How to Set Marketing Goals That Actually Drive Growth
“Make more money.”
“Grow the business.”
These aren’t bad goals — they’re just not goals you can act on.
At Highlander Marketing, we work with a lot of small and midsize businesses that start here. And the first step toward better marketing isn’t a new campaign — it’s getting crystal clear on what success actually looks like.
Because if you can’t define it, you can’t measure it. And if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
Why Most Marketing Goals Fall Flat
Marketing gets fuzzy fast. That’s why a lot of SMBs fall into the trap of setting goals that are either too vague, too broad, or not tied to any real business outcome.
Examples:
• “Get more followers on social media”
• “Run more ads”
• “Make a better website”
Those might be activities, but they aren’t outcomes. And they definitely aren’t goals that tell you whether your business is growing.
What you need are goals that are specific, measurable, and tied directly to business performance.
What Makes a Good Marketing Goal?
Let’s keep it simple. A good marketing goal should be:
• Tied to a business objective
• Specific and measurable
• Time-bound
• Actionable
Here are a few examples:
| Vague Goal | Clear Goal |
| Get more customers | Increase customer acquisition by 20% in Q2 |
| Improve our website | Raise conversion rate from 1.2% to 2.5% by August |
| Post more on social | Drive 200 visits/month to our website from Instagram by July |
See the difference? One is a hope. The other is a plan.
Start with Your Business First
Before you can create smart marketing goals, you need to know what you’re aiming for in the big picture.
Ask yourself:
• What part of the business are we trying to grow?
• Where are we underperforming?
• What does success look like this quarter? This year?
When you start with business outcomes, your marketing becomes a tool for getting there — not just a to-do list.
Use the Right Goal Framework
There are a lot of goal-setting models out there. We like to keep it simple and use this format:
“We want to achieve [X outcome] by [Y timeframe] through [Z strategy or channel].”
Example:
“We want to generate 30 new leads per month by the end of Q3 through targeted LinkedIn campaigns and a lead magnet on our website.”
This format:
• Forces you to clarify success
• Identifies your timeline
• Aligns tactics with strategy
Align Goals With Metrics That Matter
Once your goal is set, define how you’ll measure success. Good metrics might include:
• Website conversion rates
• Cost per lead
• Email open and click-through rates
• Customer lifetime value
• Repeat purchase rate
Avoid vanity metrics like:
• Follower count
• Page views (without context)
• Likes on social posts (unless they drive action)
Make It Visible and Revisit Often
This part is simple but powerful: Write your goals down. Put them in your CRM, your task manager, or even on a sticky note on your monitor. Then schedule time monthly or quarterly to review:
• Are we making progress?
• What’s working?
• What do we need to adjust?
Marketing goals aren’t “set it and forget it”. They’re living things. Revisit. Refine. Refocus.
Final Thought: Clarity Before Creativity
Creative marketing is fun. But before you launch a campaign, build a landing page, or spin up a new social account, ask yourself:
“What are we trying to achieve — and how will we know if we did it?”
When you start with clear goals, everything else gets easier. Your team stays focused. Your campaigns stay aligned. And your results become measurable.
That’s how real growth happens.
Need help defining the right goals for your business?
We help clients build strategic marketing plans that drive results, not just activity.