Maegan LujanWhat comes to mind when you hear someone say, we’re on a mission?
Determination. A path. Strategy. Grit. Purpose. Vision.
These are just a few words that come to my mind.
So what is a brand mission?
A brand mission is the purpose behind your brand. How you plan to serve your audience.
A brand mission is essential to a thriving and lasting brand because it’s what will keep you and your team on course towards meeting goals and what will help you connect with your audience.
It is what will sustain you long-term.
Your brand mission needs to be the core connection you have with your brand and also the way your audience connects with you.
Think of it like your brand’s heartbeat. It pumps life into your brand and keeps everything else flowing.
Henry Ford said,
You cannot build a reputation on what you are going to do.
– Henry Ford
You have to take action but it is your mission that guides your action.
If you are not strategic, muddling through with no mission, you risk being all over the place with your content, getting little to no results, and burning out fast.
One of the very best things that you can do for your brand is to get to the core of your mission and then learn how to share it with others in a way that resonates.
I have a lot of exercises to help with this in my book A Million Little Clicks. In the book, I teach you to think about your mission as a master plan for creating and offering value for your target audience. Think about the long-term 5-20 years.
Build your brand goals around:
- Building strong connections
- Creating engaging content
- Offering more and more value
- Differentiating yourself and your products and services
- Developing systems to save time and money
- Continual growth
Think about your brand vision in terms of value. Your core values and the value that you offer others.
Simon Sinek says a company should share its values but that the values should be doable.
An action.
Values are things we do. The values we share with our employees should be actionable. Choose “Always tell the truth” instead of “Honesty.” By writing down our company’s values and cause, we inscribe not what our company does – but the world our company is trying to help build.
Simon Sinek
What are the values that you are known for and will not compromise on?
What’s important to you?
How can you turn these into action points?
When developing your brand mission think about:
- Why your brand exists, the reason you began or will begin
- Why your brand is a better choice for that purpose than another brand
- The story that has brought you to this point and to this place
For your brand mission and purpose, you want to think bigger and deeper. If you are building a personal brand you likely want recognition and income. Nothing wrong with that but dig deeper. You need a greater purpose for your brand’s existence.
What are your hopes and dreams and goals and why should someone else care.
It seems harsh but people don’t care about you and your brand so much. They don’t know you. You have to give them a reason to care.
Your brand and your values come together to serve others. That’s the real mission. The brand mission is the master plan of making your values come to life in your business.
If I set off on a trip with a specific destination in mind I cannot just go down the street and turn left hoping for the best.
There may be more than one route to get to the same destination but there are specific routes I must take if I want the trip to be successful and end where I want to go.
Your mission helps drive you and your team to the desired location. Make it clear not mission impossible.
A good brand mission when shared makes people want to join you. They don’t want to miss out on being a part of your community.
Schedule some time this week to sit down and think about your story and what has brought you to this.
Why should others care and what are your 5+ year goals?
What do you want your brand to be known for?
Think beyond your products and services about what it really is that you offer.
Get on that mission.
Need more help clarifying your brand mission?
