So, you’ve put a lot of work into identifying your business’ mission and core values. Excellent! So, now what?
Sharing your values, and doing it well, is an important way of demonstrating that your company can deliver on what it says it can. Here are a few ways to communicate your business’ values – and why it’s important to do so.
How you should communicate your business’ values
Write your values into your key messaging
One of the most effective ways to communicate your business’ values is to write them into your key messaging. Include these in your email signature, your presentations and, most importantly, your website and the communications you send to your customers.
Take Lululemon Athletica as an example. Though other sportswear brands promote their products as a way of improving athletic ability, Lululemon Athletica actually walks the talk. The brand uses key messaging and imagery in their customer facing communications to cultivate a feeling of wellbeing that highlights the value of physical activity as a lifelong practice. Not only that, but stores and team members host free yoga classes to help their clients achieve their goals.
Live your values
Being intentional about your values means aligning your business practices to them. There’s nothing more important than living by example, regardless of whether it’s in the way you speak to your colleagues or in the way you write an email. You might even examine the way you recruit your staff, or the amount of paper you use for copying and printing. No step is too small!
We’re proud of our sister agency, Avion Communications, which is dedicated to animal welfare and the environment. To show this, it does pro-bono work for organisations like Pets of the Homeless and Plastic Free July.
Build your values into your team culture
Don’t forget to help your team members understand why the values of your business are important, so they’re able to communicate them too. It’s not enough to simply hand out printed material that outlines your values when they start, either.
You might consider developing an onboarding process that offers new team members formal training. Not only will this deepen their understanding about why you do what you do, it’ll also demonstrate the origin of your values and your commitment to them as an organisation.
Why you should communicate your business’ values
In our increasingly product saturated world, communicating your business’ values is a way to set yourself apart from your competitors as consumers become more conscious of their spending habits. Writer for The New York Times, Farhad Manjoo, encourages his readers to: “[Not] just look at the product. Look at the business model.”
“Don’t just consider how well a product works, but look at who’s making it and how it is sold. Before you dive into any new doodad, consider a company’s ethics, morals, branding and messaging. If you aren’t comfortable, look to alternatives,” he says.
By promoting the values that are important to your business, you’ll encourage your audience to come back for more of what you offer.
Do you need a hand communicating your business’ values? Shuttle Rocket can help! We’re experts at copywriting, and can refresh your blog and website in a flash. Interested? Get in touch today.