How to Align Your Marketing and Your Mission

How to Align Your Marketing and Your Mission

Every brand has a mission. Some call it a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Some just call it a “why.” Whatever you call it, there’s more to your brand than just turning a profit. There’s a reason that your company needed to exist rather than all the other companies that work in your space.

The problem is, lots of small and medium organizations start running content marketing strategies without really thinking about what their marketing means for their mission. They see content marketing as an external platform, like a billboard.

Instead, content marketing should be seen as an external display of your internal values. It’s all about honesty — you want customers who appreciate what your company stands for and wants you to solve their problems, and your content is a showcase that will bring those customers in. Here’s how to do it.

1. Lean on Brand Consistency

If your brand is going to stand for something, it has to stand for something all the time. That means that every time your customers interact with your brand, they should be experiencing the same identity that you set out for yourself.

Brands aren’t people, obviously, but people start to think of them that way. Brands have personalities that dictate the way people expect them to behave — think about the difference between Old Spice and Axe, for example. They’re not the same “person,” and you’d be surprised if one of them acted like the other.

Being consistent in every piece of content is important to maintaining that reputation. Whether it’s social media marketing, paid advertising, blog posts, website copy, or anything else, your brand should always put on the same face.

2. Draw on Your Mission for Topics

One of the major challenges of a content marketing campaign is coming up with things to talk about. On the one hand, you want to talk about things that the rest of the world is talking about. On the other hand, you can’t cast too broad a net or you’ll attract attention from people who don’t actually care about your company.

If your mission is to make marketing technology accessible to everyone, write about developments in marketing technology. If your mission is to create shoes from recycled materials, write about innovations in clothing materials, recycled plastics, and the like. Your content should be inspired by the things your company cares about.

3. Keep Tone in Mind

Your brand’s personality won’t just shine through in the things you talk about but in the way you talk about them. Remember, not every company is talking to the same people, and it’s important for you to talk to the right people in the right way.

That means adjusting your messaging to reflect the missions and objectives of the people you’re trying to reach. If you’re talking to high-powered finance types, your tone should be no-nonsense and motivated. If you’re talking to families of young children, you should be more playful and conversational. Match the tone to the audience and you’ll make a much stronger connection.

4. Talk Yourself Up

Your company’s personality isn’t just about the things you value, it’s about the things you do. That means you should get involved in causes that relate to your values and priorities. If you’re trying to enhance educational opportunities, you might talk at a summit about it. If you’re trying to help the environment, you might donate to causes or participate in cleanup efforts near you.

When you do, talk about it! Show yourself off, using the opportunity to create content that both interests your audience and enhances your brand image. Write a press release, create a video, or at least put together a blog post that covers what you’re been up to.

5. Evaluate Everything

Your content marketing isn’t any good if it doesn’t show results. Throughout your efforts to show your mission with your marketing, you need to be paying close attention to the effect you’re having. Watch how your customers react to your new strategy, paying close attention to whether you need to make adjustments along the way.

The good news is that if you have a strong mission and vision, the rest should follow naturally. Your customers deserve to know what kind of company is behind their purchases and the content they’re reading — let that shine through.