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 immersion is one of the best ways to learn something.

At first, just get to know the platform and its purpose and how it works from the user perspective.

Then observe how you engage with it. What makes you stop? What do you click on? Why?

For example, let's say you decide you want to focus on spreading the word about your business or ministry through being a podcast guest.

First, go listen to a bunch of podcasts that you'd like to be a guest on! Which guests do you like the best? What is the tone of the show? Which ones get you to go take an action after versus the ones that don't?

Or maybe you hear Pinterest is great for your niche and so you decide to go all in on it. Great! Go set up an account first and learn it from the user side.

What do you go on it for? How do you interact with various boards? What are you searching on?

You can take all the courses.

You can have a really good strategy.

But I have found that the best way to actually know how to market on a particular channel is to be a user on that channel first.

I've said it before, but the greatest market research project ever conducted was the Incarnation.

Jesus could have just appeared as a fully adult human and saved us.

But instead He chose to know the human condition so well that He began at the beginning, as a vulnerable baby, so He could experience it all.

You might not be able to become your audience...but you can see through their eyes a bit before marketing to them.

So before you use a platform for marketing...use it as a user. Your marketing on it will be way more "on brand," and you'll have a much better sense of how your audience uses it too.

For His greater glory,

Emily

P.S. Last week, participants in the current cohort of Market Like Jesus selected the marketing channels they are going to focus on based on a unique formula of goal, audience, content creation abilities, and time needs.

Side note: I feel like those last two aren't talked about enough! Because I don't care if that influencer exploded on YouTube...if you don't have a "videoable" thing, then YouTube isn't right for you.

And why go all in on a platform that needs a certain amount of time investment you don't have?

The best way to pick your platforms is to figure out the right ones for YOU based on that unique mix of factors...not just picking what other people are using who have way different answers to those factors than you.

Anyway, I'm considering opening up enrollment in Market Like Jesus again this fall...so if this is something you're looking for help with, stay tuned!

Random Things From My Life

Random snippets from real life!

We survived our first two weeks of homeschooling! My favorite part of our homeschool set-up? Our "theme of the week" area with tiered shelves featuring books all centering on the theme.

We'll see how long I keep up with the "theme of the week." My best friend guessed 33 weeks. I replied that she thought much higher of me than I do. It is bringing me so much joy though to find books and projects all centered on a theme, so for now, we're doing it! (Also, pretty sure my local library is going to hate me soon for the astronomical number of books I'm putting on hold every week.)

• Speaking of my local library, I had a thought recently: I really love to read. But I never have time to read for myself a lot lately. (Because no, reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" 15 times a day to my obsessed 10-month-old is not what I consider pleasure reading.) But I do find little pockets during the day, like when I'm nursing or waiting at a kid's activity, to scroll on my phone. So instead, I downloaded a book I've been wanting to read for free through Libby/OverDrive from my library. Now, when I pick up my phone and I'm tempted to scroll, I read a little bit of the book instead. I still much prefer a real paper book, but it's better than not reading at all! (In case you're interested, I'm reading Launch by Jeff Walker and so far it's...meh.)​
  ​
• Do you have a "code word" with God? I had a really profound spiritual experience once during Lectio Divina on a retreat with the word, "Abide." Now, whenever I hear it in Mass or it comes up in a song or the readings for the day, I smile because it feels like a little wink from God like "I'm thinking of you!"
  ​
• ​This version of this classic hymn came up in my rotation in the other day, and it has me seriously considering getting my violin fixed because I want to play that intro so badly. (I played violin for almost a decade! Started with classical, then went to fiddle. One of my pegs started slipping and just would not stay in place anymore even after I tried to get it fixed and I went off to college and never pursued getting it fixed again - but every Christmas I get nostalgic and want to have it fixed because my favorite song to play was Joy to the World.)