Mission Statements 101: How Mission-Driven Companies Win

Everyone needs a sense of purpose, and the same goes for businesses. According to recent stats, nearly 80% of consumers feel more deeply connected to brands that reflect values similar to their own. Don’t worry—this doesn’t mean you have to solve all the world’s problems. It does, however, mean your business stands to benefit by having a clear purpose or brand vision as a mission-driven company.

Like many business owners in the fitness and wellness space, your priorities may have shifted following the COVID-19 pandemic. While adjusting your focus is a necessary part of running a business, maintaining a captivating mission statement will help you weather tough times. In fact, research shows that 67% of consumers are more willing to forgive mission-driven brands than those without purpose.

So, what exactly does it mean to be mission-driven?

It’s simple, really—you just need to pursue a purpose beyond mere profit. Your vision and business model must align with your company’s values, whether centered on helping the environment or making a positive social impact.

Say, for example, you own a fitness studio and are passionate about tackling climate change. By tilting your brand’s focus toward environmental responsibility, you can attract clients who are similarly enthusiastic about helping the world. To reflect your mission, you may choose to purchase only eco-friendly equipment and train staff about how to recycle properly.

It is also worth noting that mission-driven business owners are open-minded and always willing to learn from others. Growth is all about collaboration, after all. So, are you ready to learn more about how mission-driven companies win? You’re in luck. We’ve put together a handy guide to finding and articulating your company’s purpose.

How to build an authentic brand and powerful mission statement

The first step toward building a purpose-driven brand is to come up with a mission statement. The process of writing a statement will give your brand direction and ensure that future business decisions align with your company’s core values.

Before you put metaphorical pen to paper, you must ask yourself the following questions:

• What are your overall goals?
• Who is your target audience?
• What are your core values?
• What do you do, and why do you do it?

Remember—your goals cannot be simply to rake in sales and gain a loyal following. 70% of US adults want to know that the brands they support take active measures to address social and environmental problems. Are you passionate about helping underprivileged kids? Perhaps you’re determined to boost fitness levels in your local community?

Whatever your short- or long-term goals, make them explicit in your mission statement. It is also vital that your goals are relevant to your audience, measurable, and realistic.

To give you a flavor of what an effective mission statement looks like, here are a couple of killer examples from two of WellnessLiving’s valued customers:

• The Fitness Guild: “This style of training will shift your body from being tired, achy and soft to being strong, energetic and even a little bit awesome. We welcome all ages and abilities and encourage you to be your personal best.”
• Harvest Martial Arts: “We believe that if you set goals, you’ll reach them! You get what you put into anything you do = You harvest what you plant! In doing this, we take care of ourselves, support others, and ultimately make a better world!”

As you can see, both statements inform clients of their key aims and methods while leaving room for business growth and adaptation. Remember—your mission statement is a guideline. Being mission-driven is about building on your mission and trying new things to achieve outstanding results.

How to assemble and motivate amazing staff

Building a purpose-driven business is almost impossible unless you have a group of authentically motivated staff members on your side. Fortunately, there are tons of hard-working people out there hoping to make a genuinely positive impact on the world.

So, where can you source these motivated individuals? Research shows that younger generations tend to be the most socially minded and purpose-driven, with 84% of millennials valuing meaning in day-to-day work and 83% of Gen Z claiming to consider an organization’s purpose before making a job application.

To appeal to these bright, young people, you must emphasize your company’s mission when promoting vacancies. Place information about your company culture and ultimate goals at the very top of job descriptions and explain how the role will actively contribute to making the world a better place.

How to attract more customers with a compelling mission

With 79% of today’s consumers preferring to support businesses with a social purpose, you must add mission-making to your list of growth strategies. Fortunately, there are plenty of fabulous tools available to spread the word about your virtuous company goals, including social media platforms, blogs, and marketing emails.

Promoting your purpose is about more than repeating your mission statement over and over again, however. To ensure your message resonates with clients, you must tell a compelling story that tugs at the heartstrings a little. Research suggests that messages delivered in the narrative form are around 22 times more memorable than facts alone.

When creating digital marketing collateral, try to incorporate amusing stories about your reasons for setting up the business. The more unusual, the better!

Mission-driven businesses drive loyalty

Hanging on to clients can be difficult in today’s hyper-competitive economy. With a coherent and worthwhile mission, however, you’re much more likely to retain a loyal following.

Don’t mistake having a popular loyalty rewards program for having a genuinely loyal client base. While subscribers can easily cancel their membership, loyal followers will work with your business to drive change within the industry and develop your community as a whole. The only way to attract this kind of loyalty is through strong messaging that emphasizes your positive impact on the world, not how you benefit individual clients alone.

Why you should partner with local businesses and influencers

If your business is winning at its mission, others will want to join your movement. A great way to nurture a strong movement is to partner with like-minded, local businesses and social media influencers. Striking up a relationship will benefit both parties, helping to expand your respective reach and popularity. It’s a win-win!

Remember to measure your progress

As any seasoned marketer knows, data tracking is fundamental to business success. Remember to conduct regular audits and assess whether your business is living up to its values and meeting mission-related goals.

A reporting system, for example, could help you to track membership rates, client attendance, projected revenue, and more. While these metrics may seem profit-oriented, they will also reflect how effectively your messaging resonates with clients.

Start your journey toward mission accomplished!

OK, so no mission is ever truly accomplished in the world of business, but there’s never been a better time to get your priorities straight. Embarking on a socially responsible mission that you genuinely care about will significantly increase your job satisfaction and those of your employees, as well as boost sales and client loyalty. You’d be a fool to overlook the power of purpose.

Of course, your business can’t win without a handy set of tools. This is where WellnessLiving’s all-in-one software comes in. From staff and client management features to class booking software and scheduling tools, our technology has everything you need to run an authentic business. Want to find out more? Book a free, no-commitment demo today.