Marketing

Creating Digital Content for Discipleship w/Jennifer Benton - Season 1, Ep.12

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

Both/And Worship as the New Ministry Model w/Jason Moore - Season 1, Ep. 09

What would it take for your church to embrace the digital space just like you do the face-to-face as a legit ministry? How would you even do it? 
If you're kicking those kinds of questions around, this episode with Jason Moore will help you process the practical side of running a hybrid ministry. He calls it "Both/And" and his new book by the same title lays out the framework. 
We talk about Both/And (physical and digital) ministry, church communications, and more in this episode of The Seminary of Hard Knocks!
LINKS
Jason on Facebook
Both/And Book
Both/And Workshop
Church Comm Team

Making Email Automations Personal w/Julianne Alkire - Season 1, Ep. 08

Did you know that there were more email addresses on file than social media account handles COMBINED? Email still drives much of the communication space and churches need to be able to master the medium.
If you said "the subject line" was the key to more opened emails, you're mostly right. But there are a lot of other factors that Email Marketing specialist from CMU (Church Marketing University) Julianne Alkire and I discuss in this episode.
Especially the art of making automated emails personal. How can you get your website and social media to work for you while you're asleep? Or after hours? Or on your days off? And how do you make those automated responses feel personal for those who are interacting with you when it's convenient for them?
All this and more in this episode of The Seminary of Hard Knocks!
 
LINKS
Church Marketing University
Church Comm Team - Fix Your Four
Julianne on Instagram | Twitter 
 

Starting a Photography Team w/Rob Laughter, Ep. 112

THE SEMINARY OF HARD KNOCKS PODCAST with Seth Muse and Meagan RansonChurch Communications | Marketing | Social Media
You've GOT to have good photos in this visual society. But putting together a team that can get great shots on a regular basis is tough. Rob Laughter joins us to talk about how you can start a high-quality photography team at your church so you can capture the visual story and get great photos!
LINKS
Photography course at churchphotographers.comChurch Photography Facebook GroupChurch Photography InstagramEpisode 46 about Website trends with Rob
OTHER GREAT LINKS
Podcast gear! Seminarystuff.com is live!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:

Understanding the People You're Trying to Reach, Ep. 95

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 one of my new shirts at SeminaryStuff.com!Check out my new YouTube channel HERE!
Understanding the people you're trying to reach is part demographics, part psychographics, and part trial-and-error! Let's talk about the psychology of reach.
Links
Podcast gear! Seminarystuff.com is live!
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
More Church Comms on my YouTube channelFollow me on InstagramJoin the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group

Clear Messaging beats Clever Every Time with Wes Gay, ep. 91

The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Where church communications are fun, Instagram is life, and no one feels like an idiot.
Check out my new YouTube channel HERE!
I always love it when I get to talk to one of my best friends about communications. Wes Gay is always helpful when he comes on the show and this time is no different! He and I chase a lot of interesting rabbits on this show, but keep coming back to making clarity a priority in your church and how it helps you connect with your audience with far more success!
Links from the Show
hirewayfinder.com
Wes on Twitter
Wes's website
Storybrand
4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
 
 
That Church Conference - Sign up for the BEST communications conference out there!
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth on InstagramJoin the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group

Using Personas that Connect with your Crowd w/ Meagan Ranson, Ep. 82

The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Where church communications are fun, Instagram is life, and no one feels like an idiot.
Meagan Ranson is small, but she will take you out camper-style in Call of Duty. She stops by to talk about how personas can help communicators connect with their crowds in highly effective ways. She also has the most ridiculous rider of any speaker at That Church Conference this year. Check out this really great conversation with Meagan and sign up for the conference below!
Links from the Show
That Church Conference - Sign up for the BEST communications conference out there!Meagan on Twitter
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth on InstagramJoin the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group

Send a Message that Matters w/Jonathan Carone, Ep. 80

The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse
Where church communications are fun, Instagram is life, and no one feels like an idiot.
Getting your message right can be tricky, especially if you save that part for last. When you're trying to motivate an audience of people to do something, it's a good idea to listen to Storybrand certified guide, Justin Carone. He talks us through the best ways to think about how to connect with an audience where they already are invested so that they want to take a next step.
Links from the Show
Solving Problems PodcastStorybrandJonathan on Twitter
88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts
Follow Seth on InstagramJoin the Seminary of Hard Knocks Facebook group at sethmuse.com/group

6 Ways to Gain Attention on a New Social Platform, Ep. 74

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

Nobody Cares About Your Event: Promoting through the Noise, Ep. 71

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 talking you through the heartbreak of realizing that nobody cares about your events. I'm also helping you realize that you can motivate them to! It's a noisy world out there and if you're going to cut through to your audience and compete, you're going to have to promote well. I've got a few best practices for you this week on the podcast. 
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

You Can't Get Chick-Fil-A on Sundays: 4 Marketing Tips for Churches, Ep. 69

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 special episode of the podcast, I walk around my church lobby and talk about four marketing tactics that can help you promote events at your church that creates a little interest and excitement. 
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

Creating Personas for Your Church's Digital Strategy w/ Barbara Carniero, Ep. 35

Creating Personas for Your Church's Digital Strategy w/ Barbara Carniero
Show Notes can be found at www.sethmuse.com/35. 
Barbara started an agency that helps businesses, non-profits, and churches connect their message with their communities and customers. In this episode, we discuss the often forgotten or overlooked first stage of crafting great websites, social media posts, and ads: Personas.
Personas are a fictional character based on what you think the center of your target audience is. Find out how to create personas that help you make better digital decisions in this episode!
Get 88 Ideas for Church Social Media Posts now!

Understanding Google and Facebook Analytics w/ Lauren McAllister, Ep. 31

Understanding Google and Facebook Analytics w/ Lauren McAllister
Show Notes available at SethMuse.com/31
 
Many of us in church communications are tempted to make online decisions based on something other than data. We heard a few people talking about an event, so we full on advertise that event because it must be important. We feel like attendance was up, so the Facebook ad worked well.
But great online decisions are not made this way. Data-driven decisions are the best decisions a church communicator can make and Lauren McAllister has a ton of insight in this area. 
You may want to get a pen and paper out for this one folks, because there's a LOT to digest!

How to Get Hired in Church Communications w/ Holly Tate, Ep. 30

How to Get Hired in Church Communications with Holly Tate of Vanderbloemen Search Group
Holly is the Director of Business Development at Vanderbloemen, a pastor search firm that knows what churches are looking for when it comes to hiring staff. She shares a lot of great insights for those looking for a job as well as those who already have a job and just need some direction. 
She's a ton of fun, so don't miss this episode of The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with Seth Muse!
 
Show Notes are available at www.sethmuse.com/30
 
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The Power of Networking w/ Jeanette Yates, Ep. 29

The Power of Networking with Jeanette Yates
Jeanette is the Communications Director at Southside United Methodist in Florida and has become a pro in a very short time. How? Because she networks like a boss!
Find out her secrets in another exciting episode of The Seminary of Hard Knocks!
Show Notes at sethmuse.com/29

Writing Church Emails that Get Opened, ep. 27

Every church has an all-church email.
How can you live without it? However, most emails are deleted before they are even opened and you have to listen to the same old tired response when they don't show up for things:
"I didn't know about it!"
What if I told you that you could increase the chance your people would open and read your emails?
In this podcast, I talk in depth about the theory behind church email marketing and the three phases to writing a great church email that gets opened. Check it out!
The show notes for this episode can be found at www.sethmuse.com/27
 

Be Known for Something w/Mark MacDonald, Ep. 24

Be Known for Something with Mark MacDonald
If you feel like your church is being ignored by your community despite your best efforts to wave your arms and make loud noises to get their attention, this podcast is for you.
It's possible that they actually see you, but just don't resonate with what you're saying. Mark is the visionary behind the company Be Known For Something and helps churches figure out what their message thread to the community should be. 
The show notes for this show can be found at www.sethmuse.com/24
Links:
Be Known for Something Book
Mark on Twitter
The Seminary of Hard Knocks on Instagram
Easter Social Graphics pack from Ministry Downloads