Social media marketing objectives are the foundation of any good social media marketing strategy. They help guide you in the right direction and give you a clear vision of what you need to achieve. They also help show what’s working by giving you something concrete to measure your progress against.
What are the differences between goals and objectives?
It has been said that goals that do no have objectives can never be achieved. On the other hand, objectives that do not have goals will never get you to where you want to be. Indeed, the two concepts are related and are however separate. Making use of both can enable you (or the organisation) to be as well as do what you want to do.
Some management academics would state that the difference between goals and objectives is:
- A goal is a narrative of a destination, and
- An objective is a gauge of the progress that is required to get to the destination.
In this context, goals are the long-term outcomes you (or the organisation) want or need to achieve. More often than not, these social media marketing goals can be divided into chunks or objectives.
- Goals are often open as well as unstructured in nature. In addition, goals can be fluid and are directional in nature.
- Objectives tend to be single, achievable outcomes. They are concrete in statement as well as purpose. There is no ambiguity about if they have been achieved or not.
Remember the following goals:
- They should align with the needs of the brand or business
- The potential gains should outweigh the costs
Remember the following objectives:
- These should align with the chosen goal
- These should be small, easily achievable steps
- The completion of these should mark the path to completion
