We hear all the time just how important it is to be setting objectives so that you can achieve success. The fact of the matter is it’s true! Once you have set those business objectives though, do you consider how they translate down to other areas of the business? Do you share them with your team? Do you define departmental objectives that align with the business objectives?
Now bear with me here. I’m not talking about defining objectives for the sake of defining them, but it is crucial that before you engage any specific business function, such as marketing, you are clear in what it is that you are looking to achieve so that the roles within and external to the business can help you accomplish it.
A good agency and of course the internal team will help you identify what your organisation’s marketing objectives should be. It is, however, crucial that you are open and honest as to why you are looking to undertake such activity to get the best possible outcome. We have often found ourselves sitting in new business meetings where the client is unsure of what they are looking to achieve or worse still, changes expectations during the project because they’re not clear on what they are looking to accomplish for their business overall.
It might be that they have spotted a competitor getting coverage in the press or achieving some traction on social media, and so they decide they want a piece of the action too. Without clear objectives though, you are going to have a weak story to tell and be very limited in the results you achieve which could ultimately be counterproductive!
Remember your objectives are supposed to be SMART
At Wild PR, we are fond of being able to measure the impact of our activities to demonstrate how we add value to the businesses that we work with. While there is a lot of information we can garner from press tracking, social media, google analytics and other tools we use. We also need the information to be recorded and monitored by the client, so if a new lead has come in, where has it come from, what is the potential value, how is your business growing month on month etc. This data will be crucial information for your marketing team!
Measuring results can offer an ample amount of insight. Not only will it enable you to identify what is and isn’t working and believe me, undertaking marketing activity can be a case of trial and error, but ultimately it can play a huge role in the business growth.
So dream big, what are you looking to achieve and how are you going to deliver it? Tweet us with your thoughts.