Before an actor begins rehearsing a play, they outline their script with objectives to be sure every line has intent and a purpose.

Marketers may not be actors on a stage, but take note. Whether formulating a campaign or writing a blog, it is easy to get caught up in the details or potential possibilities and forget the overall purpose.

Objectives are sub-goals that contribute to the overall goal the marketer wants to achieve. Every action taken in a marketer’s job should have an objective.

It is important to keep objectives “SMART” - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. These guidelines ensure everything is clearly defined and achieved.

What are other ways to easily stay on track? Objectives should always follow these principles:

Resonate with the audience

Goals of companies generally revolve around reaching and serving their audience. Market to those who are invested in the service or product by catering directly to them. Instead of casting a wide net, target those who will listen and specifically benefit from the company’s services. A pleased customer will alert new customers by word of mouth.

Building enough awareness and trust among consumers creates a following. They don’t want to be bombarded or interrupted. Even if the goal is to expose as many people as possible to a marketing message, make sure the execution and objective keep the customer’s preferences in mind.

Practice patience

When there is a proliferation of content and competition in the market, it is tempting to have a sense of urgency or emergency. Content that is ill prepared is obvious because it becomes sloppy noise that the audience will learn to tune out.

Take the necessary time to formulate insights, objectives, strategies, and tactics. Respect the consumer’s time and they will respect the work. Quality is always preferred over quantity.

Use social media wisely

Do not post for the sake of posting. The audience matters and content put in front of them must contain immense value. If it is too complicated to handle multiple platforms at once, focus on excelling at the one that markets to the right demographic and will draw the largest crowd. Each post should contain an objective - gaining followers, increasing impressions, drawing consumers to the company website, tracking engagement - which ultimately achieves a larger goal.

When multiple goals need to be completed, it is easy to venture off topic and lose track of the task at hand. Know the reason behind each objective by clearly mapping out strategies and tactics.

Objectives do not come from thin air. They support the main goal of the brand. Understand the culture of the brand - voice, story, purpose - and set specific rules for the objective that guide the telling of the brand’s message.

The objective of this post is to remind marketers to always keep purpose and an objective in mind.