Are you posting on social media without a clear purpose? Many business owners feel the pressure to be active online, but without clear goals, that activity can easily become a waste of valuable time and money. Posting for the sake of posting does not lead to business growth.
The good news is there is a simple framework that can turn your social media efforts from a directionless task into a reliable tool for winning new business. It is called SMART, and it is the foundation of any successful strategy.
First, What Exactly Are SMART Goals?
SMART is an acronym that helps you set goals that are clear and trackable. It stands for:
- Specific: Be precise about what you want to achieve.
- Measurable: Define how you will track your progress.
- Achievable: Set a realistic target based on your resources.
- Relevant: Ensure the goal supports your overall business objectives.
- Time-bound: Give yourself a clear deadline.
Why Vague Goals like 'Get More Followers' Don't Work
A goal like “get more followers” feels good, but it does not tell you anything about your business’s health. 10,000 followers who never buy from you are less valuable than 500 followers who are genuine potential customers. Vague goals do not provide a clear target to aim for, and they do not help you measure what is actually working. SMART goals force you to focus on actions that lead to real-world results, like enquiries and sales.
5 Actionable SMART Goal Examples for UK Service Businesses
Here are five examples of social media goals that a UK service business can set and measure today.
Goal 1: Increase High-Quality Leads
- For a business consultant in Manchester: “To generate 5 qualified leads for our new management workshop through targeted LinkedIn posts by the end of this quarter.”
- Why it’s SMART: It is Specific (5 qualified leads for the workshop), Measurable (5 leads), Achievable (a realistic number), Relevant (directly supports sales), and Time-bound (by the end of the quarter).
Goal 2: Boost Local Brand Awareness
- For a local electrician in Leeds: “To increase our brand’s reach by 25% within a 15-mile radius of Leeds by running a targeted Facebook awareness campaign over the next 60 days.”
- Why it’s SMART: It is Specific (25% reach increase in a 15-mile radius), Measurable (Facebook’s ad tools can track this), Achievable (a focused campaign can do this), Relevant (targets the exact service area), and Time-bound (60 days).
Goal 3: Drive Website Traffic to a Key Service Page
- For a financial advisor in Birmingham: A goal could be to increase clicks to a key service page by 40% over the next month.
- Why it’s SMART: It is Specific (40% click increase to a specific page), Measurable (using website analytics), Achievable (with focused content), Relevant (drives traffic to a core service), and Time-bound (one month).
Goal 4: Establish Authority in Your Niche
- For a freelance copywriter: “To get 3 guest post opportunities by engaging with marketing managers on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) over the next two months.”
- Why it’s SMART: It is Specific (3 guest post opportunities), Measurable (3 opportunities), Achievable (through consistent, targeted engagement), Relevant (builds professional credibility), and Time-bound (two months).
Goal 5: Improve Customer Service Efficiency
- For a small software-as-a-service (SaaS) company: “To reduce the number of common support questions via email by 20% by creating a series of ‘how-to’ video tutorials on our Facebook page over the next quarter.”
- Why it’s SMART: It is Specific (20% reduction in common email questions), Measurable (by tracking support emails), Achievable (helpful content can deflect queries), Relevant (improves customer satisfaction and saves time), and Time-bound (over the next quarter).
How to Track Your Goals (The Simple Way)
You do not need complicated software. For most of these goals, the free analytics tools built into the social media platforms themselves (like Facebook Insights or LinkedIn Analytics) and your website’s Google Analytics are all you need. Schedule 30 minutes at the end of each month to check your numbers against your goals. This will tell you what is working and where you need to adjust your approach.
Setting clear goals is the first and most important step to getting a real return on your social media efforts. It turns a guessing game into a predictable plan for growth.
Now that you know how to set your goals, the next step is to build them into a complete plan. Read our Ultimate Guide to Social Media Strategy to learn how.
