Do You Have a Mission Statement?

Intro by Skip Cohen

Over the years Photofocus.com has covered virtually every topic in imaging; from business to marketing to technology – it’s all right there at your fingertips. Wandering through their archives I found this post by Nate Tores about having a mission statement. And it hits home on one of my favorite topics – your “About” page.

But just a strong mission statement by itself isn’t enough. Think about your target audience. For most of you that’s “Mom.” Unless it’s a Pulitzer Prize, she doesn’t care about what awards you’ve won, how you got started or what gear you use. She’s looking to confirm you can be trusted to capture the images of her family she wants. She’s interested in why you love being a photographer.

Now, take your about page and for an opener create a mission statement following the guidelines that Nate has shared below. Remember your target audience and give them what they want to know the most.

By PhotoFocus

What is a mission statement?

A mission statement is a summary of the values, purpose and aims you have as a business/company.

For example, Google’s mission statement is to organize the world’s information and make it easily and universally accessible.

A mission statement is often included with your business and marketing plan.

Why have a mission statement?

A mission statement is important because it will help narrow your focus and define what you want to stand for either as an individual or as a company. Mission statements also help define your photography brand.

If you don’t know what you stand for and your purpose and “mission” as a photographer, how do you expect others to know as well?

What to include in a mission statement?

When it comes to creating your mission statement, there are three main components to include.

1. Make it clear what you do and what you offer
2. Identify the target audience/market you are going after
3. Focus on what makes you unique; think benefits

For example, let’s say you are a wedding photographer who specializes in light, dreamy edits. An example mission statement you could have would be “Providing couples with a memorable wedding experience through dreamy photography edits and captures.”

In this example, you are making it clear what you offer (photography), identifying your target audience (wedding couples) and mentioning what makes you unique (dreamy edits and captures).

Where to put mission statement?

OK, so you have a mission statement written down. Where do you put it?

You can include your mission statement on your website’s about page, you can include it in your email signature, you can even include it on your business cards.

Where you put your mission statement is up to you! The process of creating a mission statement isn’t to put it on your site per se, it’s about taking the time to narrow in and focus on your goals, vision and mission for your business.

Used with permission from Photofocus.com.