Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles and literally and figuratively set them on fire with mission. Those little tongues of fire fundamentally changed their missionary strategy (aka from pretending like Jesus didn't exist to literally shouting about Him from the rooftops). But seriously, how did they get THREE THOUSAND new believers in one day? And how can we harness that same energy for marketing our ministries? Enter the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Catholic marketing edition.
Wisdom
Knowing what to market and where takes discernment. Utilize the gift of wisdom by honing your target audience and keeping yourself serving others by not spreading yourself too thin in trying to do it all. (Looking at you, gurus who say that you need to be on every platform all the time!)
Understanding
While typically applied to understanding God's message, I think this gift can also be applied to understanding our target audience. As we discussed through character personas, the best marketing, traditional or Catholic, has a laser-focus, deeply-empathetic understanding of a target audience and its pain points. And it isn't just exploiting those pain points for gain - it's true empathy that stems from a desire to solve a problem.
Knowledge
The only way to grow is to learn. Utilize the gift of knowledge by listening to podcasts, watching online tutorials, and reading books and blogs to develop your Catholic marketing skills.
Fortitude
Being in ministry is not easy and takes perseverance. Marketing also involves a lot of trial and error, and it can get really easy to get discouraged. Don't let Satan's imposter syndrome disrupt your plans to bring God glory!
Counsel
Most likely, your ministry offers a service of some kind (even if you're a product-based business!). Chances are, you help people learn more about God, draw their thoughts to Him, or educate people in some way. Do that in your marketing too, and you'll be displaying the gift of counsel and most likely engaging your target audience.
Piety
If you aren't putting God first in your marketing, that's probably why it's not working. Whatever your style, always pray to Him before posting, speaking, or doing anything related to Catholic marketing.
Fear of the Lord
Fear of the Lord is often misunderstood to mean being afraid of God, but it really means just knowing that He is God and you are not! Marketing can be humble - it doesn't have to be braggy! All you have to do is keep the focus on Him. Survey your heart - are you trying to build a name for yourself or for Him? The gift of fear of the Lord keeps the focus on Him.
Did the Apostles Market?
Want to learn more about what we can learn from the apostles about marketing? Check out this guest article I recently wrote for Catholic Women in Business, "Sent Forth As Businesswomen: 3 Lessons About Marketing and Evangelization From the Apostles."