Ahhh yes, content marketing…
I know what your problem is; you don’t know where to start. Matter of fact, you’re more confused than a chameleon in a bag of skittles.
Hey, don’t freak out. I know a junk-load of people with this problem.
And guess what? It’s easy to fix and I’m going to show you how to do it.
The problem is most people don’t want to put in the work.
But If you’re going to write content for your site that’ll make people want to spend money — you’ve got to get this right.
So, don’t fudge on me.
Stick with me to the end and I’ll show you a way to write content that hits your target every time.
Why Your Readers Will Love Your Content Marketing Mission Statement
Let’s face it, you hate it when you’re directed to a site and there seems to be no point to it.
If you’re looking for information about the best bass fishing lures, you don’t want to wade through pages of information on tents or Aunt Edna’s campfire recipes. You want to get right to the meat of what you’re looking for.
The reason your content needs a mission statement is so your blog posts, advertisements, brochures, landing pages, video, infographics, and every piece of copy produced resonates with your company’s mission.
[ctt template=”1″ link=”Loe79″ via=”no” ]The reason your content needs a mission statement is so your blog posts, advertisements, brochures, landing pages, video, infographics, and every piece of copy produced resonates with your company’s mission. [/ctt]
And your company’s mission should be focused on the main benefit it offers clients and customers.
Here’s a formula to make it simple for you:
Focused, Engaging, Entertaining, and Informative Content = Successful Content Marketing Campaign
(Did you notice the first word was “Focused”?)
Your content mission statement is like a road map leading you to the city of gold.
If you take the care to write one at the onset of your content marketing, you’ll:
- Have happier readers who can find exactly what they’re looking for.
- Make the task of producing content so much easier.
- Save money on advertising because you’re getting organic traffic.
- Create promotional items that are in sync with one and other.
- Keep your content producers on track with your company’s mission.
- Have more time for bathroom breaks. (Most important of all of these.)
These Guys Could’a Been Content Contenders, But…
Remember a few seconds ago when I told you most people won’t put in the work?
Well, here’s proof. (I didn’t want to confuse you with a bunch of stats, so I made it plain as an unglazed donut.)
As you can see from the graphic above, businesses that use a content marketing mission statement are doing better than those that don’t.
(Duh!)
This also means the businesses that don’t have one are:
- Shelling out money for online advertisements. (Very expensive if you’re using Google ads.)
- Don’t have a clear picture of whom they are writing for.
- Wasting time writing articles that are not focused on their business mission.
- Losing money hiring people who write unfocused posts and articles.
- Getting traffic to their sites which is not qualified to buy their products or services.
- Beating their heads against the wall trying to figure out what to write.
I’ll tell you a secret here.
I’ve made this mistake myself. Yep, I’ve started blogs with no more idea than a goat what they were about.
But you know what? In the process, I’ve learned how to write, do keyword research, create infographics and whiteboard videos, and a host of other valuable skills.
So if you’ve made this same mistake, don’t beat the crap out of yourself because the cleanup will be far worse.
What Exactly is a Content Marketing Mission Statement?
Now that you can see that your business needs a content marketing mission statement, let’s define it.
Here it is:
A sentence which seizes the core substance of your business’s content strategy.
In other words, you’re going to write a single sentence which will grab the main idea and mission of what your company is all about so you can write content that is focused on that mission.
Once your mission statement is finished, every single piece of content you write will be focused on it like a laser.
Do you want to know the good part?
You’ll no longer be confused about what content to write or put on your site.
Want to write a blog post? Check your content marketing mission statement.
Need an “about me” page written? Read your content marketing mission statement.
Do you want to create a free eBook to use as bait to collect email addresses? Look at your content marketing mission statement.
And if you want an easy way to think of it, imagine it this way:
Your content must orbit around the influence of your statement or it won’t work. If your content doesn’t support it, then you must be on another planet.
Got it?
One more thing.
Don’t confuse your content marketing mission statement with your content marketing plan. A content marketing plan is a process of planning out your content over a period of time.
For instance, brainstorming blog post ideas that are centered on your content marketing mission statement and then putting them onto a calendar. — That’s a content marketing plan.
How to Write a Content Marketing Mission Statement Without Losing Your Mind
Hey, when you were a kid, did you ever play a game called Mad Libs? Mad Libs were little books you bought with unfinished stories in them. You had to fill in the blanks in order to finish the story.
Here’s a short example of one:
Once you’re done filling it in, it might look like this:
Of course, you realize I have nothing to do with the juvenile nature of the Mad Lib above. (Snicker…)
So guess what? We’re going to use the same format to write a content marketing mission statement.
Here’s the template:
This first statement is the easiest way because it breaks down the process into a simple statement.
You can get a copy to edit here: Free Content Marketing Mission Statement Template
This next statement gives you an opportunity to put more detail into your statement if you so desire.
Here’s template #2:
You can also get this second template here: Free Content Marketing Mission Statement Template
Examples of Content Marketing Mission Statements
Now that you have 2 templates to fill out, you can now begin to craft your mission statement.
Actually, there are no hard and fast rules on how to craft one of these for your business.
If you feel like getting more creative with it and use your own words, go for it. These templates are guidelines you can use to speed up the process.
But if you want to let your hair down and craft your own, do it.
However, before we do that, I think it would be a good idea to look at some examples of content marketing mission statements.
I love Copyblogger’s statement because it cuts through all the junk and speaks in a language we can all understand; in other words, it speaks the language of the common person.
“Since January 2006, Copyblogger has been teaching people how to create killer online content. Not bland corporate crap created to fill up a company web page. Valuable information that attracts attention, drives traffic, and builds your business.”
Social Media Examiner has a short and simple content marketing mission statement.
“Our mission is to help you navigate the constantly changing social media jungle.”
If you want to see how a bricks and mortar company can use a content marketing mission statement here’s one from Marcus Sheridan, President, The Sales Lion, and owner of River Fiberglass Pools.
“We want to be the best and most helpful teachers in the world when it comes to buying and owning an inground swimming pool.”
If I had to pick a favorite among these it would be Copyblogger’s. Not because it’s the longest but because it hits all the vital points head-on.
I realize that this is just a small part of the original above, but it shows that you don’t need to have a massive statement to get started.
So, don’t pull your hair out over getting this perfect right off the bat. Just like websites and blogs, you can always change a content marketing mission statement.
Conclusion
If you want to win the content marketing game you’ll need to write a content marketing mission statement.
If you skip this step, it’s a pretty good chance that you’ll be beating your head against the wall, trying to make a content marketing plan.
Before I conclude this lesson on creating a mission statement, I have two more things to tell you.
Thing #1
If you’re a small business, you can craft your mission statement and run with it until you feel that it needs editing.
However, if you’re working for a company, you’ll want to get the key staff on board with it. You should get them to help you with it at the onset because it’ll be a lot easier.
(Remember, two heads are better than one and multiple heads are even better.)
Thing #2
Also, once you’ve crafted your content marketing mission statement, you’ll want to put it where everyone can see it, especially the writers.
You’ll need to put it on your website, on your office wall, and next to every writing station. You’ll also want to make sure that every copywriter you hire has it in their hearts and minds as well whenever they write for you.
Ok, now that you know your target and how to use a site…Go out and kill it!
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