Why You Need a Content Mission Statement

What’s the issue?

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Clubhouse, blogs, podcasts, livestreaming, etc. Too many content creators who want to be content entrepreneurs can’t see past the platforms to focus on the business.

Do you know your why?

Every successful content entrepreneur knows their why – the reason their content business exists.

How do you capture that?

You create a content mission statement.

Is a content mission similar to the business mission or goals?

No. It’s not about you. It should be about your audience. A content business is not a content-creation business. A content business is an audience-first business. 

Every audience-first business needs at least one content mission statement, says @AnnGynn #contententrepreneur #creatoreconomy Click To Tweet

Where do you start a content mission statement?

You must know your content tilt – that area of little to no competition on the web that actually gives you a chance to break through the noise and be relevant.

Then what?

Answer these three questions:

• Who is your specific target audience?
• What will you deliver to your audience?
• What’s in it for the audience?

Orbit Media’s Andy Crestodina calls this the XYZ method: “Our company is where [audience X] finds [content Y] for [benefit Z].” 

Answer 3 questions to create a content mission statement: Who is your specific audience? What will you deliver to them? What's in it for them? says @JoePulizzi, #ContentInc author; founder, @TheTiltNews Click To Tweet

The Tilt Talk and Advice

Can you really capture an entire business in one sentence?

Yes. Simplicity is best.

The content mission statement doesn’t say anything about revenue?

That’s on purpose. It bears repeating:  Without an audience, you’re just creating content. And if you sell that content to other parties, that’s a freelance business, not a content business.

The content mission helps you focus on something bigger than just making money (which is important but always secondary). You can’t make money off your audience until it is actually an audience.

Can you share an example?

Media companies do content mission statements well. The Tilt founder Joe Pulizzi’s favorite content mission statement comes from Inc. magazine: “Welcome to Inc.com, the place where entrepreneurs and business owners can find useful information, advice, insights, resources and inspiration for running and growing their businesses.”

What if the content business serves more than one audience?

Even if you have similar audiences, don’t force them into a single content mission statement. Refer back to the three questions: Who is your specific target audience? What will you deliver to your audience? What’s in it for the audience? 

If you target more than one audience, you need more than one content mission statement, says @AnnGynn #contententrepreneur #missionstatements Click To Tweet

If you’re targeting different niche audiences, addressing different topics, or giving different benefits, you need another content mission statement (or maybe more.)

Does a content mission statement help in other ways?

The simple sentence not only sets a clear direction for your business, but it’s also an easy way to explain your content business. It could be someone at a networking event, a brand rep interested in working with you, or your about-us page.

A content mission statement is also a helpful guide as you expand your business beyond yourself, whether sourcing, building a team, or working with third parties.