How to Define and Implement a Social Mission for Your Business
By: Jayson Demers
Tags: Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Startup Lessons, Startup

Photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash

When you’re creating a business from scratch, especially during the ideation phase, you’ll think about the product you’re making, the services you’re offering, how much it’s going to cost to render these goods and services, and how much you’re going to charge for them. This is the essential foundation for your business from a logical, mathematical standpoint.

But what about from an ideological one?

The Importance of an Ideological Mission

Most businesses try to isolate themselves, at least in some way, from ideologies or political perspectives, believing that neutrality and non-involvement are keys to avoid disrupting the waters. However, serving some kind of social mission can be empowering, and can demonstrate your business’s level of commitment to your community, your environment, and to the general “greater good.” This, in turn, gives you more opportunities to promote brand visibility, will earn you a higher reputation among your customers and followers, and can connect you with powerful partnerships already tied to the cause.

The big hurdle then, is finding an ideological or social mission that aligns with your brand.

How to Find a Social Mission That Fits

So, how can you develop a social mission? First, let’s cover some of the social missions you shouldn’t develop:

· Political agendas. Politics are stratifying, and even worse, they generally don’t do a lot of good in the world.

· Niche causes. Try not to narrow your focus too much — you’ll want a broad impact and a broader appeal here.

· Charisma-fueled causes. If your mission is tied to any one person or brand, it’s going to be at risk over the long-haul.

As long as you avoid these particularly controversial topics, you’ll be in pretty safe territory. Rather than trying to rack your brain about what would “look best” or what you think would be best, instead start with your brand — who you are and what you offer — and try to apply that outward. Chances are, you’ll naturally stumble upon some cause or some amount of good that your products or services could be affiliated with.

If you’re still struggling, the following social missions are almost never a bad idea:

· Environmental friendliness. Little changes add up, and it’s good to showcase those efforts.

· Local involvement. Your city is supporting you; consider supporting it in kind.

· Economic impact. Donating a certain amount of your profits to charity or toward research and development in an important field can be good here.

How to Implement a Social Mission

Once you have a solid social mission for your business, you’ll have to implement it throughout your company if you want to see its benefits:

1. Make it a part of your brand. Your social mission should be defined, possibly as a kind of tagline, to be directly associated with your brand. Document it in your brand guidelines and make it a part of your corporate identity.

2. Display your social mission wherever you can. Keep your social mission visible in as many materials as you can, from the About page of your website to the bylines of your press releases. This will help keep your cause top-of-mind among your audience.

3. Empower your employees and teammates to engage in this mission. Remember, your social mission may be tied to your corporate brand, but it’s people who are going to be carrying it out. Make sure your team is on board with this mission, and keep it top-of-mind for them. Get them involved by recommending volunteer opportunities, or by including posters and other reminders throughout the office of your bottom-line social goals.

4. Exercise yourself in this mission in a visible way. At least once a month, your company should be involved in the execution of your mission. For example, you could donate money to a cause or host a fundraising event. Whatever you do, make it visible; for example, you could write up a press release or post something about the opportunity on your blog and social media profiles. While I’m not a fan of trumpeting my good deeds, it’s pretty necessary for a business to do in order to get noticed.

5. Affiliate yourself with other supporters of this mission. Earn more visibility and do more good by aligning yourself with others who are already involved in this mission — they may be other organizations or corporations, or just noteworthy individuals (depending on the nature of your mission).

A Note on Multiple Missions

Your brand will benefit by having one “core” social mission, but be aware that corporate social responsibility isn’t inherently limited to only one focus or approach. Your business can have multiple social goals, some of which aren’t even formally documented or publicized. Any time your business contributes to the greater good, you’ll stand to benefit in terms of visibility, reputation, and connections — not to mention, you’ll get good karma in the process.

I’ve framed this article in terms of helping new entrepreneurs and startups come up with a social mission, but it’s never too late to get involved. If your existing business doesn’t currently have a social mission, now is the perfect time for you to get started with one.

For more content like this, be sure to check out my podcast, The Entrepreneur Cast!