Marketing as Ministry #5: Know On Monday, we broke down the four essential elements of any marketing plan. Today, I'm going to help you start to build out the first of those elements: Know. Because this is the hill I will die on: If you want your marketing to be ministerial (and also work 10,000x better), then you need to KNOW your people. Like really, really, really know them. If you've been around here long enough, you know that I am passionate about making sure you know your target...
2 days ago • 4 min read
Phew. First Communions are done, maybe you're wrapping up some Confirmations, it's finally getting calm, right? ...and then you look at your calendar and see two straight weeks in June of end-of-year gathering invites. From the Altar Rosary Society to the catechist reception to the school awards dinner to the Bible study finale — you're in for four nights in a row of eating catered chicken, baked ziti, and salad this June. These gatherings aren't just great for building community you already...
4 days ago • 2 min read
Marketing as Ministry #4: Accompaniment "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20 (emphasis mine) Everything you need to know about marketing, you can learn from the Great Commission. Truly. There are four essential elements of any Catholic marketing plan, and Jesus lays them...
5 days ago • 6 min read
I've read a lot of books about marketing over the years. But there's one in particular that I've learned more about marketing from than any other. And the kicker? It's not even a marketing book. ⤵ My favorite marketing book is: The Bible. Bet you've never seen that on any "Top 10 Marketing Books to Read" round-ups, huh? But it's true: I have learned more about how to market well from Jesus than any marketing guru out there. Because yes, Jesus and the apostles used the same marketing...
8 days ago • 1 min read
"Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope." - 1 Peter 3:15 Most of the time, we talk about how to market your church to get people to come to you. But a few times a year, you likely have the opportunity to bring your church to people. Ecumenical prayer services. Community days and parades. And of course, the Corpus Christi procession. The day where you literally bring Jesus to the people in a very public way. Of course, that's likely to bring up...
12 days ago • 4 min read
I can't believe I missed this one. I was a guest on a podcast a few years ago and the host asked me something along the lines of, "What skills do people need to be good at marketing?" I replied that marketing comes down to a combination of three skills, really. Most people are not naturally gifted in all three, but if you have two out of the three, you can usually get by. I still stand by those three, but there's a fourth one I missed that's actually the most important. We determined last...
12 days ago • 6 min read
Marketing as Ministry #1: Marketing can be holy. I'd planned on going with her all along. Before our third child was even born, I knew exactly who I wanted as a lactation consultant. After struggles with nursing my first two, I was determined to make it work for baby #3, so I planned ahead to find someone before she was even born. There was one consultant who was often referenced in our area, and though her marketing was pretty sparse, I saved her info on my phone for if we needed it. So when...
15 days ago • 4 min read
Something that's been tugging at my heart recently is that as Catholics, we have to market differently. The industry is becoming saturated by tactics that manipulate people for personal gain and bots that have stripped marketing of its humanity and leave us questioning what is true and what is generated. Catholics have always been called to be different. And that's becoming no less true in marketing. Just as "they'll know we are Christians by our love," someone should be able to look at our...
19 days ago • 3 min read
I need your feedback on something I'm planning to offer you this summer! Scroll to the end of the email to vote. There is a communication tool every church has, but few use well: The bulletin. Most church bulletins look exactly the same. Major contact info. Boilerplate language about who to contact for various sacraments. All the prayer and intention lists. Upcoming events. Lots of clip art. But what if we zoomed out and asked a simple question: How is the bulletin forwarding our church's...
19 days ago • 2 min read