“We’re not seeing the results we expected.” These seven words strike fear into every marketer’s heart, often signaling the end of what could have been a fruitful partnership. Behind this all-too-common scenario usually lies one deceptively simple phrase: “I want more leads.”
But what if the problem isn’t your marketing strategy or execution? What if it’s the goal itself?
The Hidden Cost of Vague Marketing Goals
Imagine pouring weeks into crafting and optimizing marketing campaigns, testing different strategies, and refining ad copy. Just as meaningful data begins to emerge, your client unexpectedly pulls the plug. This frustrating scenario happens more often than it should, and I’ve experienced it firsthand—twice.
In both cases, clients expected immediate, large-scale results within just two months. These “unrealistic expectations” can almost always be traced back to that nebulous goal: “I want more leads.”
The fundamental issue lies in how we set and measure objectives. A high volume of leads means absolutely nothing if they don’t translate into actual business outcomes like qualified opportunities, revenue, or profit.
Understanding “Unrealistic Expectations” in Marketing
Business owners often feel immense pressure to see immediate ROI from marketing investments. With tight budgets and growing competition, the desire for quick wins is understandable. However, marketing success—like any investment—requires clear expectations, proper tracking, and patience.
Where Goal-Setting Goes Wrong
- Lack of Clear KPIs: A statement like “bring in more leads” doesn’t quantify success. Are you aiming for 50 leads monthly or 500? At what cost per lead? Without clear metrics, neither side knows what victory looks like.
- Uncertain Timeline: Marketing isn’t a quick fix. Meaningful and sustainable growth requires a well-structured approach, data collection, and optimization over time. Whether running PPC campaigns or pursuing SEO, realistic results often take months of testing, learning, and refining. Failing to plan for this adaptation phase leads to premature disappointment.
- Disconnect from Business Objectives: There’s typically an enormous gap between “more leads” and “increased revenue.” You might generate substantial leads, but if they don’t convert—or if the sales team can’t handle them—no real business growth occurs.
The Dead End of “I Want More Leads”
Vague goals create three significant problems:
- You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: If you don’t specify how many leads you need or at what acquisition cost, you have no benchmark to determine if a campaign is underperforming or thriving.
- Budget and Timeline Issues: Without clear targets, it becomes impossible to plan an appropriate budget or set a realistic schedule. You risk overspending or underfunding key areas.
- Ineffective Optimization: To optimize a campaign, you need to understand where and how it’s succeeding or failing. A general call for “more leads” doesn’t reveal which segments, keywords, or ad groups are bringing the highest-quality opportunities.
Transforming Goals with the SMART Framework
To avoid these pitfalls, anchor your marketing objectives in the SMART method:
S (Specific)
Clearly define what you want to achieve. For example, a SaaS business may focus on increasing free trial sign-ups with a target cost per acquisition (CPA) of $20, while a local service provider may prioritize phone call inquiries from potential customers within a specific geographic area.
M (Measurable)
Establish quantifiable criteria. Are you tracking a 25% boost in leads within a particular timeframe? Do you need to keep the cost per lead (CPL) below a certain amount?
A (Achievable)
Goals should be within the realm of possibility given the historical data, budget, and market conditions. Stretching is good, but being realistic is crucial.
R (Relevant)
Ensure the goal aligns with broader business objectives. If your ultimate aim is higher revenue, your marketing goals should reflect lead quality, not just quantity.
T (Time-Bound)
Set a deadline. “Within 3 months” or “by the end of Q4” keeps both marketing teams and stakeholders accountable.
SMART Goal Examples
Weak Goal: “I want more leads.”
SMART Goal: “I want to generate 30 new leads per month from Google Ads, with a cost per lead under $20, and convert 10% of them into customers within three months.”
Weak Goal: “I want more Instagram engagement.”
SMART Goal: “I want to increase Instagram engagement by 25% in 60 days by running a combination of Stories, Reels, and interactive polls, measuring success through comments, shares, and saves.”
The Critical Importance of Accurate Goal Tracking
Even perfectly set goals can collapse if you’re measuring the wrong data. Many advertisers track events such as button clicks or “click-to-call” actions but stop short of measuring business-level outcomes.
Why Surface-Level Metrics Fail
- Clicks Are Not Conversions: A click on a phone number only tells you someone tapped the link. It doesn’t confirm if they actually spoke to your sales team or, more importantly, became a paying customer.
- Without Actual Sales Data, Marketing is Blind: Algorithms and marketing professionals need reliable feedback loops to optimize campaigns. If you only feed them clicks, they’ll optimize for clicks—often not the metric you truly care about.
Improving Your Goal Tracking in 3 Steps
- Set Up Event Tracking: Use Google Tag Manager to track meaningful actions like form submissions, button clicks, and checkout completions.
- Use Call Tracking Software: Implement call tracking tools (e.g., CallRail, Phonexa) to tie phone leads back to specific ad campaigns.
- Integrate CRM with Ads: Connect your CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce) to advertising platforms to track real revenue, not just clicks.
The Sales and Marketing Partnership
Generating leads is just the first step. How your sales team follows up, qualifies leads, and nurtures potential customers is equally important. Studies show that businesses responding to leads within the first 5 minutes see a 10x increase in conversion rates. If lead follow-up is slow or inconsistent, even the best marketing campaign can fail to produce meaningful results.
Moving Forward: From Vague Goals to Clear Outcomes
Business owners can improve their collaboration with marketers by clearly defining expectations, providing insight into their sales process, and aligning goals with actual business outcomes. Instead of assuming that marketers understand their end-to-end funnel, proactive communication about lead quality, conversion challenges, and revenue goals will create a foundation for more effective marketing strategies.
Your Next Steps
- Check Your Current Goals: Do they pass the SMART test, or are they still vague?
- Audit Your Tracking: Are you measuring the right metrics (qualified leads, sales revenue) or just clicks and website visits?
- Consider Expert Help: If you’re unsure about your current setup, consider a quick consultation or reach out to a marketing professional for an audit.
Ultimately, effective marketing begins with clarity. Define your objectives well, track the metrics that matter, and watch as your campaigns become both more predictable and more profitable.
