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Want to Reach Your Goals? Make Sure They're Attainable

goalcoxyIf you have goals like “Increase profits” or “Make Money” or even “Be Profitable”, you may have a hard time achieving those goals.  Why?  Because they are not clearly defined nor do they have a set time limit.  When setting goals, it’s important that they are short, to the point, and reachable within a certain time.

Setting goals which are actually attainable will make it easier to figure out the tactics you need to implement to reach the goal.  Most of all, these goals are actually useable for management and business purposes and will help align your company to work towards a single endpoint.  Reaching a goal is great for morale, which is important if you want to be able to focus on new goals in the future.

Sometimes businesses get caught up in setting goals which are a bit outside of their reach.  Sometimes “stretch goals”, these goals are sometimes attainable by putting in an amazing amount of effort and having a lot of luck.  Some people think that having goals that are not easily attainable makes people work harder, but usually there is little reward for working so hard and it is not sustainable without burnout – which eventually leads to less productivity.

So intead of setting big lofty goals that no one really understands how to reach, try for smaller, concise goals which have a specific timeline.  For example, “Increase profits by 5% by the end of the first quarter, 2009”.  You’ll set up both yourself and your business for success.

(photo by coxy @ Flickr CC)

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Marketing isn't just an Advertising Campaign

bullseyeleeroy09481I think a lot of companies get all bound up in the need to advertise, advertise, advertise, which is great, but successful companies understand that marketing is so much more than advertising.  Marketing is intimately tied to business objectives, strategy, and customer relationships – how they inter-relate and how to tie them together to reach the business’ goals.

Take a look inside

The first step to good marketing is to take few minutes for some introspection.  Who are you as a company?  What do you do better than anyone else? What is your goal?  By understanding exactly who you are as a company, you’ll be able to develop marketing that accurately depicts your corporate image and works towards your goal.

How do you want to get there?

There are many different strategies that may help you achieve your goal.  How do you want your company to be perceived?  What is important to you in terms of image and ethics?  Are there certain strategies that you aren’t comfortable with or that don’t fit your ethics or image?  Setting guidelines for what your company stands for will help you avoid missteps along the way.

What are you offering?

What benefits are you offering to your customers?  Why should they choose your products? What type of relationship are you offering to them?  Customers can be very selfish, especially at the beginning of a relationship, so you need to make sure you are accurately representing your product benefits to them.

Use advertising as one of many tools

Advertising can be a vital tool in your aresenal for reaching your business goal, but keep in mind that there are many steps before you start implementing tactics.  Taking the time to work up to advertising will increase your return on investment by more accurately targeting your customers.

(photo by leeroy09481 @ Flickr CC)

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What is an Internet Strategy?

strategycompujerameyYou may have heard the term Internet Strategy thrown around recently. With the rise in popularity of the Internet, businesses have felt the need to get on the Web bandwagon.  Most businesses have a website, but many are feeling the need for a more thorough look at how to use the Internet effectively.  So, what exactly is an Internet Strategy?

Like any good strategy, an Internet strategy is a process of deciding upon a goal and then figuring out how to work towards that goal.  An Internet strategy should be intimately tied to your business strategy.  If you don’t have a business strategy, start there and incorporate the Internet into your planning. The goal should be a business goal, not just an Internet business goal.  The Internet has matured enough to be able to assist in reaching most business goals.

Once you have your business goal, an Internet strategy is the process of figuring out how the Internet can help you reach that goal.  Think about your business website.  What functionality and information should be available to your customers to help you reach your goal?  What other Internet technologies can help?  It helps to think broadly – email, internet advertising, twitter, social networking, blogs – can all help you reach business goals.

To differentiate yourself from your competitors, think about what makes your business different.  What are you good at?  What is your core competency?  How can you apply that to your Internet strategy?

Your customers are the reason why you’re in business.  Don’t forget about them.  What benefits will you offer them through your products and services?  How can you leverage these benefits on the Internet?  How can your customers help you reach your goals?

(photo by compujeramey @ Flickr CC)

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