The first step when developing a marketing strategy, the VERY FIRST step, is to figure out and set your marketing objectives. Now, a lot of people just need to learn how to set marketing objectives. Start by ask yourself what the business needs – why does it need it? This’ll be the foundation to everything that comes next. Everything marketing wise will relate back to this goal.
Throughout my 14 year marketing career, setting a marketing objectives has ALWAYS outperformed not setting a marketing objective by a country mile. After all, without one, you can’t effectively track your progress, and without tracking progress, how do you know you’re getting anywhere?
This guide is all about clarifying the marketing goal and setting you up for success. So lets jump in.
What Is a Marketing Goal?
A marketing goal is a specific outcome you want your marketing efforts to achieve. It’s not vague like “get more customers” – it’s a concrete target that tells you what success looks like and when you’ll reach it.
Why do Marketing Objectives Matter?
Setting a marketing objective does three crucial things for your business:
Gives Focus. When you’re wearing all the hats, it’s easy to scatter your energy across lots of marketing activities. Clear objectives help you prioritise where you need to be focussing your energy.
Makes results measurable. You’ll know whether your marketing is working – based on actual data (remember, data doesn’t lie). This means you can double down on what’s effective and stop wasting time on what isn’t.
Keeps you accountable. A goal with a deadline creates healthy pressure to take action rather than letting marketing slide when you get busy with running the business.
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How Marketing Goals Connect to Business Goals
Your marketing objectives should always ladder up to your broader business goals. Together, they’ll drive your business forward.
Let’s say your business goal is to increase revenue by 25% this year. Your marketing objectives might include generating 50 qualified leads per month, converting 10% of those leads to customers, or increasing average order value by 15%.
If your business goal is to establish yourself as the go-to expert in your field, your marketing objectives might focus on building your personal brand on LinkedIn, securing speaking opportunities, or growing your email list with engaged subscribers.
The key is ensuring your marketing goals directly contribute to what your business needs to achieve. Otherwise, you might hit your marketing targets whilst your business stagnates.
How to Set Your Marketing Goals
Start with your business priorities. What does your business need most right now? More customers? Higher prices? Better retention? Your marketing goals should address these priorities.
Make them SMART. Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. “Grow my Instagram” isn’t SMART. “Increase Instagram followers by 500 and achieve 3% average engagement rate by 31st March” is. I know, I know, in 2025 we’re told that this is an outdated framework, but it genuinely still helps build strong goals.
Consider your resources. Be honest about what you can realistically achieve with the time, budget, and skills you have. Ambitious is good. Impossible is not.
Focus on outcomes, not activities. “Post on LinkedIn three times per week” is an activity. “Generate 10 inbound enquiries per month from LinkedIn” is an outcome. Activities are how you’ll achieve your goals, but they’re not the goals themselves.
Common Marketing Goals
Brand awareness goals (3-6 months):
- Increase website traffic by 40%
- Grow social media following by 1,000
- Achieve 50,000 impressions per month.
These take time because you’re building recognition from scratch.
Lead generation goals (1-3 months):
- Generate 30 qualified leads per month
- Grow email list by 200 subscribers
- Book 10 discovery calls.
These can show results relatively quickly once your systems are in place.
Conversion goals (Ongoing):
- Convert 15% of leads to customers
- Reduce cost per acquisition by 20%
- Increase average transaction value by £50.
These require continuous optimisation.
Customer retention goals (3-12 months):
- Increase repeat purchase rate by 25%
- Reduce churn by 10%
- Boost customer lifetime value by 30%.
These take longer because they depend on customer behaviour patterns over time.
How Goals Support Your Marketing Strategy
Setting a marketing objective transforms your strategy from theoretical to tactical. Your goals determine where you focus your energy and budget.
If your goal is lead generation, your strategy might prioritise LinkedIn content and networking over the Instagram grid. If it’s brand awareness, you might invest in PR and partnerships.
Goals also create accountability for your strategy. Every tactic you consider should have a clear line of sight to one of your objectives. If it doesn’t, it’s a distraction.
Finally, goals give you permission to say no. When a shiny new marketing tactic catches your eye (trust me, it happens a lot), you can ask: “Will this help me achieve my objectives?” If not, don’t feel bad about saying no.
Getting Started
Don’t overthink it. Start by choosing 2-3 marketing goals that align with your most pressing business needs. Make them specific and time-bound. Write them down. Then identify the key activities that will drive progress towards those goals.
Review your progress monthly. Are you on track? If not, what needs to change – the goal, the strategy, or your level of commitment?
Setting a marketing objective shouldn’t create pressure, it should give the clarity that you need to make marketing work, without making you feel overwhelmed.
How to set marketing objectives FAQs
How many marketing goals should I set?
Start with 2-3 goals maximum. More than that and you’ll dilute your focus. It’s better to make meaningful progress on a few objectives than to spread yourself too thin across many. Once you’ve achieved your initial goals, you can set new ones.
What if I don't hit my marketing goals?
Missing a goal isn’t failure, it’s a learning. Review what happened: Was the goal unrealistic? Did your strategy need adjusting? Did you commit the necessary time and resources? Use the answers to refine your approach. Sometimes missing a goal teaches you more than hitting it.
Should my marketing goals change as my business grows?
Absolutely. Your marketing goals should evolve with your business priorities. A startup might focus on brand awareness, whilst an established business might prioritise customer retention or premium positioning. Review your goals quarterly to ensure they still align with where your business is heading.
How do I know if my marketing goal is realistic?
Look at your baseline metrics (you can learn how to do your own marketing audit here) and industry benchmarks. If you currently get 5 leads per month, aiming for 50 next month probably isn’t realistic. But 10-15 might be. Factor in your available resources, market conditions, and past performance. It’s fine to be ambitious, but your goals should stretch you without breaking you.
Can I have both short-term and long-term marketing goals?
Yes, and you should. Short-term goals (1-3 months) keep you motivated with quick wins, whilst long-term goals (6-12 months) guide your overall direction. Make sure they complement each other – your short-term goals should help you on the way towards your long-term objectives.
What's the difference between a marketing goal and a KPI?
A marketing goal is what you want to achieve (e.g., “Generate 30 qualified leads per month”). A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is how you measure progress towards that goal (e.g., website conversion rate, cost per lead, lead quality score). Goals are destinations; KPIs are the dashboard telling you if you’re on track.
Do I need different goals for different marketing channels?
Not necessarily. It’s better to have overall marketing goals that your various channels contribute to, rather than separate goals for each platform. For example, instead of “Get 1,000 Instagram followers” and “Get 500 LinkedIn connections”, have a single goal like “Generate 20 inbound enquiries per month” that both channels work towards.
