Logistics and transportation companies face many obstacles while building digital marketing plans. But setting up a strategy isn’t always the problem. Instead, it’s the confusing vernacular of the marketing world — including mission-critical terms like ‘goals’ and objectives.’
‘Goals’ and ‘objectives’ are often used interchangeably by logistics professionals just getting started with marketing. It’s certainly no wonder why! But while they may look like synonyms with similar definitions, the truth is these two words have entirely different meanings.
But what do these meanings suggest, exactly? And how can you use them to support your logistics marketing strategy?
This guide explores everything you need to know about the differences between goals and objectives in marketing. Once we define our terms and provide some examples, we dive into best practices to help your business succeed online.
Now, let’s dive into the measurable differences between ‘goals’ and ‘objectives’ in marketing.
Goals vs. Objectives In Marketing: What You Need To Know
The broadest definition of goals and objectives is ‘the object of a persons’ effort, passion, or ambition.’ However, there are several nuances between these two words — and knowing them can help you build a better marketing strategy.
Let’s start with the first term:
What Are Goals In Marketing?
Marketing goals are overall ambitions for your logistics and transportation company. They don’t necessarily have concrete steps attached, and are simply a visionary goal with timely, measurable phrasing.
An example of a goal in marketing could be:
- Growing revenue by X% between June and January in a given year.
- Adding 500-word content to your company blog roughly two times per month.
- Building a paid ads strategy to receive at least 10 new leads within three months.
What Are Objectives In Marketing?
Marketing objectives are the steps you take to achieve your overall goal. These are the answers you pose to the overarching question, which usually read: ‘in order to do X, I have to do Y.’
For example:
- To grow revenue by X%, I need to increase the revenue from this specific service by this time or date.
- To add more content to the company blog, I need to delegate some writing work.
- To build a paid ads strategy, I need to hire a Google search marketing firm.
You can also break objectives into even tinier chunk called ‘tactics,’ which are the ways you plan to accomplish your objectives. Just keep in mind this isn’t a necessary distinction — and it’s a good idea not to get lost in the weeds.
“You are basically reverse engineering your goal with baby steps,” says Nathan Misirian, founder and CEO of Autumn Consulting. “Think of it like building a house out of bricks. The bricks are your objectives, and the goal is your house.”
How To Build A Marketing Strategy With Goals And Objectives
Now that you can tell the difference between goals and objectives, it’s time to put your knowledge into practice.
Here’s how to build a digital marketing strategy with goals and objectives that build on each other:
1. Start With A Goal
First, determine a passion or ambition based on the SMART framework. This means setting a marketing goal that is:
- Specific (adding plenty of contextual information to your goal)
- Measurable (using a specific number or percentage)
- Attainable (selecting a number you can feasibly achieve in the time frame)
- Relevant (knowing this goal can help you achieve other goals in the future)
- Timely (setting a timeline for how long the process should take)
Let’s say your logistics and transportation company wants to bring in 20 new leads per month. You set an attainable goal to boost your monthly acquisition by 20%, which requires you to increase the budget for your digital marketing strategy for the next three months.
2. Build Your Objectives
With your new marketing goal now in place, you can work on developing its step-by-step process. Set any number of objectives to reach your goal, and make sure each of them build toward a positive outcome.
Just make sure to wrap each objective around the SMART goal framework. If your objective isn’t specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, or timely, you may need to reposition your steps to be more clear.
3. Measure Your KPIs
If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your business — and you certainly don’t know your goal or objectives. Establishing firm metrics at the beginning of your strategy can keep an eye on progress and measure the quality of your success.
Not sure where to begin with KPIs? Autumn Consulting recommends starting with:
- Click-through rates
- Audience reach
- Traffic to lead ratio
- Landing page conversions
- Customer acquisition costs
Keep in mind this is just the beginning of building a marketing strategy for your logistics and transportation company. You likely need a more robust plan — which is where Hubtek ProfitQuest comes into play.
Autumn Consulting has partnered with Hubtek’s ProfitQuest to provide marketing training, planning, and coaching to logistics professionals. Developed by Nathan Misirian and his team of industry experts, there are multiple courses available to make the most of your digital marketing. You can start with an assessment, test the strategic planning tool, then dive into ProfitQuest Academy for hours of executive training.
You can help your team set goals and objectives by connecting with the ProfitQuest platform today. Just sign up for an account to gain access to your ProfitQuest Portal. Then, you can connect your team to recorded resources so they can learn at a pace that works for them. You’re also welcome to email the experts at Autumn Consulting, wow@autumnconsult.com, with any questions you may have.
