It’s no secret that setting goals increases your likelihood of social media success. But, did you know that writing them down can actually make your social media goals stick?

It’s true!

Statistics show that writing down your goals gives you a 50% edge over those who don’t.

But can the simple act of goal setting really be the key to succeeding at social media, no matter the industry, niche or situation? My answer is yes.

Clearly defining your goals allows for greater efficiency and effectiveness. Rather than posting aimlessly, you act on purpose.

So, what else can social media goals do for your business?

They can help you:

• Visualize what you want to achieve with social media
• Make that visualization a reality through an actionable daily plan
• Map, track and assess your success, allowing for measurable results

While setting social media goals might sound simple, the reality is that most people don’t take the time to put them in place.

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry!

Below are five simple ways to make your social media goals stick. And don’t miss my FREE Social Media Goal Setting Checklist instant download to kickstart your success!

Simple Ways to Make Your Social Media Goals Stick

1. Visualize Your Goals

Visualization is your first step and a vital component to your success. I will warn you that this isn’t an easy place to start. However, dismissing this as trite or insignificant will set you up for failure.

There are three ways to get started with this process:

1. Use a tool or app. If you want to establish new habits, put a reminder system in place. Lifetick helps you visualize, strategize and then track the status of your goals.

You begin by defining your values. From there, you set your goals. This is one of my favorite features of Lifetick as it works off the idea that your goals should be SMART:

• Specific Have you been specific in what you want to achieve? 
• Measurable How will you know if you’ve achieved your goal? 
• Achievable Is this a goal that you can achieve?
• Relevant Is this goal aligned with your mission, vision and values? 
• Time Specific When do you want to achieve this goal by?

2. Discuss your goals with a coach or mentor.  Share your goals with someone who can hold you accountable, but make sure you’re open, honest and specific.

This is the only way to take your intangible goals and turn them into a solid plan. I’ve had a business coach for much of my adult career and can tell you that my failed coaching relationships were because I held back. If you want one that’s beneficial to the health of your business, you have to be transparent.

3. Use a vision board. I’ve used vision boards for years with my team. Not only are they a great team building exercise, but also get everyone on the same page.

But if it’s just you, don’t worry. This exercise still works.

Here’s how to create your vision board:

• Get comfy! The first important rule of vision board creation is mindset. You can’t have the right mindset if you’re uncomfortable or agitated with your surroundings.
• Take the goals you defined above and think how this board will represent inspiration for months to come.
• Grab a stack of magazines and start clipping anything that visually captures one of your goals. For example, you know that in order to grow your social media presence, you’ll need to speak at multiple events. Find images of people speaking, standing in front of a group, of a larger audience — you get the idea.

Need inspiration? Look no further than Pinterest! Run a search for “vision boards” and you’re given hundreds of how-to’s and tutorials.

2. Write It Down

With all the technology available today, sometimes my favorite tools are the simplest ones. Take a pen and paper and write down what you want to achieve.

How will social media support your marketing goals? What does success look like and how will you know when you’ve arrived?

Be as clear as possible when writing out your goals.

For example:

Your goal is to create an enthusiastic base of company advocates. To do this, you must consistently share relevant content that your fans and followers want to read and share with their community.

You need to:

• Track and measure content shares
• Quickly respond to comments and questions
• Gauge the temperature of your community
• Analyze what’s working and what’s not

When you think through your social media goals in a linear fashion, you begin to see the full picture emerge.

And for me, something magical happens when I see all of this written out. The act of putting pen to paper allows me to mentally commit to those goals.

But I understand that this process isn’t for everyone. If you’d rather not go old school, you can use a tool like Evernote.

Here’s a goal setting template from Cloud Productivity to get you started!

3. Create an Action Plan

Now comes the fun part. You’re going to envision what you need to make your social media goals happen. This could be an assistant, bigger budget or a more integrated strategy.

Whatever the case, this is where you’ll begin to work through the teeny, tiny, daily details that will formulate your social media action plan.

As new actions come to mind, add them to your written or Evernote list.

Remember, the more specific you can be, the easier it will be to map your success. Wouldn’t you rather take the time now to spell out your to-do’s than limp along?

Here’s an example of what your action plan will look like on a daily basis:

Twitter is a part of your overall marketing strategy. It supports your online and offline success. Therefore, you must commit to daily actions to push your strategy forward.

Twitter – Daily

1. Review keywords within Sprout Social and answer questions without sounding spammy
2. Use Commun.it to respond to influencers, make new connections and share others posts
3. Monitor mentions and respond to all shares or questions

Below is a sample action plan:

4. Schedule a Deadline

Deadlines are the fuel that power your goals.

Deadlines refine the mind. They remove variables like exotic materials and processes that take too long. The closer the deadline, the more likely you’ll start thinking waaay outside the box. – Adam Savage

Once you’ve identified the and why of your goals, you’re now going to determine the when.

Your deadlines will become milestones. Milestones that allow you to track, measure and analyze your progress. They’re also a great way to stay motivated and energized about your end goal.

IMPORTANT STEP: Schedule your deadlines into your calendar. You’re going to add them in on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. I use Google Calendar, but you can use whatever tool works best for you. The key is to never let a day slip by without tracking your to-do’s and deadlines.

Here’s an excellent step-by-step tutorial on how to set up your Google Calendar to track your goals from Amigo Tips.

5. Throw in One BIG Stretch Goal

There’s no doubt about it, throwing in a stretch goal will feel scary, But don’t worry, that’s perfectly normal. Anything that moves you outside your comfort zone will make you uneasy.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. – Neale Donald Walsch via @rebekahradice #upyourgame” quote=”Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. – Neale Donald Walsch “]

But think about this: what will happen when you accomplish this goal? Envision how you will feel crossing the finish line. That’s the feeling that will propel you forward!

• Attract 10 new business clients per month through LinkedIn
• Increase Facebook business page engagement by increasing comments to an average of 3 per post by (date)
• Increase blog subscriptions through social media channels by an additional 100 names by (date)

Final Thoughts

While goals are important, taking time out to celebrate your success is equally important. Instead of simply pushing ahead, give yourself a stopping point and the freedom to enjoy your success.

Your celebration can be anything you choose, from dinner and a movie to grabbing your favorite sweet treat. Just make sure you take the time to congratulate yourself, no matter how small your “win” might seem.

What steps will you take today to ensure your social media goals succeed?