The Seminary of Hard Knocks Podcast | Church Communications, Marketing, and Social Media
Episodes
Tuesday May 17, 2022
Creating Digital Content for Discipleship w/Jennifer Benton - Season 1, Ep.12
Tuesday May 17, 2022
Tuesday May 17, 2022
We're wrapping this season up strong with Jennifer Benton from the BLK LYTE podcast. She is an Instagram influencer as well as a content creator for her church and she does it all remotely!
In this episode, we will see just how far online content can go when it is used as a means for discipleship and ministry. Can you impact someone's spiritual life and walk with Jesus while you're asleep?
All this and more in this week's episode.
LINKS
Jennifer on Instagram | TikTok
BLK LYTE podcast
ChurchComm Team
Monday Feb 15, 2021
New Developments in Digital Church Communications w/ Natchi Lazarus, Ep. 142
Monday Feb 15, 2021
Monday Feb 15, 2021
If you feel like you can’t keep up with what’s happening in the world of digital communication, follow Natchi Lazarus on Instagram. I talk with Natchi about what the church looks like in India, some of the latest trends and developments in digital media, and his new book The Connected Church in this episode of the podcast.
In this Episode:
What’s different about the church in India compared to the USA
New developments in Audio for Twitter (and Clubhouse)
A new YouTube feature that makes message clips easy
Social media attempts to crackdown on false information
LINKS
Natchi on InstagramNatchi's Book, The Connected Church
Seth on Instagram
OTHER GREAT LINKS
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Measuring Success on Social Media w/ Tammy Burdick, Ep. 124
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Monday Jun 08, 2020
THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse and Meagan RansonChurch Communications | Marketing | Social Media
How do you know when you're doing well on social media? What metrics do you look at to determine success? Do you have goals? These are all things that churches must begin to master in order to have an impact on social media. Tammy Burdick from Firm Foundations Marketing stops by to talk us through setting good goals for social media and how to tell if you're doing well!
LINKS
Firm Foundations MarketingFollow FFM on Instagram & FacebookSEMRush
Seth on InstagramMeagan on Instagram
OTHER GREAT LINKS
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
*Affiliate links mean I may receive a small commission on your purchase at no extra cost to you.
Follow Seth:
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Highlights from The InstaSummit, Ep. 123
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Tuesday May 26, 2020
THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse and Meagan RansonChurch Communications | Marketing | Social Media
Seth and Meagan share some of the big takeaways and highlights from The InstaSummit that just happened last week. This summit was all about helping churches master Instagram and understand the platform. They will go into detail about some of the speakers' content and reveal some surprising truths about where the church is with the platform.
LINKS
The InstaSummit
Seth on InstagramMeagan on Instagram
OTHER GREAT LINKS
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
*Affiliate links mean I may receive a small commission on your purchase at no extra cost to you.
Follow Seth:
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
5 Engaging Instagram Posts & the State of Social Media, Ep. 121
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse and Meagan RansonChurch Communications | Marketing | Social Media
On this episode, Meagan and Seth talk about TikTok, the state of social media, and 5 types of engaging Instagram posts that connect during a time of quarantine.
LINKS
Seth on InstagramMeagan on Instagram
OTHER GREAT LINKS
The InstaSummit!
This free online summit will help church communicators master Instagram over three days of intense training! Get your free ticket HERE or upgrade to the Later pass for on-demand access.
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
*Affiliate links mean I may receive a small commission on your purchase at no extra cost to you.
Follow Seth:
Monday Mar 30, 2020
Empowering Staff to Minister Online, Ep. 119
Monday Mar 30, 2020
Monday Mar 30, 2020
THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse and Meagan RansonChurch Communications | Marketing | Social Media
While quarantined, Seth and Meagan try to help church leaders and communicators figure out how to train and resource staff for online ministry. We're dropping links to a lot of great tools and giving you some ideas for training newbies to the online space for success!
LINKS
Zoom Training VideoCalendly Training VideoEpisode 117 with Jeff Reed about online church
ZoomUberconferenceCalendlyOpen.life.churchRightnow media
Seth on InstagramMeagan on Instagram
OTHER GREAT LINKS
The InstaSummit!
This free online summit will help church communicators master Instagram over three days of intense training! Get your free ticket HERE or upgrade to the Later pass for on-demand access.
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
*Affiliate links mean I may receive a small commission on your purchase at no extra cost to you.
Follow Seth:
Monday Jan 13, 2020
Church Instagram Posts We Loved and Why We Loved Them, Ep. 109
Monday Jan 13, 2020
Monday Jan 13, 2020
THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse and Meagan RansonChurch Communications | Marketing | Social Media
Helping you find common ground with your people so you can empower them for spiritual growth.
Get notified when I drop a new episode (and other perks) HERE.
We're looking at a few Instagram posts from churches we follow and talking about what makes them good posts. It's not just huge churches we're looking at either!
LINKS
Free Instagram course from Church Marketing University.*Subsplash
OTHER GREAT LINKS
Podcast gear! Seminarystuff.com is live!88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth:
Monday Nov 18, 2019
Updates from Instagram HQ and the Disappearing Likes, Ep. 107
Monday Nov 18, 2019
Monday Nov 18, 2019
THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse
Helping you find common ground with your people so you can empower them for spiritual growth.
Get notified when I drop a new episode (and other perks) HERE.
Instagram announced it would be making visible likes less so in the coming weeks and influencers and marketers are kinda nervous. But is it a good move for the consumer? One of our church comm family passed on some inside info from Instagram HQ this week and we're breaking it down for you!
LINKS
Free Instagram course from Church Marketing University.*
OTHER GREAT LINKS
Podcast gear! Seminarystuff.com is live!88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth:
*Some links are affiliate links, meaning I will receive a commission if you purchase through, but it will not affect you in any way. I won't share stuff like that unless I use it or really believe in it.
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
Online Trollslaying, Ep. 104
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse
Helping you find common ground with your people so you can empower them for spiritual growth.
Get notified when I drop a new episode (and other perks) HERE.
Recently, I gave a talk at That Church Conference about how to handle trolls and online negativity when it shows up on your church's social media feeds. Meagan and I are going to break that talk down and give you some practical tips for how to slay these trolls and still reflect who Jesus is to the world while you do it.
LINKS
Book: I Hear YouVideo: Nail in the head
Seminary Stuff: Troll Shirt
OTHER GREAT LINKS
Podcast gear! Seminarystuff.com is live!88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth:
Monday Oct 14, 2019
Enhancing your ministry with YouTube w/Dave Adamson, Ep. 103
Monday Oct 14, 2019
Monday Oct 14, 2019
THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse
Helping you find common ground with your people so you can empower them for spiritual growth.
Get notified when I drop a new episode (and other perks) HERE.
Do online tools like YouTube, online church, or social media replace IRL ministry (in real life)? Dave Adamson, the social media pastor at Northpoint Ministries with Andy Stanley says no, but we should still be leveraging them. We talk theology of online tools as well as give you several tips for YouTube and how you can reach new people with the second largest search engine!
LINKS
Dave on YouTube
OTHER GREAT LINKS
Podcast gear! Seminarystuff.com is live!88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth:
Tuesday Mar 12, 2019
How to Train for a Successful Facebook Group Strategy, Ep. 78
Tuesday Mar 12, 2019
Tuesday Mar 12, 2019
The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Where church communications are fun, Instagram is life, and no one feels like an idiot.
Get notified when I drop a new episode (and other perks) HERE.
We're about to launch our 25th Facebook group! This episode is all about how we planned for it, trained for it, we were here for it, and launched it successfully. Downloads are below for content ideas.
Links from the Show
Link to Content ListHope Fellowship Facebook Groups page (don't join please)
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth on InstagramJoin the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group
Tuesday Feb 26, 2019
5 Social Media Questions That Get People Talking, Ep. 77
Tuesday Feb 26, 2019
Tuesday Feb 26, 2019
The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Where church communications are fun, Instagram is life, and no one feels like an idiot.
This week I'm giving you five easy questions to ask that will help get people talking on your church's social media channels. I'm even giving away a free resource at the link below that will help you create up to 88 (or more) posts that will help do just that as well! I also fight a bear. See what happens this week on the podcast!
Links from the Show
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth on InstagramJoin the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group
Monday Jan 21, 2019
6 Ways to Gain Attention on a New Social Platform, Ep. 74
Monday Jan 21, 2019
Monday Jan 21, 2019
The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Where church communications are fun, Instagram is life, and no one feels like an idiot.
This week is all about getting your people to pay attention to your new or resurrected social channel! I'm going to give you 6 tips and tricks that can help you gain momentum where there was none and some advice to see it through.
Also, make sure you sign up for the Engage Conference coming up soon. I'm speaking, but there are some real heavy-hitters for church communications, leadership, and marketing here. Get the VIP pass to watch anytime! The conference is February 4-12, so sign up now!
Links from the Show
Follow Seth on InstagramJoin the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Monday Jan 07, 2019
5 Ways to Build Trust Online/Instagram Predictions, Ep. 73
Monday Jan 07, 2019
Monday Jan 07, 2019
The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Where church communications are fun, Instagram is life, and no one feels like an idiot.
I've got some Instagram prediction from today's experts as well as 5 ways your church can start building a culture of trust online! For the TLDL crowd, here are my summary points.
5 Ways to Build Trust Online
Fill out your Bio
Consistency
Follow Through with thoughtfulness
Authority Quotes
Cited Sources
Listen to episode 73 for the details!
Links from the Show
From Later.com: 13 Experts Share Their Instagram Predictions for 2019FREE Church Marking University Instagram Course
Follow Seth on InstagramJoin the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Monday Oct 08, 2018
Daily Video Isn't Hard w/ Kenny Jahng, Ep. 68
Monday Oct 08, 2018
Monday Oct 08, 2018
The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Where church communications are fun, Instagram is life, and no one feels like an idiot.
In this week's episode, Kenny Jahng and I join forces to save kittens while discussing how churches can keep up with posting daily videos that engage with their audience. You might think it takes thousands of dollars of equipment and a 3-point lighting rig to make a good video, but you might also be wrong. Find out more on this week's episode of the Podcast!
Links from the Show:
Kenny on TwitterButler.church
Follow Seth on Instagram
Join the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Monday Jul 16, 2018
9 Engaging Questions to ask on Instagram, ep. 62
Monday Jul 16, 2018
Monday Jul 16, 2018
The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Church Communications and Social Media with a chuckle or two.
Show Notes can be found at www.sethmuse.com/62.
In this week's episode, I'm covering a few key questions you can ask on Instagram that should help you get the conversation ball rolling. It takes time to cultivate a culture of conversation, but these questions will help you kickstart your Insta!
Links from the Show:
Follow Seth on Instagram
Join the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Monday May 21, 2018
Content that Kills on Instagram w/ Kenny Jahng, ep. 58
Monday May 21, 2018
Monday May 21, 2018
The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Church Communications and Social Media with a chuckle or two.
Episode also found at www.sethmuse.com/58
In this week's episode, I'm talking to my good friend Kenny Jahng about content that does really well on Instagram. We also discuss the best sandwich known to man and the time I got to eat one. All these thrills and more inside this week's episode!
By the By, I'm Speaking at a Free Conference Soon
THIS WEEK! Catch me at That Church Summit May 23-25, 2018. Go to thatchurchsummit.com to register for free!
Links from the Show:
KennyJahng.comButler.church
Join the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group
88 Ideas for Church Social Media PostsFollow Seth on Instagram
Monday Apr 09, 2018
7 Apps to Help You Rock Your Church Instagram, ep. 54
Monday Apr 09, 2018
Monday Apr 09, 2018
The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Church Communications and Social Media with a chuckle or two.
Show notes are found at www.sethmuse.com/54
This week I'm giving you the secret chords that will help you rock your church Instagram like Weezer during the Pinkerton years! These 7 apps help me make Instagram sing and they will help you too.
Some other cool stuff
Join the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group
88 Ideas for Church Social Media PostsFollow Seth on Instagram
By the By, I'm Speaking at a few Free Conferences Soon
Catch me at https://churchmarketingsummit.com/free along with over 30 other church communication and marketing experts!
Then catch me at That Church Summit again in April. Go to thatchurchsummit.com to register for free!
I'm not speaking at it, but you should also check out the Big Idea Conference coming up in Nashville. When you register, use promo code SETH to save $25 off your ticket!
Thanks for listening!
Monday Mar 05, 2018
Monday Mar 05, 2018
The Seminary of Hard Knocks Podcast with Seth Muse
Show notes available at www.sethmuse.com/49
Check out Big Idea Nashville conference coming up in April and use promo code SETH for $25 off your ticket!
Monday Feb 19, 2018
Getting your Pastor to Post on Social Media, Ep. 47
Monday Feb 19, 2018
Monday Feb 19, 2018
The Seminary of Hard Knocks with Seth Muse
Show notes are at www.sethmuse.com/47
In this episode, I give you a few ideas for your pastor to post on his/her personal social media accounts that can help get them started engaging online. See the full blog of ideas here.
Tuesday Jan 30, 2018
Reading YouTube Analytics to Reach your Community w/ Lauren McAllister, ep. 45
Tuesday Jan 30, 2018
Tuesday Jan 30, 2018
The Seminary of Hard Knocks Podcast with Seth Muse
Helping church communicators navigate the ever-changing landscape of social media to feel successful every day!
Show Notes are at www.sethmuse.com/45
In this episode, I talk with Lauren McAllister, the communications director at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL about how to read YouTube analytics. Reading these numbers can help you create content for your church YouTube that works and takes a lot of guesswork out of it. She's so much fun to talk to, so I know you'll enjoy it. It also gets super real around the 30min mark, just sayin...
Tuesday Jan 16, 2018
Leveraging YouTube to Reach Your Community w/ Alejandro Reyes, ep. 44
Tuesday Jan 16, 2018
Tuesday Jan 16, 2018
The Seminary of Hard Knocks with Seth Muse
A fine place to expand your knowledge of church communications and social media!
Get the show notes with all the links discussed in this episode at www.sethmuse.com/44
Wednesday Jun 28, 2017
The Art of Digital Listening w/ Kevin Fontenot, Ep. 34
Wednesday Jun 28, 2017
Wednesday Jun 28, 2017
The Art of Digital Listening with Kevin Fontenot
Show Notes for this episode can be found at www.sethmuse.com/34.
If you want to deliver compelling messages to your followers, you will need to do a little research at first. You'll have to practice the art of listening online to see what your people care about and struggle with most. Only then will you be able to learn how to minister to them properly via your church's social media channels.
Kevin is a marketing professional for Trained Up and helps churches all over to focus their message and reach new people.
Wednesday May 03, 2017
Slaying Online Trolls and Other Magical Beasts w/ Justin Dean, ep. 28
Wednesday May 03, 2017
Wednesday May 03, 2017
Show notes and links (plus a special bonus "behind the scenes" track for this episode) can be found at www.sethmuse.com/28
In this episode:
You approach a large door. Do you go in? Y or N
You open the door and find a huge troll? Do you (A)ttack, (R)un or use (M)agic?
If you've been in charge of social media of a company or church, you've likely encountered internet trolls before. What do you do?
Out of nowhere, they bash your pastor, call your church a cult, and pray God sends plagues!
Justin Dean has been through it all and stops by the podcast to talk about how we should handle trolls and other magical beasts as we manage our church's social media.