The definition of goals is very important, especially at the beginning of a joint PR work. You certainly have clear communication goals for your company, and you can name them. To what extent they are feasible depends on many factors. However, it is important that the expectations have been clearly stated from the beginning and have been compared with what is feasible. Only then can disappointment or annoyance be reduced when the results are or are not reached. 

What kind of goals?

What kind of goals are there in communication? The classics are certainly increasing awareness, increasing contact or lead rates, increasing acceptance, but also gaining approval and promoting trust and image. A good sentence defining an objective might be, “Double unsolicited applications for IT in six months.” Or, “50 percent awareness among the target group of moms-to-be after one year.”

SMART goals

Certainly one of the best-known formulas for defining goals is the SMART formula: S (define specific goal), M (the goal must be measurable), A (the goal should be attractive and ambitious), R (in any case, the goal must be realistic), and T (there should be a deadline, i.e., a time period, behind the goal).

Goals in phases

Goals, of course, are not always to be treated equally and usually also have different time horizons in which they should, or can, be achieved. One of the common distinctions in goals are phases, i.e., short-, medium-, or long-term. However, they can also be distinguished in the form of milestones. Examples here: until the launch of the product, until the Christmas campaign, until the merger of the companies, until the start of the employee, etc. 

Goals in ranking

Another way of dividing goals, is by their rank, i.e. general/cross-cutting goals, strategic goals, tactical goals, etc. For example, if all operational goals are met (e.g., social media follower numbers, reach in media relations, visitors at an event), the strategic communication goals (e.g., increase awareness) will also be met. These goals should always be met jointly with all communications departments.