Have you ever felt like you’re hitting the pavement day in and day out, with no real results to show for it?

Or maybe you FEEL like you’re doing everything right. But, you’re using up all of your marketing budget. AND, you’re still not getting the ROI you want?

You might have even offloaded your marketing to someone else on your team, in the hopes they’ll just “handle it”. Is it possible you did this without getting crystal-clear on the goal of your campaign?

Well listen up. If any of these sound like you, then when it comes to marketing… you’re probably just shooting in the dark. Even if it feels like your marketing efforts are rock-solid.

There are plenty of things you can do to mimic productivity. Blogging, creating lead magnets and offers, or even conducting extensive customer research, for a few examples. But, if you don’t start with a goal in mind, it could all be for naught.

Which is why it’s crucial to the survival of your marketing campaign that you set clear goals. 

So, start with the end in mind.

It’s like getting in your car without directions or a GPS system. You might have a rough idea of where you want to end up, but… if you’ve never actually been there, you’re going to have a heck of a time trying to find it. Throw in a “roadblock” like a road closure or a construction zone, and it’s game over.

The same thing goes with your marketing program.

If you only have a vague idea of where you want to end up, you’re going to struggle to get there. You can spend tons of money on SEO, hours and hours blogging, and empty your bank account running Facebook ads, but if you don’t pick a clear goal to begin with, then build out a tailored marketing strategy to meet that goal, you’re leaving money on the table. Big time.

Once you have your clear-cut goal in mind, you’ll need to measure your progress and track your results. Use this info to create systems and processes to streamline your marketing efforts. Seriously, you’ll take your business to new heights. We wrote all about tracking and analyzing a few weeks back, so if you need a refresher, here’s how to get started on that.

Finally, once you’ve picked your goal and learned about tracking and reporting, you’ll want to review your overall strategy. Are you using different pieces of your inbound marketing strategy to meet your goal? 

There are several important pieces to an effective and coherent Inbound Marketing program. But, first and foremost, the focus needs to be serving your customer.

Figure out the most effective methods to produce the content that they want and need, and pick the most effective methods around those needs. Now when you’re just starting out with inbound, it can feel a little perplexing, so we’re always here to help, should you need any advice.

But wherever you’re at in the Inbound process, you can grab our FREE Inbound Marketing Checklist to make sure you’re allocating your time effectively when it comes to these “best-in-breed” marketing tactics.