By now we are aware that marketing is an essential component of growing and engaging not only our congregations, but also reaching out to the wider community. Effective marketing strategies can help to communicate our values and mission, and connect with those who might be curious about our offerings.
For some church leaders, however, the term marketing can be controversial, often stemming from differing perspectives on how faith and religious institutions should be promoted and communicated.
Taking all of this into consideration, we hosted a series of Marketing Lunch & Learn events in October and November where key industry experts were selected to guide and teach us. This was a creative and informative occasion for learning and reflection, delivering deep insights and practical takeaways specific to our unique context.
In the first session we were guided through a process by marketing coach, Jen De Tracey. Each participant made a wheel where we were encouraged to not only document but also to rate our core values and beliefs. This delivered important insights and action steps. With this newfound clarity we acquired the foundation to embark on further marketing endeavors.
The second session was offered by Martha (Matte) Elias Downey who is an author, theologian and holds a PhD in dramatic theology. We explored marketing through the lenses of theology. Dr. Downey then led us in a revelatory storytelling exercise, inviting us to be playful, authentic and human. We discovered how – in learning how to tell our stories – we may better understand how to communicate and leverage marketing strategies.
In the final session we were led by Melissa Matalanis who has an MBA and is a marketing specialist and teacher at Concordia University. Melissa imparted her wisdom and practical hands-on information in the areas of church-specific effective websites and search engine optimization. It was so impactful to receive this training and to receive tools to further our desired outcome of digital marketing success.
You may find the entire three part Lunch and Learn series on our Diocesan website or our YouTube channel under the webinar playlist.
Contact us if you would like to learn more or be a part of future learning opportunities.
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