Crafting A Solid Mission Statement

Crafting A Solid Mission Statement

Getting to a solid mission statement involves asking yourself some key questions:

What are you hoping to do? What medium(s) will you be using?
Why do you want to do this?
Who is this for? What communities will you be serving?

Rather than thinking, “I have to write a mission statement. How would I even start?” begin by asking yourself the above questions. Your project’s/organization’s mission statement should be a unique synopsis of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and who it’s for. It should communicate what’s important to you and why you’re choosing to use the tools that you’ve chosen.

In the end, you want your target audience and future superfans to read/hear your mission statement and think, “That sounds awesome. How can I be a part of that?” and that comes from keeping the what, who, and why at the center of everything you do.

General mission statement tips:

1. Use plain language. A good mission statement is one that is easily understood by the reader or listener. Too much industry jargon or vague language makes it harder to hook the audience.

2. Keep it concise. Read through your draft several times. Ask others to read or listen to your draft. Ask them what stands out or what they remember most. Cut anything that doesn't directly describe what you’re doing, why, and who you’re doing it for, or is easily forgotten by the reader/listener.

3. Once you have a draft, find some more readers/listeners. Ask them, after reading/listening to your mission statement, if they can tell you what you do, why you do it, and who it’s for.