OPINION: In my previous article, I discussed how you can position your brand as an authority with the right content. In this article, I look at how your purpose, your cause, your ‘why’ drives what you publish.
I see purpose as the big idea that gives meaning and energy to your work. Something you fulfil or enable for a defined audience that both drives and creates meaning for you and advances their lives.
By leading with purpose – expressed on your website, in social media and at sales meetings – you will attract clients with the same goals and values and win more of the work you love.
People like to buy from people they relate to. Put another way, people look for companies and individuals whose cause, values and ideas will help them progress and reach their own goals.
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Engage people with your ideas
We all shop around for products and services, and online research is one of the first ways to assess our options.
Clients try to work out whether you are the company for them and, until they get the chance to meet you in person, they will pore over your website, case studies, articles and social media.
They will speak with your previous clients, compare you with other providers, and gather evidence of a good fit before they commit.
It’s a complicated process, but you can assist by publishing your work, values and ideas in engaging and creative ways.
It’s your job to show prospective clients, in ways they can relate to, how you can solve their problems and help them achieve their goals.
Start with purpose
Brand purpose is defined as a higher reason to exist beyond making a profit. It is at the heart of your business strategy, culture, process, identity and marketing, and a north star for decision making.
In the context of content marketing and communications, it becomes an editorial focus. It helps you develop your themes and stories, and curate the topics that grow your cause.
Start with purpose …
• for clarity and direction;
• to differentiate yourself in the market;
• to attract clients on a similar mission; and
• to attract projects that are a good fit for your business.
Purpose can be found where your IP, experience and expertise overlap with clients’ needs, drivers or challenges.
Your IP spans processes and methodologies, technology and skillsets, sector expertise, experience, and more.
The overlap between brand and client interests becomes a sweet spot for many businesses.
A brand purpose can be poetic or practical, and even drill right down to one need for one client type in one sector.
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Andrea Stevens is a copywriter working with B2B and professional services brands to publish brand-building content.
How to work out your brand purpose
This is usually best done with a branding agency, but to start your own journey in defining your purpose, have a look at the work of brand guru Jim Stengel, author of the book Grow. He describes five categories of brand purpose:
CONNECTING with the world and each other. For example, an adventure brand’s purpose might be ‘to connect people with nature’.
EXPLORING new horizons. Architecture and engineering firm Arup has the tagline ‘We shape a better world’, which expresses future-thinking.
Evoking PRIDE and confidence. Luxury brands are often in this category. The Danish furniture brand HAY describes its ‘quality, craftsmanship and humanistic styling’ to paint a picture of beauty and elegance.
DELIGHTING people with experiences. Architectural practice Hassell, for example, sets out ‘to design places people love’.
And Stengel’s fifth category is the innovation mindset of CHALLENGING the status quo. The creative agency Possible values being bold – ‘We are not afraid to speak up, take risks or change the rules.’
While many companies do some or all of these, it’s best to tailor the most relevant and resonant idea according to your ideal client mindset, your sector, what you deliver best, what you love doing, and what you want to be known for.
Why purpose is powerful
Most services companies define themselves primarily by ‘what’ they do – for example, engineering, legal services, architecture or HR.
In his book Start with Why, Simon Sinek describes how a business can define its purpose and market position more powerfully by tapping into human emotions – to inspire people’s imagination with a well-worded purpose.
Instead of leading with your industry descriptor, leading with your ‘why’ drives deeper personal, employee and client engagement.
A well-worded purpose also creates a strong value proposition to help you stand out in the market and attract the clients and projects you love.
Andrea Stevens is the director of the copywriting agency Folio and works with B2B and professional services brands to publish brand-building content. Her specialist sectors include architecture, engineering, construction, technology, finance, management consulting and the public sector.
