While discovering the “true you” and your “place in life” can sound like themes to a Disney movie, these favorite childhood characters may be on to something.
Finding the passion and purpose of your agency is a real journey, one where you’ll learn more about yourself, get in touch with your inner child, and break away from reality. Why is it so important to identify your agency’s passion? Not only will it give you a competitive advantage and allow you to dominate a niche space, it will also help with your overall brand and messaging.
[bctt tweet “Passion can go a long way in differentiating yourself and developing your brand’s identity.”]
There are a lot of agencies out there that offer a plethora of services, everything from PR to SEO to PPC advertising. When a prospective client wants to find the expert on one subject, do you think they’ll gravitate toward the behemoth agency that does it all? Or the niche agency that really specializes in exactly what they’re looking for and demonstrates their love for it?
Passion can go a long way in differentiating yourself, creating a strategic plan, and developing your brand identity. Not to mention that you’ll also be happier doing work you love.
Here are five questions to ask yourself to identify the purpose of your agency:
1. What did you love to do as a child?
Did you know that Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America’s greatest architects, played with wooden blocks all through his childhood? Your connection with your childhood activities may not be as strong, but remembering what you were naturally drawn to when you were younger can help you as an adult. Were you always painting and drawing? You probably gravitate toward the arts. Did you love to read? You are most likely a writer at heart.
2. What do you spend hours reading about?
Could you spend days getting lost in research about Google algorithms? Do you love reading blogs? What about being active on social media? Don’t write this off as mindless Internet surfing — all of these interests translate into services your agency can offer and tell you a lot about what you’re naturally interested in and good at. You want to position your agency as the expert in a field, and the fact that you enjoy researching a certain topic is a strong sign that you’re already on your way to becoming an expert.
3. What makes you jealous or annoyed?
Pay attention to what (or who) makes you jealous or annoyed, as this visceral reaction could point you in the right direction. Think about it – when you’re really good at something, like a certain sport, or especially love a topic, like math, the last thing you want is someone getting a higher grade than you or being named MVP instead of you. You want to be the best. Or, in the agency world: do you hear about an agency doing really innovate social media campaigns? Do you feel annoyed by their success? Being upset could be an indicator that you secretly want to do what they’re doing.
4. What do your clients say?
It’s easy to see when people are passionate about a topic. Their faces light up and they seem to have a never-ending flow of knowledge, facts, and anecdotes. And, passion can come through in projects too. When you love doing something, it doesn’t feel like work, so you’re more likely to spend more time on it, think outside of the box, and take risks. And, who better to notice these things than your clients? Don’t be afraid to ask them their opinions. You could send out a short survey via email with questions like, “What do you think we’re most passionate about?” Or, “what would you say our greatest strength is?”
5. When was your last mental vacation?
Step away from the business world and let your mind relax. Unplug from daily technology and you may be surprised by what you learn about yourself. When we’re always in go-go-go mode, we forget to pay attention to what makes us happy. Go on a vacation or, if you’re short on time, a day trip or a day-hike. Stay mindful about the thoughts that come to you when you’re relaxed and calm. Take this uninterrupted time really think about what makes you happy and what you would be doing in your dream world. Then, make it a reality.
Identifying the purpose of your agency is no small task. It takes a lot of time, research, and self-exploration. But, the good news is that when you find that passion, you’ll just know. Yes, I think it really does “feel right.” However corny that may sound, you do get this intuitive feeling that the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place and that it just makes sense. Sometimes you just need a little help getting there, like revisiting your childhood interests, unplugging from the world, or getting some inspiration from classic Disney movies.