You know what they say about ideas, everyone has them. What really matters is the execution and getting the right things done.
People love to talk about marketing, thinking about creative ideas, dreaming up logo designs, choosing photos or graphics to use, pondering over what social media they should use and how, and all the fun creative stuff that goes with marketing.
Many smart and creative folks are “idea people” and creative by nature. However, sometimes all of those ideas with a lack of focus and direction are actually the root cause of poorly executed marketing. With so many options, it’s easy to spin your wheels, get frustrated and overwhelmed with so many available choices and ideas.
Defining your mission and vision statements takes time and introspection. However, laying down this foundation makes marketing your business easier in the long run and help you make good decisions when the right opportunities arise.
Your Mission & Vision are commitments you’ve made about your business, what you do, why you do it, and who you want to serve. Knowing this will give you clarity and focus, and remind you why its important to stay focused and on track.
What are your Vision & Mission statements?
Your Mission Statement is what drives the business. It is WHAT you do and the core of the organization or business, and also helps defines your goals and what it takes to reach those objectives.
A mission statement is, in many ways, an action-oriented vision statement, defining how a business solves a problem/meets a need, or how it serves its audience. It often includes a general description of the business, its function, and its objectives.
A weak mission — or no mission at all — can have the opposite effect. With no mission its easy to start spinning your wheels, and feeling unmotivated, there are miscommunications, people work in silos from their own perspective. It’shard to get things done, but there is plenty of busy work.
Your Vision Statement gives your a business direction. Its where you are headed and the future of the business, which then provides you with a purpose. The vision statement is about what you want to become. It’s aspirational.
The vision statement promotes growth, both internally and externally. A strong vision helps businesses and team members focus on what matters the most for their company and why what they do matters.
On the flip side, a lack of vision is a road to nowhere for a business. A business with no vision demonstrates stagnation, outdated processes, moving without purpose, feeling uninspired, and doing things because they have always been done that way, but no one really knows why.
The vision is the WHY you do what you do. This helps you stay true to your beliefs and true to your purpose. Every piece of marketing content should on some level connect with your vision statement and not conflict with your vision.
Your content strategy should support the company’s vision and mission statement — think of it as the HOW and WHAT of what you do. This helps you stay on track, true to your brand and true to your goals. Every piece of marketing and content created should be rooted in your vision and mission statement, from the choice of what you talk about, the tone of voice to the call-to-action.
To clarify, a vision statement should focus on tomorrow and what an organization wants to ultimately become. While a mission statement focuses on today and what an organization does to achieve it. Both are vital in directing your’s organization goals and your communication strategy.
Here are some examples of leading companies to get you thinking and how they define their Vision & Mission Statements.
TED
Mission: Spread ideas.
Vision: We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world.
Mission: To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.
Vision: To create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.
Mission: To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Vision: To provide access to the world’s information in one click.
Ikea
Mission: Offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.
Vision: To create a better everyday life for many people.
Whole Foods
Mission: Whole Foods Market is a dynamic leader in the quality food business. We are a mission-driven company that aims to set the standards of excellence for food retailers. We are building a business in which high standards permeate all aspects of our company. Quality is a state of mind at Whole Foods Market.
Vision: Whole foods, Whole People, Whole Planet.
Hubspot
Mission: 1. We commit maniacally to both our mission and metrics. 2. We look to the long-term and Solve For The Customer. 3. We share openly and are remarkably transparent. 4. We favor autonomy and take ownership. 5. We believe our best perk is amazing people. 6. We dare to be different and question the status quo. 7. We recognize that life is short.
Vision: Help businesses grow better.
Now do this:
Think about, write down, and answer these Mission Statement questions:
What do we do?
Whom do we serve?
How do we serve them?
Why do you offer your services or do what you do?
What do you want to build or offer the community?
What do you want to learn?
What are you hoping to share?
How does it make you feel to build and grow the organization?
What makes it worth working towards?
Think about, write down, and answers to these Vision Statement questions:
Who and what are we inspiring to change?
What are our hopes and dreams?
What problem are we solving for the greater good?
After you have written down your mission and vision, take away any words, ideas, and concepts that do not add to what you do and why you do it.
Next Step:
Defining your marketing Objectives and Key Results towards meeting those objectives.
Taking the time to put together a marketing plan requires time and introspection. However, laying down the foundation will always make marketing your business easier in the long run and help you make good decisions when the right opportunities arise.
A marketing plan is a detailed document of commitments you’ve made about your business, who you are, your brand, and who you want to serve that will help you make smart marketing decisions, stay focused and on track.
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