How to Define Marketing Goals and Objectives? 5 Real Examples
Imagine the following scenario: you’re eager to take an international trip, but when you arrive at your destination, you realize you did no planning at all. You have no idea where to go or what to do and end up feeling completely lost.
That’s when you realize your trip isn’t going as planned.
Well, the same thing happens with your business if you don’t define your marketing goals and objectives.
Without setting goals, you’re steering your company without direction, which directly affects your results and prevents you from achieving what you aim for.
We’ve created a complete guide that explains how to define marketing goals and objectives—and why this topic is essential for your business.
Shall we begin? 😉
How to Set Marketing Goals?

Considering that marketing goals are specific and measurable objectives that help you achieve your business’s expected results, you’ll need to base them on both quantitative and qualitative information.
In other words, your goals should be shaped by past data, future projections, desired results, and so on.
By combining the analysis of past information with forward-looking projections, goal-setting becomes more accurate.
We asked our Marketing Manager, André Wendler, how he defines marketing goals. Check out his tips:
“I see two approaches: the first is based on the sales goal, and we work backward from that. The other starts with the first stage of the funnel, which is usually website traffic. From there, we apply conversion rates until we reach the sales goal. Personally, I prefer the first method because it makes marketing the driving engine of the company. It’s also worth noting that we base those conversion rates on company history—but if you don’t have historical data, you’ll need to use market benchmarking,” explained André.
To make things even clearer, he gave an example of how he would define Leadster’s goals for 2024:
“I’d analyze the traffic we had in 2023 and its historical growth, then try to project the traffic volume for the next year. From there, I’d estimate what percentage creates accounts, what percentage implements the tool, and what percentage becomes customers. I’d break these percentages down by channel—paid, organic, and referral—because we know they behave very differently, which can impact the final forecast.”
What Are the 5 Characteristics a Goal Needs to Have?

Alright, now we understand that marketing goals are key to guiding your company toward strong results.
But how do you create those goals? What should they include, and what are their essential characteristics?
To answer that, we turn to the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely).
Using this method, your goals must be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Let’s look at two examples of SMART goals:
What’s the Difference Between Goals, Metrics, and Objectives?

In day-to-day conversations, we often treat goals, metrics, and objectives as synonyms.
However, it’s important to highlight that they represent different concepts—even though they complement each other.
To understand these differences, we need to dive into the concepts of OKRs and KPIs:
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are used to align and record the desired outcomes for the company.
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) specify the metrics and figures that indicate whether and how objectives will be achieved.
OKRs are usually related to KPIs, but it’s not a strict rule.
Here’s a summary:
- Objectives are the “O” in OKRs.
- Goals are the “KRs” (Key Results).
- Metrics are the KPIs.
Need help defining your OKRs and KPIs? Just download our free framework!

Examples of Marketing Goals and Objectives
Although every company has its own unique marketing goals, shaped by its specific aspirations, there are some common objectives that can serve as helpful examples.
Let’s explore a few!
Generate Qualified Leads
No leads, no customers—right?
Setting goals to generate qualified leads helps maintain a consistent flow of prospects, which you can nurture and eventually convert into customers.
As a result, your sales—and overall results—will increase.
Some strategies to generate qualified leads include:
- Email marketing
- Retargeting ads
- Content marketing
- Social media
- Conversational marketing
Example
- Objective: Generate qualified leads.
- Possible goals: Increase the number of qualified leads by X% via [CHANNEL TYPE], or generate [NUMBER OF LEADS] qualified leads during Campaign Y.
- Metrics/KPIs to track: Conversion rate and number of MQLs/SQLs.
Strengthen Brand Awareness
Improving brand awareness and becoming an authority in your niche is one of the most sought-after marketing goals.
This is especially important today, when user attention is limited and competition is fierce.
Boosting brand awareness is crucial to winning customers—after all, if consumers don’t know you exist, how will they know what you offer?
Every brand has its own personality and values that introduce something new to the market. Use these traits to build recognition.
To do that:
- Invest in storytelling. People connect with stories—so let them connect with yours.
- Be present where your target audience spends time. That’s how you learn about them and tailor your actions.
- Engage continuously. Stay close to your audience to build strong relationships.
Example
- Objective: Strengthen brand awareness.
- Possible goals: Increase newsletter subscribers by X% or reach [NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS] engaged followers by [DATE].
- Metrics/KPIs to track: Subscribers, engaged followers, email open and click rates, share of mind.
Increase Website Traffic
Even though website traffic doesn’t directly generate revenue, this goal is essential to evaluate whether your content is attracting the right users.
In other words, website traffic is closely tied to lead generation—but more visitors doesn’t always mean more leads.
By setting website traffic as a goal, you’re also evaluating your content, CTAs, SEO strategies, and paid media efforts.
To keep website traffic strong:
- Run more paid ad campaigns
- Double down on SEO
- Invest in a blog
- Make sure every marketing channel links back to your website
Example
- Objective: Increase website traffic.
- Possible goals: Grow website visitors by X% or reach [NUMBER OF USERS] monthly users within X months.
- Metrics/KPIs to track: Total sessions, unique pageviews, average time on site, bounce rate, and conversions by traffic source.
Acquire New Customers
More customers = business growth and greater market reach.
By setting a goal to acquire new customers, you can monitor your company’s growth and determine whether your strategies are working.
Example
- Objective: Acquire new customers.
- Possible goals: Increase the number of paying customers by X% or gain [NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS] new customers in the next three months.
- Metrics/KPIs to track: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), total new customers, churn rate, and product or service sign-ups.
Grow Revenue
According to HubSpot Blog Research (2021), 43% of marketers say increasing revenue is the main goal of their campaigns.
And it makes sense—this goal impacts consumers at every stage of the marketing funnel.
Ways to grow revenue:
- Top of the funnel: Build a strong digital presence and create high-interest content with unique offers.
- Middle of the funnel: Identify the actions that turn prospects into MQLs, then automate email nurturing and retargeting.
- Bottom of the funnel: Provide tutorials, product demos, free trials, and case studies.
- Post-sale: Create a customer loyalty program.
Example
- Objective: increase revenue.
- Possible goals: increase the company’s revenue by “X”%.
- Metrics/KPIs to track: annual recurring revenue, average revenue per user, quota attainment, and win rate.
🔎 Also read: What Is a Sales Funnel? Stages, Methods, and 9 Tools
We mentioned earlier that these five examples of objectives and goals are very common in marketing.
However, some of them may even fit into the company’s macro goals, as our Marketing Manager, André Wendler, explains:
“The most basic thing for a company is to track the macro funnel goals: traffic, leads, qualified leads, and sales. That’s essential. As the volume increases, we need to analyze this by channel and also zoom in on specific goals to create a funnel with more stages and solve specific problems.
Example: if our conversion rate from qualified leads to sales is low, how can we improve it?
Answer: let’s specifically understand what the stages are and the conversion rates between them in the funnel from qualified leads to sales.”
Tips for Setting, Tracking – and Hitting! – Your Marketing Goals

We can’t wrap up this article without a few tips to help you succeed with your marketing goals, right? 🤩
So take a look at the tips we’ve listed below!
Connect Your Marketing Goals to Business Objectives
There’s no point in setting up extravagant marketing goals if they have nothing to do with what your company aims to achieve.
To make your job easier, create your marketing goals based on and aligned with the company’s objectives.
For example: if your company wants to close more sales next month, set a marketing goal to triple the number of qualified leads generated.
Finally, here’s a tip for company leaders: communicate with your employees and clearly define the objectives to follow—this will help avoid communication breakdowns and future issues.
Set Goals Based on the Funnel
Back in the “Grow Revenue” section, you might have noticed that we mentioned the sales funnel and specified strategies for each stage.
Well, the funnel is an essential framework to guide your entire marketing plan—from setting goals to content creation.
That’s because it represents the entire user journey. Through it, we can segment, filter, and qualify users, making it easier to guide them toward a purchase.
🔎 Also read: What Is a Conversion Funnel, What Are Its Stages, and How to Create One
Document Your Actions and Results
Don’t rely solely on your memory—record all your actions, metrics, and monitor the results closely! 📝
By documenting your steps and plans, you’ll be able to analyze your strengths and weaknesses, identify bottlenecks, see which actions didn’t work, which ones did, and what needs improvement.
Remember: goals are defined based on historical data. That means your past information is essential for future projections.
Measure a Few Key Things
Thought André was done? Not yet!
We also asked him for some tips on defining marketing goals. His first piece of advice was:
“The main tip for setting a goal is to measure just a few things—but make sure they’re important.
In Leadster’s case, for example, we’re talking about setting goals for visitors, MQLs, and PQLs.
It’s better to define micro goals only after you already have good volume between stages to justify the time spent on them.”
🔎 Also read: Discover 17 Must-Have Chatbot Metrics for Your Business
Track Progress Daily
Still on André’s tips—another key point for tracking marketing goals is consistency.
“My advice is to track progress daily and have a forecast where you can answer, every day of the month, how we’re doing in relation to the goal and, if everything stays the same, what % we’ll close the month at.
With this in hand, we can plan marketing actions before anything goes wrong,” André explained.
Think Like a Salesperson
Finally, when it comes to achieving your goal, André gave a valuable piece of advice: learn from the sales team.
“To hit the goal, I think it’s important to have a salesperson’s drive. I see marketers as more creative or analytical, but overall we don’t have as much determination to hit targets as salespeople do.
That’s because salespeople need it—they’re commissioned. That’s why I also really like the idea of commissioning marketing teams.
So I think we need to learn from them to chase the goal all month long and not give up until we get there.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing Objectives and Goals
To wrap up our article in the best way possible, here’s our FAQ!
Maybe one of these frequently asked questions is yours too, right?
What are Marketing Objectives and Goals?
Marketing goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound objectives that guide the area’s actions, planning, and strategies.
What are the 3 Types of Goals?
- Short-term;
- Medium-term;
- Long-term.
Why is it Important to Define Marketing Objectives and Goals?
Without marketing goals, the department won’t have a clear direction, and as a result, outcomes will likely fall short.
Goals strengthen and formalize what we aim to achieve—it’s as if the dream finally becomes a goal, with a defined path to reach it.
If you’ve read this far, you’re more than ready to define your marketing objectives and goals! 🥳
And if you already know that one of your goals is to generate qualified leads, we’ve got the perfect solution for you:
With Leadster’s Conversational Marketing platform, you’ll be able to capture, qualify, segment, and distribute qualified leads automatically, intelligently, and in a personalized way!
Don’t waste any more time—start your 14-Day Free Trial now!
