At this point it’s been almost five months since you set you created your digital marketing plan and set your goals for 2014. Even if you performed a first quarter review, it’s likely that almost two months have passed since you reviewed your progress towards your goals. Don’t wait until the mid-year mark to revisit your goals and strategies. Take the time to sit down before June and evaluate your metrics and goals will help you take control of your goals now so you won’t be wondering what you could have done differently later!

Taking Back Control

• Identify Your Metrics:

  In your yearly marketing plan, you should have noted not only your goals for the year, but how they would be measured. For instance, if you wanted to increase your Facebook Fan count by 500 Likes, the metric would obviously be Likes. If you didn’t identify your metrics in your yearly plan, now is the time to do so.

• Review Progress Regularly:

  Rather than think of this as a one-off evaluation, use this opportunity to develop a bi-weekly routine. Reviewing your metrics regularly will give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re on track – or will reveal downward trends before it’s too late to turn things around.

• Develop a Reporting System:

  Create a system for tracking your progress, charting not only this week’s metrics, but those in the weeks and months to come. Checking in bi-weekly is great, but you won’t be able to pull as much insight from one point of data as you will from multiple points over a period of time. Look back at historic data (this is quite easy in Facebook Insights and Google Analytics) to see how things have changed over time. If the system you’re using doesn’t provide data in chart or graph format, export it to Excel and create a simple graph. It’s much easier to draw insights from visual representations than a simple set of numbers.

• Look for Patterns:

  Assess these reports. Do you see any patterns emerging? Going back to our Facebook Fan example, perhaps you have large spikes in additional fans, followed by valleys with few gains. What was going on during those spikes in terms of marketing? Were you running ads? Sponsoring posts? Engaging with other pages? Tying the outcomes to the marketing tactics that led to them is key in determining which strategies are effective in helping you reach your goals.

• Redefine Goals or Strategies:

  Finally, after you’ve evaluated your data and identified any emerging patterns, it’s time to revisit your goals. Are you on track to achieve what you had set out to accomplish in the beginning of the year? If not, determine if you’ll need to make your goal more realistic or adjust the tactics you’ll use to meet it. You may find that you are closer to your objective than you thought you’d be at this point. If this is the case, set your sights a little higher now.

Need help analyzing your progress and determining the right course of action to get you back on track for your 2014 digital marketing goals? Reach out to us for a consultation! It’s not too late for us to help you develop a digital marketing plan that will help you reach your objectives for 2014.