Does Your Blog Have a Mission Statement? It Should

You may think only big brands are in need of a mission statement to stay focused, on message and assure brand consistency. Not true. Fashion bloggers who want to grow their brand (that’s you!) will benefit from an editorial mission statement to keep focused on your goals.

It’s not something you even outwardly need to share—it’s for you (or anyone that delivers content for you) to help guide your voice and content. Ultimately, it should keep your audience tuned in and growing along with you.

Mission Statement vs. Vision Statement

Let's start with a bit of a vocabulary lesson to differentiate between these two types of company statements.

Vision Statement

A vision statement describes where the company aspires to be upon achieving its mission. This statement reveals the "where" of business -- but not just where the company seeks to be. Rather, a vision statement describes where the company wants a community, or the world, to be as a result of the company's services.

Below are some vision statements from well-known companies to give you a sense of how a vision represents a brand.

• Alzheimer's Association: A world without Alzheimer's disease.
• Teach for America: One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.
• Creative Commons: Realizing the full potential of the internet -- universal access to research and education, full participation in culture -- to drive a new era of development, growth, and productivity.
• Microsoft (at its founding): A computer on every desk and in every home.
• Australia Department of Health: Better health and wellbeing for all Australians, now and for future generations.

Mission Statement

If the above examples are vision statements, what's a mission statement? A mission statement is, in some ways, an action-oriented vision statement, declaring the purpose an organization serves to its audience. That often includes a general description of the organization, its function, and its objectives. Ultimately, a mission statement is intended to clarify the "what," the "who," and the "why" of a company. It's the roadmap for the company's vision statement.

As a company grows, its objectives and goals may be reached, and in turn, they'll change. Therefore, mission and vision statements should be revised as needed to reflect the business's new culture as previous goals are met.

Both mission and vision statements are often combined into one comprehensive "mission statement" to define the organization's reason for existing and its outlook for internal and external audiences -- like employees, partners, board members, consumers, and shareholders.

With that in mind, what does a good mission statement look like? Check out some of the following company mission statements for yourself -- and get inspired to write one for your brand.

Mission Statement Examples

1. Life is Good: To spread the power of optimism.
2. sweet green: To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.
3. Patagonia: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
4. American Express: We work hard every day to make American Express the world's most respected service brand.
5. Warby Parker: To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.
6. InvisionApp: Question Assumptions. Think Deeply. Iterate as a Lifestyle. Details, Details. Design is Everywhere. Integrity.
7. Honest Tea: To create and promote great-tasting, healthy, organic beverages.
8. IKEA: To create a better everyday life for many people.
9. Nordstrom: To give customers the most compelling shopping experience possible.
10. Cradles to Crayons: Provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school, and at play.
11. Universal Health Services, Inc.: To provide superior quality healthcare services that: PATIENTS recommend to family and friends, PHYSICIANS prefer for their patients, PURCHASERS select for their clients, EMPLOYEES are proud of, and INVESTORS seek for long-term returns.
12. JetBlue: To inspire humanity – both in the air and on the ground.
13. Workday: To put people at the center of enterprise software.
14. Prezi: To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.
15. Tesla: To accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.
16. Invisible Children: To end violence and exploitation facing our world's most isolated and vulnerable communities.
17. TED: Spread ideas.

A smart mission is anchored by a promise

A mission statement for a blog is anchored with intentions for your brand, your business and anyone who works for it. If you’re the only one blogging, tweeting, and Snapchatting, it’s valuable to create one and stick to it. Each time you blog, tweet, go live on Facebook, etc., your voice, intention and your brand goals should be evident and consistent. This consistency will make your blog stronger and outwardly more trustworthy to an audience. Having an established, written mission behind the scenes will help you adhere to that consistency. Build that trust!

To write your mission statement and make it a part of your blogging standards, ask yourself the following: Who is my site for?

• Who is my site for?
• What are my blog’s purpose and the intention for its space in the world?
• In what core ways will my content encourage, motivate and inspire my audience?

Forbes breaks down a mission statement process even more simply: “What do we do? How do we do it? Whom do we do it for? And…what value are we bringing?”

The last question—value—is so important to your blog’s long-term success. You want your audience to feel like it’s in a safe zone for straightforward, honest fashion talk and advice. You also want each piece of content—from a simple tweet to a lengthy, image-rich post—to be on message. Always. Building audience requires people to feel a unique camaraderie with your expertise, community, and everyone attached to your blog and brand. Always being true to your audience and staying on message is essential for trust.

Visitors to your blog should quickly no longer feel like visitors but at home! Mission statements should promise authentic, and thoughtful content delivered with intention. If you’re delivering on your basic statement promises, your blog will experience consistent and organic growth.

What Is Your Blog…NOT?

Another great way to shape your blog’s mission is to point out what you are not and refuse to be—this acts a reminder for your voice, tone and content themes as to what to avoid at all costs.

An example could be:

• We are not judgmental
• We are not snarky or condescending
• We will not make you feel bad about your appearance
• We do not shame people into self-improvement
• We are not unattainable, cliché or gimmicky
• We don’t expect all women to all want the same look or have the same fashion goals

Just like with anything in life, if you know who you are (and are not), you’re going to live a more authentic, fulfilling life. Same is true with your fashion blog’s life! Stay true to who you are/what it is, check in with your mission statement periodically, and people will want to continue to be a part of your community. Happy blogging!