2 min read
If you haven’t already created a marketing plan for 2017, now is a good time to start. Without a plan, it’s hard to know which steps to take next—and how to evaluate how well your efforts are paying off.
It would be great if you could just run down to the store and pick up a pre-packaged “Home Builder Marketing Plan,” and just plug in your specifics. But until that’s available, you’ll probably need to create your own plan, or work with a marketing service that can help.
The good news is that—while your plan should be thorough and well thought out, it doesn’t have to be rocket science. Here are a few tips to consider as you plan out your marketing efforts for the coming year.
Have you heard of the “SMART” goal methodology that can help you set (and achieve) goals that make sense for your home building marketing plan? Here’s a brief overview of what constitutes a “SMART” goal.
Specific: Set goals specific goals that use real numbers and deadlines. “I want more visitors” doesn’t cut it. “I want 25 new leads at the end of each month” is the kind of goal you’re after.
Measurable: Don't hide behind vague buzzwords like "brand engagement" or "social influence." Make sure you can measure and track your progress.
Attainable: Set goals you can actually reach. Doubling your leads in one week won’t happen.
Realistic: Be honest with yourself. Consider hurdles and obstacles you’ll face and be honest about what you and your team are truly capable of.
Time-bound: Set a specific (and hard) deadline. Without a specific deadline, you’ll just keep pushing tasks out.
What are your next steps after setting these “SMART” goals?
- Summarize Your Goal:Write down a summary of your goal. Keep it simple and clear. What are you trying to accomplish? Be specific. If possible, attach specific numbers to your goal.
- Categorize Your Goal: Most marketers need to do one of three things: get more visitors to their site, get more visitors to convert into leads, or get more leads to convert into customers.
- Set a Specific Numerical Goal: The only way to know if you’ve achieved a goal is to measure it. Set a specific numerical goal (for instance, record the number of leads you want to generate).
- Select a Completion Date: You need to attach a deadline by which you want to achieve your goal. Not only does this help with measuring success, but it lets you know when you have to have other activities completed.
- Commit the Time: We could probably argue that this should come earlier, but regardless of when you take this step, it’s critical. If you’re not committed to spending the time and effort required, you won’t reach your goals. This isn’t just something you do “on the backstroke.” It’s a significant part of your job.
- Identify Potential Obstacles:You will run into roadblocks as you pursue your goals. Get them down on paper to help you prepare. Begin planning for how you will work around those obstacles.
What do you think? Have you ever set SMART goals before?
