Part 3- Why Your Company Needs to Have a Purpose

This past week in Part 1 and Part 2, I shared with you what my purpose in life is and how I came to discover that purpose. Today I will talk about why your company, business, or client needs to have a purpose of his or her own too.

A few years ago I first viewed Simon Sinek's TED Talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action. That video changed the way I view marketing (I would definitely recommend spending the 18 minutes to view it). Simon helped me realize that a company needs to be more than a business that sells products x, y, and z. A company needs to have a purpose...

Quotes from the TED Talk:
“What’s your purpose? What’s your cause? What’s your belief? Why does your organization exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care? ….People don’t by what you do; they buy why you do it…. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe… and what you do simply serves as the proof of what you believe… ”

Essentially, your company needs to have a reason as to why they do what they do. This will create a deeper and more loyal connection with your customer base. They will buy into your reasoning and spread that with others who also believe in the same thing.

So what you're saying? ...obviously you haven't watched the video yet... Use this to your company's advantage. When developing marketing strategies and content, start with the "why." This tactic is especially powerful in the realm of social media. The online world is all about engagement. Give followers and connections a reason to interact with your company. Be passionate to get them excited and get them to care about your company. 

This strategy is a great way to reach opinion leaders as well. When your company is authentic and ardent, others will pick up on your message and want to share the sentiment. If you can connect with opinion leaders online who believe what you believe, they'll have no issue spreading your message to all of their followers; thereby spreading your content even further and with 3rd party support to boot!

"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.." So what is your company's purpose? How do you share this message or incorporate it in your marketing content?

photo credit: Andrew Mason via photopin cc