Anyone can set goals. But sticking to them and actually achieving them? Well, that’s a whole different ball game.
Between procrastination, reprioritization, changes in your organization, or maybe even brain-on-vacation, there are a million things that get in the way of you, your team, or our business achieving your goals.
But not if you’re armed with SMART goals. In this article, we’re going to cover what SMART goals are and then share 11 examples you can model after.
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What are SMART goals?
SMART goals are objectives that have a clear structure to them. They’re the goals you will enjoy setting and your boss will appreciate seeing. Best of all, with this framework, you’ll be equipped to achieve them.
SMART stands for:
- Specific: Clear and detailed to eliminate ambiguity and provide direction.
- Measurable: You need a way to track progress and determine success.
- Achievable: Your goals need to be realistic, given your bandwidth.
- Relevant: Aligned with your broader objectives and long-term business goals.
- Time-bound: Have a deadline or time frame to encourage accountability.
Let’s take a look at some examples.
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SMART goal examples for marketing
Let’s start with some examples of SMART goals for marketing.
1. Increase website traffic by 20%
Increasing website traffic is a common goal for many businesses. Here’s how to make it SMART:
- Specific: Increase website traffic through targeted SEO content.
- Measurable: Increase by 20% (from 5,000 to 6,000 monthly visitors).
- Achievable: Use keyword research tools and publish two SEO-optimized blog posts per week.
- Relevant: More traffic will result in higher lead generation and brand visibility.
- Time-bound: Achieve this goal within the next three months.
Track each piece of SEO content to see which helps you achieve your traffic goals.
2. Increase social media engagement by 10%
No better way to improve your social media marketing strategy than with some measurable goals. For example:
- Specific: Increase Instagram engagement rate by 10% with user-generated content.
- Measurable: Achieve a 10% engagement rate (up from 7%) and gain 500 new followers.
- Achievable: Run two monthly campaigns featuring user-generated content. Use existing design tools and encourage followers to participate with contests.
- Relevant: Strong social engagement fosters brand awareness, brand loyalty, and trust.
- Time-bound: Reach these metrics by the end of the next quarter.
Learn more about creating a SMART social media strategy here,
3. Generate 50 sales-qualified leads per month
If email plays a role in your marketing objectives (and it very well should), here’s an example SMART goal to model after:
- Specific: Generate 50 sales-qualified leads each month through a segmented email campaign.
- Measurable: Generate 50 sales-qualified leads each month. Track performance through click-through rates (CTR) and lead form submissions.
- Achievable: Leverage an email list of 5,000 contacts and create compelling ebooks to use as gated content.
- Relevant: High-quality leads will improve conversion rates and revenue.
- Time-bound: Maintain this pace consistently for the next six months.
Segmenting your email list is a common lead-generation strategy.
Free lead-generating asset! The Definitive Guide to Lead Generation: 25 Ideas (+Tips & Examples).
4. Reduce Google Ads CPL by 25%
There are tons of PPC metrics to target with SMART goals. Here’s an example for lowering the cost per (CPL) lead in Google Ads:
- Specific: Reduce Google Ads CPL by 25% by optimizing ad targeting and keywords.
- Measurable: Lower CPL from $40 to $30.
- Achievable: Use A/B testing on ad creatives and refine audience segmentation.
- Relevant: Improved ROI will directly impact marketing profitability.
- Time-bound: Reach this target within the next 4 months.
5. Improve online rating from 4.2 to 4.5
- Specific: Improve Google Business Profile rating from 4.2 to 4.5 by encouraging 20 satisfied customers to leave reviews.
- Measurable: Aim for 20 new 5-star reviews.
- Achievable: Implement an automated email for customers who give an NPS of 8 or higher.
- Relevant: A strong online reputation will attract more local customers.
- Time-bound: Achieve this within one month.
You can add a link in your website to encourage more customer reviews.
More SMART goal examples for work and business
You can use SMART goals for more than just performance marketing. Here are some more SMART goal examples for other areas of business growth.
6. Increase monthly revenue by 20%
- Specific: Increase monthly revenue by 20% by improving upselling strategies.
- Measurable: Increase revenue by 20%, aiming for five upsells a month.
- Achievable: Use targeted email and call campaigns from account executives to reach this goal.
- Relevant: Supports overall business growth objectives.
- Time-Bound: Achieve this by the end of the next fiscal quarter.
7. Improve customer retention rate by 15%
- Specific: Improve customer retention rate by 15% through loyalty programs and personalized email campaigns.
- Measurable: Improve by 15%. Measure retention through repeat purchase rates and churn data.
- Achievable: Train the support team and implement a customer feedback system. Promote a loyalty program through email campaigns.
- Relevant: Addresses the need to maintain a loyal customer base and increase customer long-term value (LTV).
- Time-bound: Complete initiatives within six months.
Many brands use loyalty programs to increase customer retention.
8. Improve team productivity by 10%
- Specific: Reduce project completion time by 10%.
- Measurable: Monitor average project completion times and aim to complete them 10% faster.
- Achievable: Introduce a project management tool like Asana or Trello. Conduct team training and document standardized processes.
- Relevant: Helps meet deadlines, improve efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.
- Time-bound: Implement changes and track results within three months.
9. Expand market reach
- Specific: Enter three new local markets by the end of the year.
- Measurable: Enter three new markets. Measure success by market penetration rates and sales data. Obtain at least five new Google reviews in each new market.
- Achievable: Allocate budget and resources for market entry. Create localized marketing campaigns, partner with local distributors, and run grand opening specials for each market.
- Relevant: Tied to the goal of business expansion.
- Time-Bound: Achieve this by the end of the year.
Cross-marketing on a variety of channels is an important part of expanding into new markets.
10. Improve customer service
- Specific: Achieve a 90% customer satisfaction rate by reducing response times and enhancing training for support representatives.
- Measurable: 90% satisfaction rate, tracked through through surveys and reviews. Reduce response times to five minutes or less, tracked through an internal ticketing system.
- Achievable: Deploy chatbots and increase live agent availability. Conduct training sessions and offer incentives for performance improvement.
- Relevant: Aligns with a customer-centric strategy.
- Time-Bound: Meet the goal within six months.
11. Launch a new product
- Specific: Successfully launch a new product by finalizing development, creating a go-to-market strategy, and onboarding 1,000 new customers.
- Measurable: Measure success through pre-orders, sales, and customer feedback.
- Achievable: Allocate cross-functional teams and a realistic budget.
- Relevant: Expands the product portfolio and diversifies revenue streams.
- Time-Bound: Launch within the next eight months.
Get started with these SMART goal examples
Goals without SMART characteristics are no more than daydreams in disguise. So whether you’re aiming to generate leads, boost revenue, engage customers, or something (anything) else, SMART is the way to go. This framework gives you a clear map to follow. Best of all, you will get the gratification of achieving those goals!
No matter what your marketing and growth goals are, we can help! Contact us and we’ll show you how.