When laying out your marketing plan it is important to know the difference between your goals and your objectives. Most people make the mistake of using the two terms interchangeably which is why some marketing plans fail or don't make the impact that is expected. You need both in order to be successful so it is crucial that you know the difference so that you can set appropriate and related goals and objectives. What is the difference, you ask, we will tell you!
Goals
Think of goals as the "Big Picture"! Goals are broader than objectives in the sense that goals are general intentions and are usually not specific enough to be measured. Usually goals are long term and specify a general action that will eventually lead to an outcome towards which we strive.
Objectives
If goals are the big picture than objectives are all of the tasks that you need to complete in order to reach that ultimate goal that you have set. Objectives are precise actions for accomplishment of a specific task. They are short-mid term in length and support the attainment of the associated goal you have set. Examples Goal: "I want to achieve success as a philanthropist and change the world." Objective: "I want to raise $1,000 for cancer research by the end of this month." The general action in the goal is achieving success as a philanthropist and the ultimate outcome you want to achieve is changing the world. In order to reach this goal one of your objectives is to raise $1,000 for cancer research by the end of this month.