Had a couple more thought about Robin Hood Marketing. At the very end of her book Katya listed three sins of marketing. Wow do these ever apply to church. I know that I have been guilty of all three.
The Three Sins of Marketing
1. The first sin is falsely assuming that information results in action – It is tempting to assume that if people have information, they will act on it. But sadly, information doesn’t prompt action.
Vision has to more than a pamphlet and a powerpoint. We have to create steps for change. We have to demonstrate what it is that we are seeing. We have to believe and act not just spew information.
2. The second sin is forgetting that we’re not the audience. – We assume that our audience thinks the way we do.
Who are you trying to reach? Figure that out and you are well on your way to being far more effective in you corner of the world with the great commission.
3. The third sin is treating marketing as an afterthought. – This mindset can help us meet the needs of others, and motivate others to act.
This is a big one for me. I think that marketing has gotten a bad name in church. People feel that marketing = manipulation. Has marketing been used to manipulate? Yes. Is manipulation and marketing synonymous? Absolutely not! Church marketing to me is speaking the uncompromising truth of God’s word in language and terms people not only understand but apply.
Marketing is not a evil thing. I believe that it is crucial, and becoming more so. There is so much information competing for people’s time and energy. Our message is the most powerful and life changing.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read Robin Hood and to comment so thoughtfully on its relevance to churches and marketing. I've gotten a lot of interesting feedback from people involved in promoting their churches, and it's fascinating. Chris Forbes has helped me awaken to many of the connections. Since you may have gotten your blog readers excited about the relevance to your work, I wanted to offer a free copy of my book to one of your readers – you can choose the recipient any way you like.
Katya,
Thank you so much for reading my little blog and commenting. I really was challenged by your book and how to apply those things to church and church life. I will think up how to best give away your generous donation.
Also thanks for the link to Chris' blog. Good stuff.
sam
Thanks so much for taking the time to read Robin Hood and to comment so thoughtfully on its relevance to churches and marketing. I’ve gotten a lot of interesting feedback from people involved in promoting their churches, and it’s fascinating. Chris Forbes has helped me awaken to many of the connections. Since you may have gotten your blog readers excited about the relevance to your work, I wanted to offer a free copy of my book to one of your readers – you can choose the recipient any way you like.
Katya,
Thank you so much for reading my little blog and commenting. I really was challenged by your book and how to apply those things to church and church life. I will think up how to best give away your generous donation.
Also thanks for the link to Chris’ blog. Good stuff.
sam