SMART Goal Setting Example

If you read the article last Friday, you know today we’re going to look at a SMART Goal Setting example.  As a reminder, SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based.

Often times, I find it easier to start with an overall arching goal and slowly build in the details. So, we’ll start with a general goal. Let’s go with a goal to increase online presence.

One of the things I like to do with goals is write them in the first person. It makes it a bit more personal and helps me claim more ownership. If it’s a group goal, consider “we.”

S – Be Specific

First off, what does it mean to “increase my online presence?” Each of us has an idea of what online presence may mean. For some, it could be social media. Being even more specific, it might mean on Twitter or Facebook. For this example, I’m going to narrow the focus on increasing the number of website users (visitors).

I may not know how to accomplish this increase or may even need help. So who will be my sidekicks? My cousin is pretty savvy at building website traffic, so I’m going to enlist her help and guidance. However, I’ll be doing the bulk of the work myself. I just need a bit of training, which my cousin will provide.

When will the goal and actions take place? Tax season is just around the corner. Though business owners should be aware of the financial state of their business, many walk around with blinders until everything is tallied at the end of the year. Sometimes the numbers are shocking, prompting business owners to seek ways to improve their bottom line. I want to be ready for when that happens. So, my goal is to have this increase by January 31.

There are quite a few options available to drive visitors to my website. Where I spend my time will make a big difference to the results, as well as affect my motivation. I’ll focus on using my Facebook Page and leveraging my website content.

I’ve made a commitment to evaluate each business strategy I put into place. The question I ask myself is: Does this help grow my business? If my answer is no, I don’t put it on my plate. If the answer is yes, I take steps to implement it. Increasing my website traffic will help grow my business because more individual will be aware of my services. However, simply having more traffic, doesn’t necessarily equate to more business. I need to be sure I have a system in place to interact with visitors, so I don’t miss out on a sale. When I get down to it, to increase revenue is the why.

Though the old way of bringing traffic through SEO is dead or dying, good content is alive and well. Therefore, I write articles every other day that cover topics that interest my visitors. I’ve been fairly passive when it comes to my Facebook page. I’ll start reposting the articles I write for my website on my Facebook page. That’s the how.

M – Measurable

My goal is to increase the number of website visitors by 40%. Google has an assortment of tools to help me measure and monitor my progress, which I’ll be using. The number of visitors per day over a course of time resembles the stock market. The users may go up and down, but the overall trend is upward when an established system is in place. I’ll check my stats daily to identify any irregularities but use weekly totals to measure my progress.

A – Attainable

I’ve been gaining pretty decent traction with my current strategy. I’m currently However, I’ve been extremely inconsistent. As a result, I’ve seen gains and losses over the past year. During my best month, I increased my number of users by 114%. However, my average is 16% with all the ups and downs. In order to increase my user base by 40%, I’ll need to be very consistent. By being consistent, I even have a good chance of exceeding my goals.

R – Relevant

Increasing traffic to my website is in line with my overall goal of growing my business. The success of my business is important for my mental well-being. It helped this with confidence, provides a way for me to be productive, and play an important role in society. Increase traffic means I will be able to extend my reach and possibly help more women create successful businesses of their own.

T – Time-Based

My goal will take place between now and January 31. Every other day I will add a new post my blog, which I will retreat Twitter and post on Facebook. I will respond to any comment to my post within 24 hours. In addition, I will be more active on Twitter and Facebook. This includes checking my Twitter and Facebook accounts every  other day and responding to any comments, messages, or interesting post.

Goal Statement

Now that you’ve got the deed is down for the SMART Goal, you can create a goal statement that is more directive.

My goal  is to increase my web traffic by 40% by posting articles every other day, sharing on Facebook and Twitter, and actively engaging on my website, Facebook, and twitter. I will monitor my progress daily and weekly. My goal will be met by January 31.

Final Thoughts

Goals are so beneficial in helping us move forward. However, they can be frivolous when we don’t approach them with direction. If you’re serious about reaching your goals, I strongly recommend laying down a process for achieving them. It may not be SMART Goals, and that’s fine. Just having a process that keeps you on track can be sufficient enough.