Marketing a brand with a vision starts with a compelling story. Why are you operating? What are you trying to accomplish? How can you put that in a storytelling format that speaks to your target audience?
Once you have your message in place, you need to get people talking and start to build awareness. Here are some top tactics to help build trust with the people you’re serving and increase awareness about your mission-driven company, ministry, or whatever kind of organization you lead to make an impact.
1. Create Mission-Driven Content
Content is a powerful tool. It can educate your audience. It also allows you to differentiate yourself from competitors by offering unique, innovative thought leadership through cause-related content that resonates with purpose-driven audiences.
As a company with more than profit as your focus, you can infuse additional value and passion into every video, article, podcast, and social post you create. This can create synergistic messages that people will be more willing to share and promote through word-of-mouth marketing.
You can also offer free resources that support your cause. Sardius Media, for instance, has assembled multiple resources for mission-driven broadcasters to help them improve their video and live event setups. These kinds of openly available forms of content can provide genuine value for your audience while also establishing your brand as a recognized and reputable resource.
2. Host Events and Webinars
There is something special about a live event. The ability to come together in person creates bonding experiences and can be a powerful way for a brand to create a core audience that has bought into its larger mission.
If you can’t have an in-person event or a large part of your audience is going to be remote, you can still use this technique to build your mission-driven brand. Webinars and online events are becoming more sophisticated all the time.
For instance, when our team at Sardius Media helped Joyce Meyer host a hybrid Love Life Women’s Conference, we ensured the event was interactive. The online portion of the experience had a dynamic watch page with features like real-time design changes and countdown clocks. Social media was consistently fed by fresh clipped content, and transcriptions, subtitles, translations, and video archives were available in real-time or quickly after a portion of the event finished.
Whether it’s in person or online, live events and webinars are a powerful way to make an enduring impact that leaves your brand firmly entrenched in your target audience’s memory.
3. Invest in Community Partnerships and Influencer Relationships
If you want to build a brand with mission-driven goals, look for ways you can invest in the communities that you are focused on. Collaborate with other organizations that share your passions and vision. This can put your brand alongside other recognizable names and get you in front of the right crowds.
Partnering with influencers is another way to work with third-party groups to build brand awareness. Forbes senior contributor John Hall points out that influencers can boost brand awareness by:
- Creating personal content that encourages consumer engagement.
- Putting your brand in front of extremely targeted audiences that are interested in what you have to say.
- Opening up the doors to creative marketing campaigns that generate unique interest in your brand.
If you want to build your brand, don’t be afraid to collaborate with organizations and individuals who already have built trust with your target audience.
4. Leverage Testimonials and Case Studies
Word-of-mouth marketing remains one of the most powerful ways to reach an audience. According to Semrush (via Digital Communications Institute), 90% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand recommended by others. Just as important, one in four consumers will avoid a brand outright if it has a negative word-of-mouth review.
You want people to talk positively about your brand and its mission, and testimonials are a great way to do so. Ask for customer feedback that highlights the experiences and impact you are creating.
Case studies are also effective, especially for B2B mission-driven organizations. These allow you to collaborate with the client or customer and call out the specific ways your brand is making a difference. These can be utilized in content, sales pitches, and other sales promotion channels.
Building Public Awareness for Your Mission-Driven Organization
Mission-driven brands need awareness to fuel their growth and improve their impact. You can generate this awareness in a number of ways, from cultivated content and live events to webinars, community partnerships, influencer relationships, testimonials, and case studies.
As you look for ways to invest in brand awareness, make sure you have the tools to help you execute your vision at a high level. If content creation and visual event management are areas you're interested in but are underperforming or lacking experience, we’d love to talk.
The Sardius team has plenty of experience helping mission-driven organizations broadcast their core messages effectively. Let us help you expand your reach and communicate your mission as you build your audience and work toward goals that make a difference.