Marketing Without Goals is the Noise Before Failure

Anyone that’s heard me speak or read my blog knows that I believe setting marketing goals is the most important step for SMB marketing success. Without Marketing Goals, your business will drift through the year and be in danger of becoming what Zig Ziglar calls a “wandering generality’” No business becomes a success by just drifting.

Until you can specifically define the results you want to achieve, or the primary reason you’re marketing that supports your overall business goals, your business will fall prey to the “fire, aim, ready marketing” syndrome.

When you devote time and energy at the beginning of your planning process, with setting your sights and defining the results expected of your marketing, you give yourself a greater opportunity to make frequent deposits at your favorite banking institution.

A few well-honed goals will take your business further than an encyclopedic list of aims and objectives.

Do not start marketing, until your business identifies specific and realistic marketing goals. Once you do, you then must commit to accomplishing those goals during the current year and each subsequent year with great attention to detail.  Every marketing decision that follows – including product/service mix, pricing, identity elements, customer service and hiring must be in alignment with your goals.

True Purpose Thinking

Another way of thinking related to marketing goals is to think about the true purpose of your marketing. Ask yourself these three questions:

The big question at hand is: What specific actions do you want ideal target customers to make as a result of your marketing? The answer to this is the result of your “call-to-action” in all of your marketing efforts.

Examples of Specific Results from Marketing Call-to-Actions

Do not leave it to chance that ideal customers know what to do as a result of your marketing. Tell them to do something. A simple ad that offers a phone number without a call-to-action is not effective marketing. The phone number needs to be accompanied with a simple command, “Call Today!”

EVERY SINGLE ITEM of your marketing should have that call-to-action stated. This even applies to brochures, fliers, ads, radio commercials, television commercials, billboards, online ads, status updates, social media profiles, articles, reports, etc.

Now, before you determine whether women under 30 is better for your business than women over 50 or if social media is an effective way to generate leads, start at the point where you will ultimately create the greatest possible impact – goals!

If you want to find out if Indispensable Marketing can help you grow your business,  contact me  today – it costs nothing to talk!

About the Author:  Patrick McFadden is the owner and marketing consultant at  Indispensable Marketing , a strategic marketing firm in Chesterfield, VA. We help small to midsize businesses create marketing plans and growth processes that generate leads and close sales.