In today’s climate of intense customer activism powered by nimble mobile and social technologies, brands must now define and lead with their social purpose in ways that build customer trust, loyalty, and sales.

Yet many organizations miss an element that’s critical to building an authentic community of brand ambassadors: their employees. In fact, 54% say their company’s purpose is not clearly conveyed to all employees.

The most innovative brands have already figured out that internal storytelling and employee activation is just as important as traditional external consumer-focused efforts. More than a paycheck, employees want a sense of purpose, pride, and impact, so it’s key that a company’s mission statement be brought to life and not left to die in the employee handbook.

Here are 5 benefits a company can enjoy by clearly defining and articulating its social purpose both internally and externally:

1. Increased brand advocacy from employees with corresponding reputational benefits. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, in companies with strong sustainability programs, morale was 55% better, business processes were 43% more efficient, public image was 43% stronger, and employee loyalty was 38% better. Tweet this

 2. An increased ability to attract top candidates. For example, Net Impact found 80% of 13-25 year olds want to work for a company that cares about its impact, and more than half said they would refuse to work for an irresponsible corporation. Tweet this

3. Better content and quality of engagement. Here’s what Neil Gunn, Digital Strategy Advisor at World Wildlife Fund UK says about inviting employees to share their voice: “The theory is that people who have the stories to tell are on the ground. If you really are going to do social well, you need to make the connection with those who have the story to tell.” Tweet this

4. Increased productivity, satisfaction, and retention of current employees. PwC’s ‘Managing Tomorrow’s People’ Report found 86% of Millennials would consider leaving an employer if its social responsibility values no longer matched their expectations. Tweet this

5. Tangible ROI. Companies with highly engaged employees have 3x the operating margin and the Meaningful Brands Index outperforms the stock market by 120%. Tweet this

The imperative to seamlessly share your brand’s purpose is clear, and doing so requires thoughtful work to integrate your company’s corporate, CSR, sustainability, and Foundation work into a story that’s easy to understand, join, and share.

Learn how to define and share your social purpose in ways that mobilize employees and customer communities to build your reputation and social impact with you. Join us at the 2014 We First Brand Leadership Summit, Oct 7-8, in Los Angeles. 

Written by Dana Byerlee, VP of Marketing at We First.