Getting the message across

Mission statements are commonly known as  organizational tools for employees. However, not enough professionals have been recognizing mission statements as potential marketing tools.  

Consumers want to understand a business’ intentions and goals before becoming loyal customers. Mission statements can communicate this to conscious consumers and draw in the target audience if written effectively.  

In simpler terms, mission statements define what a business is, its goals and how it will achieve those goals. 

An International Journal of Business, Marketing, and Decision Sciences study outlines the key makings of an attention-grabbing mission statement. According to them, it needs to include an explanation of products, philosophies, competitive edge, expansion plans and the target audience.  

The same study emphasizes the importance of mission statements forming an emotional bond with consumers. The bond increases the probability of people spreading the word about how much they resonate with a business’ ethics, services and more.  

Mission statements are appropriate for all businesses at any stage, whether it’s a new small business or a large establishment. They can be developed at any stage. But earlier is better as it clarifies business aspirations and ethics for employees and the target audience.   

There is no pressure to get a mission statement perfect the first time. In fact,  it’s best  to check back on a mission statement and revise it depending on economic changes. 

The length of mission statements varies, but professionals recommend making them at least one sentence long.  

 The International Journal of Business offers advice to integrate the steps below and make a customer-oriented mission statement. They say to keep it under 100 words while being clear and concise.  

Although mission statements are short, they still require critical thinking. They need to be broad enough to encompass business goals but still specific enough to resonate with consumers.  

Below are some aspects to consider and questions to ask oneself. That is, while creating a mission statement that attracts a target audience.  

Identify a target audience and the products or services they need

While businesses explain their goals in a mission statement, they can overlook mentioning their target audience and products. Anyone can be a consumer of a business’ goods or services, even if they don’t align with the target audience. But pinpointing a target audience can be like talking directly to them, which helps eliminate competition. 

Speaking directly to a target audience gives them a sense of how a business’ products can help them.  

For example, if a business sells homemade pastry products, they may say: “Our customers are health-conscious people who enjoy fresh and organic baked goods.” 

State the business’ competitive edge 

Stating a business’ competitive edge is another way to reveal how they differ from other similar businesses. It is a smart way to highlight additional services that can be useful to the target audience.  

Using the same type of business model above, an example may be: “We provide vegan and gluten-free products.”  

Asking oneself how the business is accessible to more consumers can help identify competitive advantages.  

Outline the company philosophy  

Consumers are more likely to resonate with a mission statement that outlines the business’ ethics and contributions. A business should state if they donate, practice sustainability or acknowledge inclusion. This information draws customers with similar morals.  

Using the above-mentioned business type, an example may be: “Our company works towards eliminating food scarcity by donating leftover products to shelters in the local area.”  

Asking oneself what problems the business aims to solve can help clarify a company’s philosophy. 

Get employees involved in the development process  

Reevaluating the mission statement gives employees the opportunity to contribute to it. Entrepreneurs suggest that management write a sentence describing the company and then ask key employees to do the same. That way, more of the team can deliberate on what best reflects the company.  

Sitting down to write a mission statement may seem like a challenging task. However, completing it will lead to a stronger bond with loyal customers.