Sent Forth as Businesswomen: 3 Lessons About Marketing and Evangelization From the Apostles
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21).
As COVID-19 restrictions start to ease in the U.S. and glimmers of normalcy reappear, it’s interesting that it is culminating in the year 2021 — a number that coincides nicely with John 20:21: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Sisters, we are sent forth, just like the apostles.
This sending forth starts with telling people about God, and for owners of Catholic businesses or leaders of Catholic ministries, that often means talking about our work, too. If you’re like most Catholic businesswomen I’ve worked with, that thought terrifies you.
As a Catholic marketer, I often hear a common theme among my clients: They despise marketing, because it seems misaligned with humility.
But what if the apostles had been afraid to talk about their work, too?
I’ve done a lot of research on the intersections of marketing and evangelization, and what I’ve come to realize is that the apostles used marketing to grow the Church. If we follow their example, we can promote not only our work but also God. Here are three ways:
Build Your Brand Advocates
When Peter and John are questioned in Acts 4 about the actions they’ve been performing in Jesus’ name, the council is astonished and frightened by their passion, and it charges them not to speak of Jesus anymore. Peter boldly responds, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20).” It’s a pretty gutsy statement to make, especially coming from someone who just a few weeks prior had denied Jesus three times to avoid being aligned with Him!
Essentially, Peter is saying that he is compelled to talk about Christ. He has to. He’s been so fundamentally changed by what he’s seen that he has no other choice but to speak of it.
I think we’ve all encountered certain products or services that we feel compelled to talk about with others. For example, ask me for razor recommendations, and chances are I will launch into a full-on soliloquy about my favorite, the background of the founders … and, by the way, here’s a 15%-off coupon.
In essence, the apostles were Jesus’ first brand advocates. Brand advocates are powerful, because word of mouth marketing is the most trusted recommendation source; 92% of people trust recommendations over any other form of marketing.
So, how do we build brand advocates? The same way Jesus did: through our passion for our work, by serving a need, and by treating each person as a valued individual. Approach marketing in this way, and you’ll have brand advocates who can’t wait to talk about what you do and how you’ve served them.
Hone in on Your Audience
Matthew didn’t try to write a Gospel that appealed to everyone; he focused specifically on readers who were already Jewish. As such, he could talk about things like genealogy and Messianic foreshadowing that would have been lost on a Gentile audience.
Likewise, there were 12 apostles and thousands of disciples. Jesus didn't expect just one person to “go to all the nations.” Instead, they all set out around the world, focusing on their own unique area or specialty.
The lesson? You can’t serve everyone.
Often, when I talk with Catholic entrepreneurs and ministry leaders, the response I receive to the question, “Who is your target audience?” is, “all Catholic women” or, “faithful parents.” A target audience needs to be much more specific to be effective.
If we want to market like the apostles, we have to hone in on our audience. The marketing term for this process is creating a character persona: identifying one person to whom you’re marketing, including his or her age, gender, work, habits, family life, etc., and then marketing in such a way that will appeal to that person. It doesn’t mean your message won’t resonate with more than one person; it just means that your marketing will feel personal and individual.
Just like Jesus, we need to leave the 99 who are already being served by others and go after that one sheep we’ve been uniquely called to help.
Lead With Your “Why”
As St. Stephen was about to become the first Christian martyr, the high priest questioned him, and Stephen launched into a 51-verse litany about salvation history, taking the priest through the Old Testament and illustrating how it was all leading to Jesus.
In other words, St. Stephen didn’t answer his question with the facts that proved his accuser wrong; he answered with a story.
As Simon Sinek, author of “Start With Why,” explains, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
The apostles’ evangelization strategy didn’t start with the rules and regulations of the faith. In fact, it was attempting to start with the rules of circumcision that led to some of the earliest problems in the Church. Instead, the apostles started with love and joy — the “why” of Jesus’ salvation.
In promoting your work, focus not on what your product or service does but, rather, on what it solves. What problem (known in marketing as a pain point) can you help alleviate? Focus on your solution, and your marketing will become not a way to build yourself up but a tangible way to love others through service.
Sent Forth as New Apostles
As we face a post-pandemic world, the world needs us. Like the apostles, we are sent on a mission: to use the gifts and talents God has given us to heal a world that is broken, lonely, and lost. In order to accomplish that mission, we have to be brave enough to talk about our work and how it can help. Thankfully, we have the example of the apostles to lead us in how to talk about our work and our God at the same time.
Emily Ricci is the president and founder of Gloriam Marketing, a Catholic marketing and creative agency that serves churches and Catholic organizations as a partner in evangelization. She holds a Master’s degree in theology from the Augustine Institute and is also an adjunct professor of religious studies. As a research and literary enthusiast, she is passionate about God, Jane Austen, and the Oxford comma (in that order). Emily lives in New York (the state, not the city) with her husband and their five-month-old daughter. You can learn more about Gloriam Marketing at www.gloriammarketing.com and follow Emily on Instagram at www.instagram.com/gloriammarketing.