How to Set Effective Goals

When you tackle any project, the first step should be establishing one or more clear goals. Creating goals will help you stay on track and create a clear direction for everything you do. Each goal you set should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely).

Specific

Set a clear parameter for what you want to achieve. Maybe you want to increase your website traffic, sell more merchandise or increase your following on social media. Whatever your goal is, be specific in outlining what success looks like.

Measurable

Add some numbers to your goal. How many new followers do you want on Facebook? How much more website traffic do you want? We recommend adding in numbers as a percent increase. For example, you might want to increase your Facebook following by 5 percent.

Attainable

Set goals that you can reach. Only set goals you have the time and resources to meet. You should look at data from the past to set goals you can actually meet.

Realistic

Be real with your goals. You can’t expect to increase sales by 90 percent overnight. Set clear expectations within reach. But don’t forget to push your goals to the limit. Don’t be afraid to be a little aggressive with your efforts to see great changes.

Timely

Set a timeframe for what you’re working on. Will a campaign last a week or six months? Determine how much time you need to be successful, then list a specific end date.

 

Now that you know the elements of effective goals, you can start creating your own. See an example of a SMART goal below and determine what your own success looks like!

Example: By March 1, 2019, we want to increase online sales by 5 percent.