Hands up if you don’t have a vision statement for your business (or you’re an employee and don’t know what it is)? [Getting any funny looks from your colleagues for putting your hand up to your computer?!].

What’s a vision statement I hear (some of you) cry?

A vision statement is exactly that, a statement of the vision/end goal/purpose for your business – here’s a couple of examples:

Disney: To make people happy.

The Net Advantage: To help people, businesses and organisations rock it, online and offline (see ‘why choose us‘ page for more).

When I’m delivering Social Media training, I ask attendees if they have a vision statement or knows what it is – if 20% put up their hand that’s a good day – scary huh!

Let’s break it down:

Without a vision statement, your business/organisation and staff do not know the ultimate goal.

Without a mission statement (that explains how you’ll achieve your vision), you won’t know how to get to your vision.

Without company values, you can’t tell people what makes you different as a business and why they’d want to do business with you.

Without business objectives, you can’t get to that mission and vision statement.

Without online marketing objectives (that FIT within your business objectives), you can’t help achieve your overall business objectives, which will help you achieve your ultimate vision – make sense?

Without identified key messages, you can’t communicate a consistent message to your online (and offline) audience.

In conclusion

It’s essential you nail down your vision statement (and then ensure it is communicated to all employees – e.g. I saw House of Fraser employees with the vision statement on their lanyards).

Whoever is running your social media presence, be it in-house or outsourced, simply MUST know all of the above – if they don’t know, they have no hope of communicating the right messages to your social media audience.

Sure you may get some results over time from social media but you will be more focused, produce less ‘noise’ and provide a consistent user experience to your audience if you put these business cornerstones in first.

Anyone care to share their Vision statement (if you have one!)?

Do you communicate your business cornerstones to your staff?

If you like what you’ve read, why not share it?

Jan

Image courtesy of wsph.biz

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