Don’t let the “formality” of writing a mission statement stop you in your tracks and leave a blinking cursor on your screen every time you sit down to formulate your mission for your business.

KEY TIPS TO START WRITING YOUR MISSION STATEMENT

Your business is in business for a reason.  Think of your mission as the purpose behind beginning your business and growing your business.  It's what you wake up to do everyday.

Take a peak at another blog I wrote on Mission Statement vs Vision Statement: What’s The Difference? If you find yourself getting confused about the purpose of each of these brand positioning elements.

One of the best ways to get your mission statement writing juices flowing is to talk about what you do.  Oftentimes you’ll say it out loud better than you’ll write because you’re simply in the flow of conversation talking about your business, why it exists, how It helps, and how you approach what you do differently.

My suggestion: Grab a business bestie, and have them ask you the following questions (and don’t forget to record your conversation!).  You can sometimes articulate your mission in the flow of talking so well that you’ll wish you had what you said word for word - - - and if you’re recording it, you’ll capture it!

1 - What is your business?

2 - Who do you help and what problem to you solve?

(If a luxury brand, ask: Who do you help & how do you make their life better?)

3 - Why should someone buy from you / work with you over someone else?

See what answers come flowing out, and don’t stop yourself, just keep talking even if it doesn’t make sense at first.  You’ll get there and then you can refine it.

ANATOMY OF A MISSION STATEMENT

There are several key pieces of a mission statement that you don’t want to leave out when you’re crafting your brand mission.

1 - Articulating WHAT you do, and / or your TITLE

2 - Stating WHO it’s for (in a way they identify easily that what you offer is for them)

3 - Expressing the BENEFIT, or ultimate takeaway, your clients and customers can expect to receive by experiencing your products / services.

There are several mission statement formulas that can help you put these pieces together, however, don’t feel like you’re ever stuck in a formula box.  When I work with 1:1 branding clients or students from my Brandpolish Academy course, I recommend starting with piecing these basics together so you are confident about the kind of information you want to express in your mission.

And then…it’s time to break the rules.

Here are some of the additional considerations when writing your mission statement that will help make it feel like YOURS, fully branded to your business:

1 - Brand Voice + Personality:

Defining your brand voice (how you communicate) and personality (your recognizable special sauce) is key so all your messaging sounds like it comes from you.

2 - Audience Key Words:

You might call something you do one thing, but perhaps your audience refers to it another way??  This is great to check out as you’re writing your mission statement so you can speak directly to your ideal clients and not over their heads.

Example: 

Let’s say you’re a photographer for entrepreneurs.  You offer your clients “portrait photography for their business” but they’ve never heard the term “portrait” and what they’re always talking about and searching for is “headshots” or “brand photos.”  Always use the terminology your audience is using in order to grab their attention.

A MAGNETIZING MISSION STATEMENT IS CLEAR

If you ever find yourself tweaking your mission to the point where it’s too clever, and not clear, you’ve gone too far.  Your mission must always, first and foremost, be clear.

There’s no reason to have a mission if your audience won’t understand it.  Be clear.  And add a sprinkle of your magic to it so it obviously comes from your brand.

WHERE TO USE YOUR NEW MISSION STATEMENT

Use your mission statement everywhere!  Here’s a few places entrepreneurs will want to be sure to include it:

• Official Bio

• Instagram profile bio

• Facebook business page about section

• LinkedIn about section

• Pinterest headline (tweaked with additional keywords for search)

• Introducing yourself / being introduced (think guest speaking, podcast, keynote, etc)

• Email signature

• Your website homepage

Speaking of your website homepage, I have a free resource you’ll want to grab to help you optimize yours and invite your audience in so they stay awhile.  

Download Top 7 Must-Have Branding Elements For Your Website Homepage

And yes, your mission statement IS one of the Top 7 Must-Haves.  Lucky you, you’re already ahead of the game!