Setting content goals - the THRIVE way
Are you sharing content with your audience in a chaotic way? Throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks?
Ever shared a social media post and got loads of great engagement but were never really clear about what you were trying to achieve with it?
OK—it’s time to start setting some content goals!
It’s not as difficult as it sounds, really it’s not, I promise… just follow my simple process…
I think almost everyone has come across the concept of ‘SMART’ goals before - Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timely (there are some variations on this but that’s the gist).
Here at Thrive Marketing I came up with the concept of THRIVE goals! Because essentially, we want to be successful and to thrive (in both our business and our life), right?!
You can apply this concept to goal-setting across any area of your business, but I’m going to focus here on content goals (obviously)!
The first step is to really take some time now to decide what’s most important for your business at this stage (I suggest keeping the next three months in mind). What do you want content to achieve for you?
Stick to between one and three goals—you want to stretch and challenge yourself without getting completely overwhelmed! Don’t set yourself up to fail!
Follow the THRIVE goal setting principles
Time-bound
Keep a specific timeframe in mind. Your goal should fit feasibly and be achievable in this time frame. This could be 1 month, 3 months etc.
Heavy-duty
Your goal needs to be relevant and rewarding for your biz. It should pack-a-punch when it comes to making progress. Don’t half-ass it!
Realistic
Yes, the goal should be heavy-duty (it should stretch you) BUT it also must be realistic. Don’t half-ass it, but don’t make it unachievable either. It will only lead to disappointment and resentment if you don’t quite get there. Choose a goal that you know, if you set your mind to it, you can achieve.
Identifiable
With any goal, you must be able to measure your success. You don’t necessarily need to attach numbers to it (though it’s often easier if you can), but you should be able to objectively determine if you’ve made progress by the end of your chosen time frame.
Valuable
What would hitting this goal do for your business overall? Make sure it’s a valuable, worthwhile goal that will bring you a real benefit.
Explicit
Don’t leave any room for confusion when you set your goals. It must be clear and explicit, not vague. If a stranger could read it and understand what you’re trying to do, you’re on the right track.
Let’s give it a try
Here are some examples of goals created using the THRIVE principle:
Example #1: Over the next 3 months I will double the number of leads generated from our organic Facebook and Twitter activity.
Example #2: By May 2020, we will have established a bi-weekly blog schedule using pre-planned content topics.
Example #3: In Q1, we’ll generate at least 10 warm, high-ticket leads from the joint venture online summit we’re co-hosting.
Example #4: In Q2 we will respond to every Facebook Messenger enquiry within one hour (during business hours, using chatbot where necessary).
Commit to focusing on hitting your one to three goals within the time frame(s) you’ve chosen!
Need help deciding your marketing and content goals? There's a Dani for that! Click here to schedule a complimentary From Confusion to Clarity call with me and let's smash those goals!
This post was originally published in March 2017, and was updated in January 2020.
