Defining marketing objectives and goals will help you organize and prioritize activities. Without setting objectives and goals that are clear and meaningful, you’ll only do well accidentally. Objectives and goals provide direction and structure for success, around which you optimize your marketing and business development activities. Being purposeful and heading towards defined goals will you keep your company moving forward.

If you’re spending valuable time on social media to promote your business, you’ll find it much more rewarding if you track your progress. There’s no need to practice social media marketing in the dark, especially when so much information is at your fingertips. Each social media network offers a wealth of information to inform your business strategy. Make sure to check these individual analytics and also track the effects that social media is having on your website, with Google Analytics. If you’re just not a numbers person—and would rather go to the dentist than look at tracking information, use the following as incentive. Tracking social media activity will help you to learn: