What is mission-driven video marketing? (and how do I do it?)

As a key member of a Catholic organization, marketing is one of those words that makes you a little uncomfortable. “Marketing” evokes images of slimy salesmen, glittering but useless products, and unhealthy commercialism. All the things that have absolutely no place in a Catholic organization that is committed to helping people.

As I was interviewed on a business podcast, I was once blatantly asked, how do you reconcile being a Catholic, with all the preachings of humility and self-abasement, with your job as a marketer?

Ouch.

Now there are a couple problems with that question, but I’m only going to focus on the biggest one. Because behind that question is absolutely the same problem that communication and development directors often struggle with. It’s an incorrect understanding of what marketing really is.

Marketing is much, much more than that face-slapping car dealership ad that comes across the TV way too many times. Marketing is communication.

Let that sink in for a moment. Marketing is communication.

In fact, Jesus himself and St. Paul are listed in some books as the best marketers of all time. They were masters at communication.

Marketing is making sure that the people who need you know that you exist. Marketing is telling the people who want to make a difference in the world know how they can fulfill that dream alongside your team. Marketing is finding, educating, and fostering the conviction of the people who will be the next ones to lead your organization.

In short, marketing is finding and informing the people that you need to fulfill your mission.

That’s what we mean by mission-driven marketing. Mission-driven marketing is the communication that is both fueled by our commitment to our organization's mission, and, actually, essential to completing it.

Now, how do we make our marketing mission-driven?

We have to reorient and ask, who are the people that our organization needs right now to complete our mission? That may be anyone from those you serve, to high-level donors. Always, always go back to your mission - who do you need in order to advance the mission of your organization.

Next, we must ask, where are these people? Where can we place our message so that the people we need will see it? Is that billboards, or TikTok? Remember, even the most clique advertising location is simply a tool given to us to use. Just because other people abuse it doesn’t mean we should give it up as lost. Fight for it, baptize those billboards or tweets. Be like St. Paul and go into the pagan temples to preach! If we know where they are, we can craft our marketing strategy to reach them.

Next, we must ask, what do these people need to know? Do they need to know that our organization is a great opportunity to support locals in need? Or do they need to be awakened to a greater purpose in life? This is where we craft our messaging. Really think about these people, place yourself in their shoes and try to picture what they need to know or hear.

And finally, we must ask, what do we need these people to do in order to further our mission? Sometimes, just video views is enough. Sometimes we need them to fill out an inquiry form. Don’t let them walk away unchanged. What is the next step these people need to take in order for us to advance our mission? This is how we craft our call-to-action, which always goes at the end of our marketing message.

Don’t let the word “marketing” keep you from completing your mission. Remember, marketing is communication. And communication is essential to our mission as Catholics. After all, the very last command Jesus gave us on earth was to communicate, to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

For more mission-driven marketing tips like this one, subscribe to our newsletter at thinginapot.com. And let us help you to grow with video.

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Katie Rutter is the COO of Thing in a Pot Productions. She has received multiple awards for her work, including a nomination for a Chicago/Midwest Emmy in 2021 and being declared Video Producer of the Year in 2018 by the Catholic Press Association. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our video Mission Driven Marketing tips in your inbox every month!