In the last 20 years or so, mission statements have gotten a bad rap in the business world. Often filled with meaningless jargon and empty buzzwords (I believe the mission statement may have given birth to everyone’s favorite buzzword, “synergy”), these statements often serve as nothing more than noise on a company’s “About Us” page. That’s unfortunate.
For content creators especially, a mission statement can serve as the backbone for each piece of content’s purpose — answering the question, “Why am I creating this content?” By simply having a clear and concise mission to refer back to, content marketers are able to define both their brand and their content’s goals, giving them a huge advantage over the usual humdrum fluff of the Internet. Mission-driven content doesn’t simply sell products or services; it educates, sparks discussions, and makes an impact on its audience, all with intention and purpose.
When creating a content marketing mission statement, remember that it doesn’t need to be lofty or idealistic; it simply needs to reflect your brand’s ultimate purpose. Start off with the following questions:
Who is my core audience?
Define your target audience. Dive deep into a demographic analysis, and use it to paint a vivid picture of your readers. Who are they, where do they live, and what do they do? What problems do they have? How do you want them to engage with your brand?
Determine your reach. Is your audience scattered throughout the country? Are they all over the globe? Or are they geographically localized in a single community?
What will I give the audience?
What problems do your current and potential customers have with your brand? How can you create content that addresses these pain points in interesting ways?
In addition to providing great content, you have to deliver it in the best possible format. Remember, the medium is the message. Your choice of format will have a big impact on how you engage with your audience.
How can I help my audience?
What impact do you want your content to have on your audience? Are you challenging them to see things in a different light? Will you share useful tips and tricks to make their lives easier? Or is it more important for your content to be funny and entertaining?
When you aim to make your audience feel more fulfilled in life, you’re setting a high bar. Your audience will reward you with brand loyalty.
Crafting Your Statement
Spend real time and energy exploring these questions. The more seriously you take them, the more attuned your mission will be with your brand’s ultimate purpose.
When you’re ready to craft a content marketing mission statement, strive to be both inspirational and aspirational. The mission statement should both showcase your reason for being and make your audience want to invest emotional ownership in your brand. It will serve as a guide for how you interact, engage, and treat your audience through your content.
Take a look at Copyblogger’s mission statement: Since January 2006, Copyblogger has been teaching people how to create killer online content. Not bland corporate crap created to fill up a company webpage. Valuable information that attracts attention, drives traffic, and builds your business. Straightforward, engaging, and to the point. This statement not only summarizes Copyblogger’s reason for existence, but it sets a distinct tone that reflects the brand’s attitude.
When you’re working on your own statement, strive to be even more concise than Copyblogger. By following this basic structure — “verb, target, outcome” — you can create a statement that’s eight words or less. Though it may seem limiting, this low word count will help you trim anything extraneous. Plus, a short statement is easier to embed in the minds of both your audience and team.
Seeding Your Statement
Once you have your statement, have every member of your team memorize it. Everyone should be so comfortable and familiar with the statement that reciting it becomes a reflex. That way, when anyone creates content in the name of your brand, it will always be rooted in the statement’s values — namely, the audience and their needs, plus your brand’s vision and goals.
Incorporate the mission statement into your content production checklist. Prior to publishing, ensure that every piece of content fulfills the mission.
Showcase the statement on your website, on your blog, and in your newsletters. Use it to evangelize — your readers should become just as familiar with your mission as your team is. Ensure that your investors, shareholders, and anyone else with a stake in your business understand the statement and how it encapsulates your overall vision.
Then, there’s the swag. Stamp your statement on mugs, posters, and T-shirts. Get creative: Do whatever it takes to remind people to publish with a purpose.
When people have a clear understanding of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, they’re more likely to take emotional ownership of their work. A good content marketing mission statement can create ripples throughout an entire company.
John Hall is the CEO of Influence & Co., a company that assists individuals and brands in growing their influence through thought leadership and content marketing programs. Influence & Co., one of the leading providers of high quality expert content to the world’s top publications, is the creator of Contributor Weekly. Connect with John on Twitter or Google+.
