We’re pretty SMART here at 9 Clouds.

Before you decide we’re just being arrogant, hear us out.

At 9 Clouds, we develop SMART marketing goals (for our own company and with our clients) that give us a benchmark for success.  These goals help us optimize our everyday work in order to make the most out of our digital marketing dollars and efforts.

Ready to get SMART with your digital marketing? Read on to learn how.

What Is “SMART” Marketing?

It’s great to have goals, but too often our goals lack focus and a plan of action. Being SMART can help.

SMART is an acronym that stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-based

People and businesses set SMART goals in order to hone in on the purpose and timeline of their goals while making the most of their marketing dollars and efforts.

Here’s what SMART marketing actually looks like.

1. Get Specific

What do you actually want to accomplish with your goal? For a goal to be truly SMART, it needs to establish one clearly defined metric.

Some examples of specific goals could include anything from increasing blog subscriptions, decreasing email bounce rate, or increasing vehicle description page (VDP) views on your dealership’s website.

2. Be Measurable

Let’s say you know you want to increase VDP views on your website. But how much of an increase in views do you want in order to consider your goal a success?

Are you looking for a 5% increase in views? A 10% increase?

This should be a number you feel comfortable with, but it should still be a challenge that will push your digital marketing team to excel. Pinpoint the amount before you finalize your goal.

3. Ask If It’s Achievable

It’s great to be optimistic when forming your goals, but you also need to be realistic. Do you have the people, budget, and resources to make your goal a reality? If not, you may need to adjust your goal.

If we stick with our earlier example of increasing VDP views, you’ll most likely want to incorporate Facebook carousel ads and dynamic ads in your digital marketing strategy, as they are proven to be effective in increasing website traffic.

Do you have a Facebook Business Manager account? What’s your budget for these ads? Who will be setting up the ads? All are valid questions to consider before committing to your goal.

4. Stay Relevant

Sharing a funny cat video on your dealership’s Facebook page and getting 100 likes may boost your ego, but is it really doing anything to help you sell more cars? Probably not.  

While developing your marketing goals, you must set an objective that will actually benefit your company. Ask yourself if what you’re doing aligns with the broader goals of your business.

5. Set a Time Frame

We’re more likely to complete a goal, be it personal or professional, if we set a goal deadline date. How long do you need to complete your goal?

The time frame should be long enough to sufficiently implement changes, notice patterns, and make progress.

The time frame should also be short enough that you are pushed to make this goal a reality instead of pushing it off to the distant future with no real deadline.

An Example of a SMART Goal for Auto Dealers

Now that you’re familiar with all the different aspects of SMART goal setting, here’s an example of what a SMART goal could look like for an auto dealer trying to improve its digital marketing:

By the end of quarter three (time-based), increase new truck VDP views (specific) by 8% (measurable) through the use of dynamic Facebook campaigns (achievable) in order to increase the number of leads and new trucks sold (relevant).

Let 9 Clouds Help You “Get SMART”

At 9 Clouds, we set both personal and professional SMART goals four times a year at our individual quarterly reviews.

As a creative content strategist, my professional goals help me grow in my digital marketing skills while also contributing to a greater goal set by the 9 Clouds creative team.

Need help defining your SMART marketing goals? Request your free digital audit from 9 Clouds. We’ll take a look at your website, compare it to your competitors, and give suggestions on how you can improve.