"The Intersection of Purpose and Marketing: Growing a Business and Saving the Planet"

"The Intersection of Purpose and Marketing: Growing a Business and Saving the Planet"

Introduction:
When starting a business, one of the key challenges is developing a marketing strategy that effectively reaches and engages the target audience. In order to do this, three fundamental questions need to be addressed: How do you identify your target audience? Where can you find them? How do you engage them? This article explores a 3-step startup marketing framework created by KISSmetrics and the inspiring story of how Patagonia, a renowned outdoor clothing company, aligned their purpose with their marketing efforts to fight the climate crisis.

Identifying the Target Audience:
To create a successful marketing strategy, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the target customer. Building a business on assumptions is risky, and it is necessary to get specific in order to determine the most effective marketing channels. KISSmetrics realized the importance of identifying a place of opportunity, where they could listen, learn, and provide value. Their tool was designed to offer actionable metrics, so their marketing had to be valuable for marketers. The idea behind content marketing is giving value, ideally for free, which is what they aimed to do with KISSmetrics.

Finding Underused Opportunities:
In order to attract customers, it is essential to identify underused opportunities within selected platforms. Hashtags were a relatively new concept when KISSmetrics started using Twitter in 2008. By utilizing the hashtag WeFollow, they were able to gain new followers who were marketers. Sharing other marketers' content allowed them to spread goodwill, promote valuable content, and build their own Twitter audience. This approach demonstrates the importance of staying informed about emergent trends within tactics and engaging with the target audience accordingly.

Focusing on the Right Users:
When it comes to engaging with the target audience, it is crucial to focus only on the users that matter. Any followers who do not want to engage with the business are a waste of time and resources. KISSmetrics' Twitter audience grew gradually and eventually boomed with referral traffic to their website. This growth was a result of focusing on the users who were genuinely interested in their content and value offerings.

Actionable Advice:

1. Identify underused opportunities in the selected platform: Stay informed about emerging trends within tactics to engage with your target audience effectively. Look for innovative ways to stand out and capture their attention, just like Airbnb did by hacking Craigslist and Snapchat did by targeting popular students in high schools.
2. Focus only on the users that matter: Invest your time and resources in engaging with users who are genuinely interested in your business. By doing so, you can ensure that your efforts are directed towards those who are most likely to convert into customers or advocates.
3. Dish out massive doses of value: Expect nothing in return and focus on providing value to your target audience. The more value you deliver, the more trust and loyalty you will build, which can ultimately lead to long-term success.

Aligning Purpose with Marketing:
Patagonia, a company known for its commitment to environmental activism, took a different approach to marketing. In 2018, they changed their company's purpose to "We're in business to save our home planet." Instead of solely pursuing profit, Patagonia decided to use the wealth they create to protect the source of all wealth - the Earth. Each year, they distribute the money made after reinvesting in the business as a dividend to fight the climate crisis. By aligning their purpose with their marketing efforts, Patagonia has been able to influence customers, other businesses, and make a significant impact on the environment.

Conclusion:
In a world where businesses face increasing pressure to make a positive impact, the intersection of purpose and marketing is becoming increasingly important. By understanding and identifying the target audience, finding underused opportunities, focusing on the right users, and aligning purpose with marketing efforts, businesses can not only grow but also contribute towards addressing pressing global issues. It is essential for businesses to remember that marketing should not only be scalable but also meaningful and impactful. By following the actionable advice provided and learning from the success stories of KISSmetrics and Patagonia, entrepreneurs and marketers can create a powerful marketing framework that drives growth and helps save the planet.