158: 10 simple ways to share your values in your business and marketing (and why it’s important you do) {Summer Remix}
10 simple ways to share your values in your business and marketing
In late July, the online business world watched as well-known marketer Jenna Kutcher faced criticism over how she chose to speak about the war and starvation of innocent civilians in Gaza. It wasn’t for the reasons you might expect, but it was a reminder of just how complicated and risky it can feel to share our values publicly.
As business owners, we’re often told to “put ourselves out there,” but when it comes to stating your values, it can feel like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. You risk upsetting people. You risk getting it wrong. And sometimes, you risk your own safety.
Yet if you do have the privilege and relative safety to speak up, sharing your values can be one of the most powerful ways to create impact, spark conversations, and attract clients who truly align with you.
This post will walk you through 10 simple ways to share your values in your business and marketing.
Why sharing your values matters
Values-driven business isn’t just about “being nice” or “doing the right thing.” It’s a form of activism. It’s also a smart business strategy.
When you share your values, you:
Let potential clients know what you stand for (and what you won’t tolerate)
Create a sense of belonging for your audience
Build trust faster, because your messaging is grounded in authenticity
Call in aligned clients who want to put their dollars toward businesses that match their worldview
Think of brands like Patagonia, REI, and Ben & Jerry’s — or even Chick-fil-A on the other end of the political spectrum. Their values are clear, and it’s part of why their customers feel loyal.
10 ways to share your values
Update your social media bios
Add a short statement or simple emoji to signal your values. 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️
Include your pronouns
Even if your gender identity might seem “obvious” to others, adding your pronouns normalizes the practice and makes it safer for others to do the same. “Hi, I’m Kim and my pronouns are she/her/hers.” Check out Claire Pelletreu’s The Get Paid Podcast to see how she’s been using pronouns since 2019.
Add a value statement to your website footer
A simple declaration like “We believe Black Lives Matter” or “Women’s rights and trans rights are human rights” lets visitors know exactly where you stand. Scroll to the bottom of my website for an example. Or check out Carrie Roseman and Simplified Simplified for examples of values-rich footers.
Feature values on your About page
Share the principles that guide your work — like inclusivity, sustainability, or accessibility. I love how CoordCrew’s values are crystal clear on their About Page.
Amplify diverse voices
Use your platform to share content from marginalized creators and causes you believe in.
Ask about diversity when speaking
If you’re invited to speak on a panel or summit, inquire about the diversity of the speaker lineup and suggest underrepresented voices.
Offer scholarships or discounts
Reduce financial barriers for people from marginalized communities.
Add a values check to your intake form
Make it clear who you work with — and who you don’t — before someone even books with you. Brittany McBean does this on her contact form.
Donate to aligned causes
Publicly share your giving policy or quietly direct a portion of your profits to organizations you care about.
Invest in your own learning
Take courses, read books, and attend workshops to deepen your understanding of the causes you stand for. You can start by checking out some of the resources featured on an equity and anti-racist workshop I hosted back in 2020.
Join Spark: A community for values-aligned business owners
If you’re looking for a safe, supportive space to process what’s going on in the world and explore how to use your business for good, check out my friend Tasha Booth’s Spark Community.
Spark is a 10-week pop-up community for online service providers, coaches, and consultants who share progressive values and want to navigate these challenging times while growing their businesses. I’ve already joined, and I’d love to see you inside.
Do what’s right, and do no harm…
As the Beastie Boys say, you gotta fight for your right. Now more than ever, we also need to fight for the rights of others who are being silenced. One of the guiding principles that’s resonating with me right now is to “Do no harm.” I wish more of our politicians and leaders would make decisions through this lens.
Sharing your values isn’t just good for your business, it’s good for the world.
Episode Links:
Join SPARK, a progressive movement and community of values-aligned business owners (affiliate link): https://kimkielcopy.krtra.com/r/a/QXaz6hBGOjCx6vo
Listen to Claire Pelletreau’s podcast and her use of pronouns:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-get-paid-podcast-the-stark-reality/id1005195731
Check out the values statements in the footers of these websites:
https://carrieroseman.com/
https://www.simplifysimplify.me/
www.kimkiel.com
View CoordCrew’s Value Statements on their About page:
https://coordcrew.com/pages/about
See Brittany McBean’s values statement on her contact form:
https://brittanymcbean.com/contact/
Explore equity and anti-racist resources on my workshop page:
https://www.kimkiel.com/equity-workshop
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[00:00:00] Hello, my sweet friend. I'm recording this in late July and in the last couple days, Jenna Kutcher, who is a very famous online marketer, is kind of getting criticized and some would say dragged for how she chose to share her perspective on the war and starvation of innocent civilians in Gaza. But it's not for the reasons you might think.
[00:00:23] Now, I'm not gonna weigh in on it. You can easily search and find her posts and the rebuttals of what people are saying about them, but I'm mentioning it because it underscores how difficult it can be to share our values online, to put a stake in the ground and say, this is wrong, or this is right. It can feel very risky and scary to state your values.
[00:00:46] And in many ways, you're damned if you do share your values and you're damned if you don't. But I don't want that to stop you from sharing your values. In this remix episode from early January, I share some simple, yet extremely powerful ways you can share your values and stand up for the causes and people you care about.
[00:01:07] You'll find out why you should and how it can be. Very good for your business. This episode will give you a variety of ideas and ways to do good with your business from some very low lift, simple strategies and others that might take a little more effort. Now, when I first aired this back in January, many, many, many listeners and followers reached out to me to say how helpful this episode was for them to see how they could begin sharing their own values. So I know you'll get some good ideas and info for your business. And speaking about having a values aligned business. So I wanna give a shout out to my friend Tasha Booth. Tasha's a coach for online agency owners and she's launching a new pop-up community called Spark for Values aligned business Owners.
[00:01:55] She's launching this community, it's a 10 week. Pop-up [00:02:00] community for online service providers, coaches and consultants who share progressive values and are struggling to navigate the dumpster fire that we are witnessing around ourselves while we grow our businesses. It's a place where you can process your feelings about what's going on and also.
[00:02:20] Use your business to be part of the solution. So of course, as soon as I saw she launched this offer, I joined the community and I'm partnering with her as an affiliate to help promote a safe, inclusive, and progressive space that is so desperately needed right now. I'll drop my link into the show notes so you can check it out and join.
[00:02:40] And I really hope I see you inside that community. But with that. Let's get into the original episode, 10 Simple ways to Share Your Values in your business and Marketing and why it's important You do.
[00:02:54] Welcome to Ill Communication, copywriting Tips and Sales Strategies for Small Business. I'm your host, Kim Keel. I'm a copy coach, sales strategist, and direct response copywriter. It's my mission to help women leaders and change makers amplify their voices. Through copy. It's why I am dishing out all the juicy tips, writing prompts, and sales formulas to help you generate more leads, book more calls, and get more high value clients on repeat.
[00:03:27] Sounds pretty good. It's time to ditch the overwhelm you might be feeling and find confidence in your copywriting so you can get your message out there and attract more soulmate clients. Let's get started.
[00:03:46] Hey, and welcome to this episode of the Ill Communication Podcast. Uh, so I totally had a different episode planned for today, but after recent geopolitical events, I feel called to speak about [00:04:00] something else. It came to me yesterday. It plagued me all night. I've tried to ignore it or push it off till next week, but I can't, and I have learned to trust the ideas that come to me.
[00:04:11] Especially when they're too loud to ignore. So I'm switching gears and the plans for today and following the inspiration to speak about something important this week at the time of recording, the 47th president of the United States was sworn in now as a reminder. I'm Canadian, but our economy, our newsfeed, our social values, our entertainment in Canada is so deeply entwined and influenced by the us.
[00:04:40] When something big happens in America, it's hard to ignore. In Canada, not only that, but I work with American clients. I hire American service providers. I listen to American bands. I have close friends and family who live in the us. I'm a global citizen and humanitarian, so I care about what happens not just in my country, but around the world.
[00:05:02] So when I heard some of the executive orders Mr. Trump made on his first day. Like leaving the Paris Agreement on climate change and removing restrictions on drilling for fossil fuels, literally days after the most devastating climate related fires in US history or walking back diversity initiatives that ensure women and people of color have a level playing field and access to fair employment.
[00:05:25] Or proclaiming that there are only two genders, thereby likely increasing homophobia and transphobia, or, when I saw the zig heel salute, Elon effing Musk made at the inauguration, I was sickened and I was reminded of how important it is to speak out against racism, transphobia, homophobia, and fascism. As a business owner and as a white woman and as a Canadian, I have a level of privilege and relative safety.
[00:05:56] Not everyone has, but I'm going to use my [00:06:00] platform and my business to showcase my values, especially in a time when those values feel like they are under attack. And if you feel the same, I wanna encourage you to showcase your values aloud and proud, not only to be a voice speaking for those values, but also to attract aligned clients to you.
[00:06:21] Showcasing your values can be a strategic way to grow your business and your position in the market because some people choose to do business with those who align with our values. We let our dollars speak for our values. For example, Patagonia is a brand with strong values. They believe in climate change.
[00:06:42] They work to reduce climate change, and they regularly weigh in on political rhetoric. REI is another brand that values outdoor experiences over consumerism, which is pretty bold for a consumer goods company, but they close their stores on Black Friday and pay their employees to enjoy a day off in the great outdoors and encourage their customers to do the same.
[00:07:05] Ben and Jerry's has activism baked into its brand. They believe ice cream can change the world. They're very clear about working towards social and environmental justice and protecting the rights of refugees and the L-G-B-T-Q community. And on the other end of the political spectrum, brands like Cabela's or Brass Pro and Chick-fil-A are very clear about their values and use them to market their business.
[00:07:30] Chick-fil-A is one of the few consumer brands that closes faithfully every Sunday. These marketing and business decisions are strategic. They call in their ideal buyers and they build community and identity. So if you're feeling called to be bolder with your values so that you can offset some of the hateful rhetoric that you're hearing right now.
[00:07:52] I wanted to share a few ways you can signal those values and views to your audience, and they can be very simple, easy to [00:08:00] do steps, or they can be a little more involved. Number one, update your social bios to share that you believe black and trans lives matter, or that you're pro-choice. It can be as simple as adding trans and rainbow flag emojis to show you're a safe space for these communities.
[00:08:17] Two, if you feel safe to do so, add your preferred pronouns to your bios. Your website, heck, your Zoom account. Especially if you look like your gender, for example, I look like and identify as a woman, but I'm gonna add my pronouns even if it's quote unquote obvious because it signals that you believe there are different gender identities and that you accept others may have different pronouns and gender identities as well.
[00:08:44] When you add your pronouns, you make it safer for others to do so too. Take even further and introduce yourself in your webinars or presentations or in your communities with your pronouns. Hey, I'm Kim and my pronouns are she her hers. Ask your guests to share their pronouns if they're comfortable doing so.
[00:09:03] It's a simple form of activism, especially if you have more privilege and safety than others. It normalizes that we live in a world that is not binary. And I wanna shout out to Claire Paltro, the host of the Get Paid Podcast, who is one of the first podcast hosts I recall, to ask guests to share their pronouns, and she's been doing that since 2019.
[00:09:27] Number three, you can add a value statement to the footer of your website. One of my web copy clients is a body positive boudoir photographer. So in her footer we wrote this, we love all bodies. We believe Black Lives matter. We provide a safe space for women and l lgbtqia a plus to express themselves fully and loudly.
[00:09:50] We work with ambitious humans who wanna celebrate themselves with world class portraiture. I'll drop the link to Kerry Rosen's website into the show notes so you can check it out. Here's a [00:10:00] statement I found in the footer of Simplify. Simplify a virtual support agency. It reads, this business believes Black Lives matter.
[00:10:09] Women's rights and trans rights are human rights. No human is illegal on stolen land. Science is real. Love is love. White patriarchy harms us all. Mental health stigmas should be broken and that we must be actively anti-racist in our lives and businesses as well as use the privileges we hold to create a more just and equitable future for everyone.
[00:10:30] We're proud to partner with like-minded clients and colleagues who are equally committed to social justice. Poof, powerful. Again, I'll leave a link to their site in case you wanna borrow any of that language. You can also add your values to your about page. My client cord crew, which makes the cutest coordinated bamboo outfits for families, has these two values listed on their about page.
[00:10:56] Now they have a bunch of values listed, but these are two in particular. One is inclusivity. Around here, all families are welcome, the family you're born into and the family you create. Our day wear designs and styles, appeal to all families, all bodies, all shapes, all sizes and all genders. Everyone is welcome in the cord crew, family, and they have a value around sustainability.
[00:11:20] We care about the planet and the people on it. Our clothes are crafted from eco-friendly bamboo fabric. We prioritize investing in quality, sustainable clothes for the long term over wasteful and harmful fast fashion. I'll drop the links to their site in the show notes. Number five. You can amplify and share diverse voices in your content, in your communities, and in your programs.
[00:11:43] It can be as simple as a follow like, comment, or share of an Instagram post or a reel that shares content you believe in or showcases your values. For lots of good reasons. Many people are afraid to share political or social commentary content. So if [00:12:00] you have a platform and you feel safe to do so, share content by creators you trust both to spread the information, but also to signal your values to others who are watching what you're doing.
[00:12:13] Now back in May, 2020, the world saw the unspeakable murder of George Floyd, which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement. Back then, I had basically zero web presence and very little community reach, but I didn't wanna feel powerless. I wanted to do something. So I hired a consulting team, the cameo group, to deliver a virtual workshop on equity and anti-racism.
[00:12:38] I posted it to my Facebook page, sent personal emails, and reached out to others who in turn shared it. I ended up registering over a hundred people from my personal networks who were curious to learn about equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. The point is, you don't have to have a big following to create an impact or a ripple of change.
[00:12:58] Number six, when you're asked to speak on summits or panels or stages, ask about the diversity of speakers. Offer to give up your seat to a person of color or make a connection to someone with a marginalized identity. The caveat here is please do not expect anybody to speak for free. Number seven, offer scholarships or discounts for people from marginalized communities and identities.
[00:13:22] Remove or lessen the barriers to helping people who may be disenfranchised or experiencing financial hardships simply because they have less privilege and less access to resources. Eight, add a statement on your intake or contact form to make your values crystal clear. I love how launch copywriter, Brittany McBean does this on her intake questionnaire at the bottom of her contact form.
[00:13:48] She has this statement a heads up before you hit send. We feel pretty strongly about leading with her values over here. If you're not down with ethical anti sleazy strategies and black lives mattering now and [00:14:00] always, we're probably not for you. And then she has two radio buttons where you have to choose and one says, yes, I believe Black Lives Matter.
[00:14:09] Marketing needs to help, not harm. And I actively use my platform to build up, magnify and support historically and systemically marginalized people. Then the second one is, nah, I'm the human version of period cramps. I love how she infuses her values with a little humor too, and makes it very clear she doesn't do business with douche bags.
[00:14:29] Number nine, give donations to causes that support and advocate for the kind of world you wanna live in. Take a portion of your profit and donate it to Planned Parenthood to an environmental charity that's working to offset climate change to social justice organizations that protect human rights or work with refugees.
[00:14:47] If you wish, you can share this on your website and add it to your marketing as a signal to people who value those things as well. You could write something like, when you work with me, a portion of my profits go to the following causes and charities, or you can just simply donate on the down low. And number 10, invest in your own journey.
[00:15:07] Read books, take courses, attend workshops about the causes you care about or the things you're curious about. Learn about climate science and climate change. Find out how to create safe spaces for LGBTQIA plus communities and black, indigenous, and people of color. I'll drop a link to the replay page of my anti-racism workshop I hosted back in 2020.
[00:15:28] It is a little outdated, but there are links to books, blog posts, and videos to help you get started on your journey. Of course, there are so many wonderful courses, content creators and workshops out there to help you build a more equitable world. But if you wanna check out my resources, head to kim keel.com/equity-workshop.
[00:15:50] Now my friend. These are just a few suggestions of the simple steps you can take to share your values as a form of activism and as a way to call in [00:16:00] clients who are aligned with your worldview, people who are wanting to do business with people who share their values. But I also wanna share this. You may not feel safe to share your pronouns.
[00:16:13] Or to speak up about injustice or to publish your values on your website, and that's okay. But if you do feel a level of privilege, safety, and confidence, please speak up for those who cannot. Every time I simply share a story or post on Instagram with a political or social viewpoint, I always get people DMing me, thanking me for sharing it.
[00:16:38] You certainly don't have to host a workshop or record an entire podcast episode about it. But hopefully with the list I just shared, you'll be inspired to be a little braver and share your values as the Beastie Boys say, you gotta fight for your right. And now more than ever, you gotta fight for the right of others who are being silenced.
[00:16:57] Sharing your values is good for your business and it's good for the world. So thank you so much for tuning in today. If this episode resonated with you, please hit follow and subscribe and leave a five star rating or a review. I will be back next week. Bye for now.
[00:17:16] Hey, my sweet friend. I wanna thank you for joining me today. I just love creating and sharing content to make your business and especially writing for your business a little bit easier. So I'd love to know what your biggest copywriting or marketing questions are. What have you been struggling with, or do you wanna pick my brain about a copywriting strategy or a tactic?
[00:17:40] I am starting a new Ask me anything segment here on the pod. If you have a burning question about business copywriting or marketing, or if you want to make an episode suggestion, I'm all ears. You can participate in two ways. Number one, visit [00:18:00] speakpipe.com/kim keel. There you'll be able to record a voice note with your call.
[00:18:04] Question or suggestion, make sure you include your name and your email and maybe a little background info or context. Number two, you can send me a text. In the show notes of this episode, you'll see a link to text me a question or comment. When you click that link, it'll open up your text messenger where you can text me your question directly.
[00:18:27] Make sure you leave all the weird numbers that pop up, and please add your name and email address or mobile number so I can keep. In touch. I can't wait to create these, ask me anything or pick my brain episode, so please play along. I can't wait to help you solve whatever's blocking you from getting your message out there.
[00:18:46] Find the links to ask me your questions in the show notes.
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