Why it’s important to write purpose-driven content

Consumers love to get behind a cause and feel that the companies they support stand for something, especially a cause they believe in too. This is especially true during COVID, where Amazon had its best-ever financial quarter. So, recently, I shopped for an item on Etsy and noticed that the company itself offsets its carbon emissions without charging the consumer or the seller. What a great thing to do! Bigger corporations like Amazon who do much the same thing as Etsy (i.e. sell products from other vendors) but with larger companies as vendors, yet they also give back through their Amazon Smile program. Other big companies give back, too, from TOMs Shoes to Warby Parker to Target to BlackRock. The point is that consumers are now more socially-minded than ever and prefer to shop from purpose-driven organizations, which are organizations that stand for something other than profit; they give back to their community and take action on things that are bigger than themselves. 

So, how do you tell your consumers what causes you support? Through content marketing, of course! Here’s why it’s important to write purpose-driven content marketing.

What is purpose-driven content marketing?

Well, it’s just like your regular ‘content marketing’ which are your marketing materials like videos, blogs, social media posts, web copy, and more than generate interest in your brand, product or services. Content marketing doesn’t always have to be ‘salesy’. The idea is for it to help your audience solve a problem (i.e. their pain points) and sometimes one of your products or services happens to be part of the ‘solution.’ Content is also designed to distribute valuable and relevant content (i.e. your audience wants to read about it and doesn’t feel it is spammy) so that they can attract and retain their target audience (i.e. their customer personas). The general idea of content marketing is for your audience to complete an action once they have read the content. That may be giving you a call and enquiring about your services and how they can help or even signing up for a mailing list or liking the post on social media.

Purpose-driven content marketing, on the other hand, as an extension of content marketing creates a bond with your audience over shared interests and causes. It demonstrates what you’re doing so that the audience can get behind what you do. Your audience may also have the opportunity to be educated about a cause that they didn’t know about and they feel happy to be connected to your brand because you care about supporting that particular cause.

Why should your organization be purpose-driven?

Even as far back as 2015, Millenials indicated that 66% of them would spend more on a product or service if it came from a sustainable brand. Five years on and Millenials have more spending power than ever and they want their brands to be ethical and purpose-driven. Since Millenials are less likely to spend money frivolously as previous generations, being a company with a cause can help get you noticed. Of course, that cause has to be something you believe in–as that dedication and passion will come through in your content marketing–and it has to be something that your consumers believe in too.

Purpose-driven content will help your business grow as people are more likely to share purpose-driven content, which will help promote brand awareness and create connections with your audience. 

Not just that–a precedent in business was set when CEO Larry Fink of BlackRock, the world’s foremost investment firm, creating a new standard for investing: environmental sustainability. Prior to the COVID pandemic, he also issued a letter to CEOs in 2020 about climate change here.

How do I create purpose-driven content?

First of all, your content needs to be relevant to your brand and what you do. For example, Dove has ads that promote self-esteem and body positivity to their audience of women and that helps them promote their skincare products. Their brand and campaigns show that ‘beauty is only skin-deep’ and their campaigns make their products more appealing to women because they support a cause that their audience can agree with and engage with. Purpose-driven content creates a connection with their audience and social media engagement and, more importantly, brand loyalty.

Second, decide what cause you want to support or which cause you support already that you want to promote and write content around that issue. Just like in your usual content marketing, you want the content to speak to a pain point for your customer and provide helpful, relevant information to them.

Lastly, promote your content as usual through social media and email marketing and try and create a campaign that generates engagement. 

How does Key Medium give back and are we purpose-driven?

We are a purpose-driven organization that likes to give back to the local Philadelphia community. We support many local businesses through Coding for Causes and often donate our time. We commit at least 20% of our profits each year to this program and, as a result, we give back to the community and have won numerous awards for our work.

Plus, we like working with nonprofits whose causes we believe in such as the garden initiative with Grounded in Philly, promoting consumption of local produce from Jersey Fresh, helping create job opportunities with Philadelphia Works, creating safe bike paths and other resources with the Bicycle Coalition, helping young adults with disabilities lead better lives with Community Integrated Services, supporting adult literacy and education with Community Learning Center, and so much more. 

Check out our case studies to find out more or get in touch.