Christian marketing, or marketing as a Christian business owner, is more than just putting Bible verses on your products. Marketing takes on a whole new dimension when you talk about your beliefs. In this article, we want to discuss a simple framework to think about when you are marketing as a Christian entrepreneur.
Defining marketing
Marketing is not all the ads you create nor is it the slogan you have on your web page. Those can be part of marketing, but I want us to have a better definition of marketing.
Marketing is getting the message about your product or services in front of the people who need it most.
First, marketing is about how you help your customers. What solution do you have? What problem do you solve? Highlight the way you can help your customer and you will be on your way to a clear, pinpointed marketing message for your business.
Second, marketing is doing everything you can to get your message in front of the perfect customer. You must be where your ideal customer hangs out in the real world and online. That means if your ideal customer watches videos on Youtube, you should have your message on Youtube. If your ideal customer, goes to a specific gym, you should find a way to have your message at that gym.
Marketing is focused on the customer
We talked about this in our social media series, but I want to make sure you understand the difference between features and benefits. Features are what your product does or has. Benefits are the results of your product for the end user.
Everything you do in marketing should focus on the benefits. Let your customers see the end result of using your product. Make sure everything you create for marketing purposes is focused on the customer. You don’t say “we do this for you” instead, you say “you get these results and we can help.”
Marketing is about the message
The message is the core of what you do in your business. As a Christian business owner, you probably have your faith as part of the core of what you do. There is nothing wrong with including Jesus in your marketing, but make sure you don’t force the issue.
If you company works exclusively with Christians, like a Christian book store, then everything should have a Christian focus to it. If your business helps people regardless of what their beliefs, like a regular book store with a Christian book section, you may not need to have a Bible verse on everything you create.
Jesus model of Marketing
I don’t want to get into semantics here, but let’s be honest. Jesus had a great public relations team. He may not have done marketing like we do it today, mainly because they did not have computers back then, but people always knew when He was coming to a town and they gathered to see Him.
I don’t think if Jesus was around today, He would put up billboards. That just wasn’t His style. He always built relationships (fans) and the fans readily told others. Just look at the woman at the well. He had a conversation with her, offered what He had, and she went home and told the entire town about Him. Jesus went to where people were gathered.
On the next level, once Jesus got a large crowd following Him, He went off to the mountain to share His message with all of them. He fed an entire crowd with a few fishes and loaves because they followed Him to the mountainside. That miracle could never have happened if Jesus had not build the relationships with individuals first.
Conclusion
You are a Christina business owner. You have a business that helps people. You must do everything you can to make sure that everyone who needs your business knows what you have to offer. You don’t need to include a Bible verse to show people you care, your actions, the way you treat your employees and customers, will tell your story.
Then, once people can see that you care and they see that you are running your business different, you have a platform on which to share the saving message of Jesus Christ. Once you have a relationship, you can be the bridge that brings people one step closer to knowing Jesus.
