Simon Sinek TED Talk: Start From Your Why
Newsflash: It's Not About You
Chances are, your brand right now is saying, "Let me tell you about myself."
I hate to tell you this, but no one cares. What they DO care about is what your brand can do for them.
To increase exposure, value, and effectiveness for conversion, your brand should be saying to your target market, "THIS is what [your brand here!] does for YOU."
Your "this" should be personalized and exactly what someone needs. The "you" in this case is anyone who your brand touches, prioritizing your target markets all the way to the community and world at large. But how do you do that?
People Crave Connection
They want to know, to understand and feel confident in that knowing, not like they are guessing. People might not always understand the "what" immediately (which would be your product or service), but most people can more quickly connect with WHY someone is doing something.
To practice this, come from a place of appealing to the other person's motivations. Answer the "why" for your product in a deeper sense, not just the immediate problem you can solve, but the deeper motivation for why you are doing something.
Appeal To The "Why"
Much of this approach go back to the "why." The famous Simon Sinek TED Talk on this topic, How great leaders inspire change, will help put this approach in perspective. Like Simon says in the talk, once you hold this realization, it will impact every aspect of your life, especially how you communicate with the world.
In the 18-minute video, Sinek shares his formulaic approach called the "Golden Circle" which was created by a codified application from examples of great leaders such as Martin Luther King, the Wright Brothers and Apple computers.
Simon Sinek's The Golden Circle
Why - This is the core belief and the reason the business exists
How - This is how the business fulfills that core belief
What - This is what the company does to fulfill that core belief
While very simple, Sinek discovered most companies are doing their marketing backward. Think about your messaging. Every piece of content you create, from your bio sections on your social media pages to every single blog, should be reflecting back to your "Why."
Your Assignment
Watch this video and format a new Mission Statement that follows the Golden Circle.
Was this useful? Have you watched this video before or heard of it? How has this changed the way you think — especially about your marketing? Let me know in the comments below!
