Definition of Marketing Objectives, Goals, Strategies andTactics

A good marketing plan must clearly state the desired business goals and objectives and howmarketing will support them. But marketers must first have a clear understanding of the differencebetween marketing goals, strategies and tactics to build a proper plan.

Marketing terminology is not interchangeable. There are clear definitions of each marketing termand how they should be utilized in a marketing plan.

Definition of Marketing Objectives and Goals

The objectives and goals of a marketing plan should be closely aligned with the goals and objectivesof a business. Marketing objectives and goals are very much interrelated but should have partswithin a marketing plan. Well established objectives and goals will form the foundation of fullmarketing plan strategies and tactics.

A marketing objective is a mission or purpose in which all marketing plans will be based upon.Objectives are actually broader in scope than goals. They may even be comprised of several differentgoals. Objectives are typically qualitative and are supported by more measurable qualitative goals.

Examples of marketing objectives for a business may include:

Become an industry leader in the XYZ market

Improve relationships with retail channels

Offer new products that demonstrate market innovation

Expand monthly subscriber program

A marketing goal is defined as a desired result or specific achievement. Typically a goal is ameasurable result that is achieved through marketing objectives. Because goals are quantitative, abusiness can always clearly answer whether or not a marketing goal was met with a simple yes orno.

Examples of marketing goals for a business may include:

Increase sales revenue by 20%

Improve customer loyalty and retention by 10%

Launch three new product lines

Acquire 10,000 new monthly subscribers

Gain 5% market share

Marketing objectives should have a clearly stated timeframe for completion. An annual marketingplan for a new year should establish desired achievements for the year. In some cases there may bespecific business quarters to achieve objectives and goals, such as "increase sales X% in Q1" or"launch one new product per business quarter".

Marketing Plan Strategies and Tactics Defined

The strategies and tactics of a marketing plan are the direct plans and actions taken to achievemarketing objectives and goals.

A marketing strategy is defined as your game plan to achieve your objectives. Strategies can besimply aligned to broader categories in a marketing plan, or they can be more formally aligned withthe "4 P's of marketing" in an overall marketing plan.

The "4 P's of marketing" include:

Product - your product(s) or services

Price - what you will charge for products or services and how you will charge

Promotion - how you will promote your products and services to customers

Place (or distribution) - how you will make your products or services available to customers

Each of the "4 P's of marketing" includes a strategy. Examples of marketing strategies include:

Launch a product that solves customers' XYZ problem

Promote product through local online advertising

Pricing discounts for long-term customers or subscriber programs

Make products available through well-branded affiliate programs

Tactics are defined as specific actions that will be taken in support of the marketing strategies.Tactics are closed related to implementation steps and should include details on timing and budgetallocation.

Examples of tactics for business marketing plans include:

Run banner ads monthly on XYZ website

Send 10,000 direct mail pieces to existing customers in March

Create a monthly email newsletter to promote new products to customers

Set up a LinkedIn group as a social media public relations channel

Launch a telemarketing campaign in September to acquire 1,000 new customers

Establishing a marketing plan that starts with well defined marketing objectives, goals, strategiesand tactics will keep a business focused on achieving results within a desired framework.

Source: Marketing, by Peter D. Bennett

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