you can quantify can be used to check your progress. Tracking helps you measure results in as close to real time as possible, allowing you to adjust your efforts as you learn more about how each marketing vehicle you implement is affecting your progress toward your goals. A measurable goal means a chance for a clear, quantifiable and reproducible win. Probably the best kind.
Be Realistic
Nothing feels better than actually hitting the mark. It’s easy to say, “I want to be the number one combination dog hospital and karaoke bar in all of California,” but if you can’t do it by the end of the year, or ever, then you never get to reward your efforts with that feeling of completion. Plus, if the only target you set is pie-in-the-sky, in the years it takes to build up your company or program, it can be demoralizing to fall short. (The other, numerous veterinariaoke bars will be stiff competition.)
Even if you keep a larger goal in the back of your mind, it’s best to have clear steps that are challenging, but that you know you can accomplish. “Challenging” is important, because your goals should help you expand your capability. Aim too low, and your company stays doing the same business, at the same rates, forever. Keep hitting those tough-but-attainable, Goldilocks goals, and you keep moving forward.
Creating specific, measurable, realistic goals gives you tools to make noticeable gains from your marketing and, as a matter of fact, any other project. With that framework, we can confidently set our first goal of the year: finish at least 47% of the leftover champagne before it goes flat (in around five days). And, of course, if you need expert help planning or executing your own strategies, working with Mustang Marketing can give you more to celebrate next this New Year.