There’s a lot to consider when you set out to market yourself (or your brand, event, performance, project, or organization). Today, we’re zooming in on two of them: objective and context. Your marketing objective is the group of goals you set for promotion. The context is the environment in which you’ll be pursuing your goals, and it refers to the set of given circumstances that surround any project happening anywhere.
When identifying objectives, remember to stay S.M.A.R.T:
Specific: Be as precise as possible with your goals. If your to-do list says “get your life together,” the overwhelm will set in before you even have a sense of how to achieve that. A better approach is to break down what that means; you’re probably a bit more likely to “do the laundry, clean the apartment, and take out the trash.”
Measurable: Measurability is one piece of specificity. How will you determine success? Do you want butts in seats? Then you should look at click-thru rates on your marketing pieces and ticket sales. If you're hoping to grow brand awareness or an audience base, then measure website visits, downloads, email open rates.
Achievable: Are you set up to make your goal happen? Is it doable in your timeline? This is the time for a reality check: do you have the resources to get it done? If not, how can you evolve, scale back, and refocus on what’s doable and essential.
Relevant: Why does this goal matter to you, your team, and your overall mission? If you don’t have a good answer to these questions, you may want to reassess.
Time-Specific: This is crucial. Tasks without due dates don’t get done. Even if it’s arbitrary at first, giving yourself a deadline increases the likelihood that the thing (whatever it is) gets done.
Want to take your S.M.A.R.T. goals even S.M.A.R.T.E.R.?
Excite: Make sure your goals excite you, your team, and the folks to whom you’re marketing. Understand what works, but think outside of the box. Don’t be afraid to try something new!
Revise: Once you’ve evaluated how close you came to achieving your measurable goals, you can revise the approach for next time. This step is crucial for growth.
You’re not telling your story or your project in a vacuum (we hope). So you need to assess the environment, or the context, to see what’s working for you and what’s working against you.
In other words, read the R.O.O.M.
Risk: These are factors external to your efforts — and beyond your control — that impact your success. Don’t be in denial, plan accordingly!
Opportunities: These are external factors that are potential sources of growth for you. These situations or trends can offer favorable circumstances for expansion and improvement. Is there a new play festival in town taking submissions? Maybe there’s a new salon opening in your community, and it might be the perfect place for you to execute a flash mob for your upcoming production of Hair or Hairspray? What new opportunities do you see that you can take advantage of to drive growth?
Outsourcing: We’ve all got weaknesses. Better to know ‘em than pretend they don’t exist. These are the limited resources or lack of experience that hampers your ability to compete well in your market. Where can you honestly improve, and what can you delegate to others?
And last, Mastery: You know your strengths -- your positive attributes — the resources, experience and assets that are readily available to you. What do you do well? What are you an expert at? Make sure you’re focusing on that.