I never wanted to be a teacher. But when I showed up at college orientation, I was quickly told that I wouldn't get a job as "just" an English major. "You should really add education to it so you can be a teacher," I was told repeatedly. So I did. And I was an education major for three whole weeks before I realized something: I had ZERO desire to be a teacher. None. Zip. Nada. So I dropped it, before I even took a single education class. And it was one of the best decisions I ever made,...
about 7 hours ago • 3 min read
Well folks, here we are: Q4 has arrived. It kind of feels like what we've been working towards all year, doesn't it? And with that can come the added pressure of needing to get this busy season "right" in terms of marketing, because it's when it matters the most. So if I were you, here's are 5 things I would be prepping for Black Friday / Cyber Monday / Giving Tuesday / Christmas Shopping / "Whatever You Want to Call the Busy Sales Season" promotions: 1. Review your marketing plan. First, I...
7 days ago • 6 min read
One of my favorite underutilized social media strategies is asking "icebreaker" questions. Because if you're like most churches, your goals with social media probably are: Help parishioners know what's going on Spread the word about your parish to those not already involved Grow relationships among your parishioners And asking questions on social media that get people to comment and share will help you do all three! Because when someone responds to a question: It's a big sign to the algorithm...
7 days ago • 1 min read
"This shouldn't be so hard!" I thought to myself as I plopped my head into my hands in front of my computer. "I literally do this for a living." "I TEACH other people how to do this for a living," I continued berating myself. So why wasn't I able to do it for myself?? The source of my existential crisis was creating a landing page for a recent offering for Gloriam. I'd done all of the things I teach you to do: I knew my audience really well. I knew their problems. I knew how what I offered...
14 days ago • 4 min read
I scooched over into the pile of shoes on the floor, trying to take up as little room as possible as yet another customer came through the sliding glass door. The owner of the store was bouncing from customer to customer, involved in three conversations at once and somehow not getting frazzled by it. He circled back to me, and I expected him to apologize - not because he needed to, but because that's just what we do to overcompensate as small business owners, right? Instead, he simply smiled...
21 days ago • 3 min read
If you're like most parishes, September is the month of ALL THE EVENTS. Every group is starting back up (and competing for your parishioners' limited calendar space). And of course, everyone wants to be promoted in the bulletin, on the website, in the email newsletter, etc. But after a while, all of these promotions start to blend together...which means they're probably only being skimmed (at best!) by parishioners. There are a bunch of strategies you could try to help these groups promote...
21 days ago • 2 min read
You're scrolling Instagram and come across an ad, "How I catapulted to seven figures on YouTube." The very next post is a reel from someone explaining their step-by-step guide to reaching their prime audience through blogging. And then yet another person explaining how Pinterest allows them to only have to work an hour a week. Before you go set up a YouTube, blog, and Pinterest, stop and do this first: Be a user on the platform. Before you ever market on a platform, you have to know it. And...
28 days ago • 4 min read
Marketing always brings changes and ebbs and flows. I like that about it. The basic principles have been the same since at least the time of Jesus, but it's always being applied in new ways and to new technologies. I have shiny object syndrome, so the constant changes make it exciting for me. But I have to be honest: I was "over" AI before it even really got started. Not from any moral high ground or ethical concern, really. I'm just one of those weird people who really likes doing the work...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
The OCIA Promo Pack is on sale through tomorrow to help you find your next class of OCIA participants! Inside, you'll find a step-by-step strategy to promote OCIA at your church and dozens of customizable templates for flyers, social media posts, emails, and more. Use code OCIA26 for 15% off through tomorrow, September 1! PURCHASE THE OCIA PROMO PACK Last year, I got this email from someone who had followed the OCIA promotion strategy I taught in 5 Essential Strategies to Fill Your OCIA...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read