Setting SMART goals is an excellent way to focus your social media efforts. Creating goals for the month or quarter helps to dial down your message and measure if it is making an impact. Set aside some time to brainstorm your social media goals. Next look at the goals to see if they meet the criterial below.

• Specific — I want more Facebook followers is not a specific goal. However, I want to increase my Facebook followers by 500 or I want to increase the signups for my newsletter coming from Facebook by 50 percent are specific goals.

• Measurable — You can use your Facebook analytics to see new followers. So, make sure you have the data from when you started working on your goals. Do regular check-ins along the way to make sure you are on the right track. This allows you to make changes as you go.

• Achievable — Set obtainable goals. You cannot set an unrealistic goal such as I will have 1M new followers in the next month.

• Relevant — How can social media help your business goal? 500 random followers will not help you spread the message about your business. You need to target potential customers with your messaging.

• Time-bound — When you set your goals, make sure to include a date. For instance, I will have 500 new followers by December 31st.

The extra effort of setting goals will come in handy when you go to create content. You now have a focus for your content. If you need extra help, I offer Social Media and Facebook Ad Coaching to help businesses create a plan that works. Head on over to my website at www.MintzerSolutions.com for more information and to schedule an appointment.