Substance and Style

For years, SMART goals have been the gold standard for marketing and strategic planning. Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Bound. While these are important considerations, we have new concerns as we go into the cooler months of 2021. It’s impossible to predict how the pandemic will affect our businesses and organizations as people congregate in schools and move indoors to avoid the cold. It’s important to keep your marketing goals as SMART as possible, but adding some FORCE will give you the best chance of success.

1. Flexibility. While having goals that are set in stone is admirable, today’s world requires a less rigid approach. Make it a goal to be able to go with the flow. Have a backup plan for your specific goals. If you promote your business by hosting a conference every year, know how to make it virtual if need be. If you attend a lot of networking events, think about how you can make those connections if those events are canceled. More factors than ever are outside of our control. We need to be able to adapt. While you never want to waver from your core branding, ideals, or business model, you do need to be able to change how you do things when unexpected circumstances arise. 
2. Online. Regardless of what type of business you’re running, your strategy should include having a strong online presence. Online marketing costs less and is easier to change than print or signage. How much of your marketing can be done online depends on your industry and your level of comfort with digital spaces, but really consider moving as much online as possible. You’ll be surprised how much money and face you can save. 
3. Relationships. We are (hopefully) coming out of one of the most isolating periods in living memory. You should focus your marketing efforts on building and maintaining meaningful relationships with customers and clients. People need reminders that you’re still there, and that you care about them as people.
4. Consistency. It might not be possible to predict everything that’s going to happen or to stick to every pre-COVID goal, but you can make consistent efforts every day. Especially when you’re content marketing or running your company’s social media channels, consistent effort pays off more than making sporadic announcements, even if they’re earth-shattering. 
5. Education. Make it a point to focus on educating your customers and clients. Even the most optimistic people are burnt out and borderline cynical right now. If you can add value to their lives in any way, you should do it. If you run a business or nonprofit, it’s safe to assume that you know things that a lot of other people don’t know. A lot of people assume that sharing that knowledge for free will negatively impact their business by making their expertise less valuable. In fact, the opposite is true. Educating the public improves your reputation and brings in customers.
   

As with all strategic planning, assess your current methods and your strengths and weaknesses. Think about what you want and when you want it and set goals to get there. Use the SMART goal method (there’s a reason it’s so popular), but know that the circumstances of the world right now also call for a little FORCE.