To improve search rankings and grow organic sales, most ecommerce brands resort to the familiar technical SEO approach–fixing HTML tags, optimizing page templates and pumping out more content.
This approach ignores the fact that Google gives preference to authoritative brands in its rankings. When competing against established brands, technical SEO strategies are insufficient.
Instead, your SEO resources should focus on authority building. Your brand’s mission is your greatest asset for authority building. This is the “why” behind your brand — i.e. the values that motivate your team, resonate with your customers and generate partnerships with like-minded influencers.
We call this powerful SEO framework Mission-driven SEO™.
Below we’ve compiled a list of concrete examples of brands we admire applying Mission-driven SEO™ to their influencer marketing.
Mission-Driven SEO™ Produces Influencer Endorsements Free of Charge
Any brand would love an endorsement from legendary actress Meryl Streep. The jewelry brand Tiny Tags actually has one.
Tiny Tags makes custom engraved jewelry for moms that celebrates the challenging journey of motherhood. Not only did Meryl wear one of these necklaces–she wore it at photo shoots for the New York Times and the Washington Post. Obviously, this was a boon for Tiny Tags’ marketing efforts. They were able to create a wide range of content for their website and social media, and reference this story frequently in interviews with bloggers.
What’s truly remarkable is that Meryl did not wear a Tiny Tags necklace because of a paid endorsement deal, or because her stylist told her to. She wore it because, as a mother of four, she personally connected with Tiny Tags’ brand mission. And she’s not the only one. In fact, numerous motherhood bloggers and social media influencers promote Tiny Tags off the strength of their connection to the brand.
This might sound too good to be true, but many brands have had success getting endorsements from influencers who connect with their brand mission. Here are some of our favorite examples.
Diff Eyewear
For every pair of glasses DIFF Eyewear sells, they donate a pair of reading glasses to an individual in need, furthering their mission to use fashion as a force for good. This mission resonated with big name celebrities like Khloe Kardashian, Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye, and popstar Jessie James Decker — all of whom starred in viral influencer marketing campaigns for DIFF. These campaigns have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, generating a massive boost in DIFF’s organic visibility.
Brilliant Earth
Founded in response to the lack of transparency and irresponsible mining practices in the jewelry industry, Brilliant Earth’s Conflict Free diamonds are made from recycled precious metals. Earlier this year they invited a group of Instagram influencers to their showroom to view their products and learn about their sustainability practices. Afterwards, @trentkgarret had this to say to his 266K followers: “EVERYTHING is ethically sourced! Their diamonds and precious stones originate from vetted mine operations and they use recycled precious metals for ALL of their rings. They really know how to leave a light carbon footprint in style.”
Asutra
To fulfill their mission of promoting self care for all, Asutra makes all-natural beauty and wellness products at an accessible price. Tennis star Venus Williams started as an Asutra customer, and once she learned more about the company’s passion, she reached out to Asutra’s CEO to join the team. She’s now a part owner and Chief Brand Officer, and features prominently in Asutra’s content marketing efforts.
The big takeaway is that brands with a strong mission can get like-minded influencers to promote their products because it advances the influencers’ own agenda. Note that the mission does not have to be a social mission. For example, it can be the founder’s compelling backstory or the craftsmanship behind their products.
Want to know how your brand can replicate these successes? Here’s how to get started.
Authenticity is Key
Again, your brand mission need not be a social mission, but it does need to be something you authentically care about–customers and partners will see through it otherwise. Likewise, seek to work with partners and influencers whose values authentically align with your brand mission. These are the partners that will work with you consistently, the most valuable kind. There’s also a chance they will work with you out of solidarity with your mission, not for a price, as Meryl Streep did with Tiny Tags.
Tools and Tactics
For more information about the Mission-driven SEO™ methodology, proven email templates to connect with influencers, and more, download our Authority First SEO Strategies Resource Guide.
