Reaching Business Leaders Long-term, Bluetooth Marketing - Ministry and Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

What if you could impact churches, companies and communities all at once? You can, if you change the hearts and minds of the influence leaders -- businessmen and women.

Last week I attended the graduation dinner for the first class of Lifework Leadership Tampa Bay. Lifework Leadership began in Orlando in 1992 and trains business leaders through a 9-month program that features top corporate speakers, ministry leaders and others.

One of the cool things about Lifework is that the training and the classes are for real. Two cases in point...First, the $3K price tag per student. No business leader is going to drop $3,000 on a superficial program, unless its name starts with Harvard or Yale.

Next, students do actual work including case studies and interaction with fellow classmates. Through this program bonds are formed that can last a lifetime.

In Orlando nearly 700 business leaders have graduated from the Lifework course. The Spirit only knows how many people continue to be impacted by these Christ-centered leaders being sent out into the marketplace.

Find out more about Lifework Leadership at www.lifeworkleadership.org.

In other news, Bluetooth marketing continues to heat up here in the States. In a nutshell, via Bluetooth you can send free, opt-in content to folks at events and/or your church. If yours is a large congregation, you should definitely consider installing low-cost Bluetooth transmitters to send campus maps, church info, event calendars and more to members & visitors.

One of the great features of Bluetooth broadcasting is that you can re-use your church's existing media by simply resizing it to be cell-phone friendly. Imagine sending a shorter version of the nifty video on serving you showed in this week's church service to everyone with a Bluetooth-enabled phone. That's just one of many possible uses.

If you want to start exploring Bluetooth, click here.

New Bluetooth Broadcasting and Proximity Marketing Blog - Ministry and Business Marketing, Media & Strategy Blog

You may have noticed that it's been a while since my last post. My time away is thanks to a new arrival in the Lucky Rock household. No worries. I snapped a picture of myself sleeping, to help me remember what rest feels like.

For your reading pleasure and business/ministry success, Lucky Rock Consulting just unveiled our Bluetooth broadcasting and proximity marketing blog. Check it out here.

The latest post is features a great example of Bluetooth marketing at Trafford Centre in the U.K. If you're still wondering if Bluetooth broadcasting is for you, just notice the consumer response rates mentioned in the article.

If you're interested in Bluetooth broadcasting and you'd like to know the costs involved and how-to info, just drop us a line here.

Quick Links for a Happy Wednesday - Ministry and Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

I love learning about a wide variety of ministries and businesses. Not only do I get bored easily, I also find others' successes and failures to be profoundly instructive regardless of what I'm currently slaving away at.

Sometimes though, insights are lurking not around the corner, but within my own organization. Check out this great post on The Consultant Within.

You likely have folks within your ministry or business that came from other fields, utilized different technologies, and found solutions that you've perhaps never considered. Next time you're stumped, seek out these talented problem solvers who've successfully sown in a variety of soils.

On a completely different front, this great article from Fox Business chats up commerce in the "recommendation age." The key thought: don't miss the chance to participate in and encourage online conversations about your organization. These discussions are happening with or without you.

No, you shouldn't become as obsessed with what's being said about you online as a teenaged girl vying for prom queen. But you shouldn't fool yourself into believing that virtual ratings and dialogue won't impact your ministry or business success.

Want proof that you're living in the recommendation age? Look closer at the next news article or blog post you read online? Those "digg it," "fave it," "seed it," and other buttons allow folks to recommend or bash the content at hand. And tens of millions of web watchers depend on such ratings to choose ministries and businesses.

Embrace the recommendation age. If you're not sure where to begin, drop me a line.

Bonus Features that Sell - Ministry and Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

Start your day off with this insightful article from the Hollywood Reporter. I know, I know, you don't make films and you're not in the entertainment biz. Don't let that stop you from considering the article in light of your ministry or binistry (business that's your God-given ministry).

You ministry leaders should think about how you package your sermons/conferences online. If you have video capabilities, try adding a special pop-up interview as the main speaker takes the stage, which will introduce the sermon or talk at-hand. This intro can be given by an Associate Pastor or other ministry leader, and could cover the content of the talk, offer a funny related story, or even be a teaser for folks to stay tuned after the sermon.

Your goal is not to "package" Christ in such a way to make Him palatable to the "wicked and perverse generation among whom you shine as children of light." The world, devoid of the effectual drawing of the Holy Spirit, will never want what you have. In fact, Jesus Christ declared that the world hates the light and will not come near it, lest their deeds be exposed. (John 3:20)

However, you can add cool and informative "special features" that the Spirit might work through to help you become "all things to all men, that by all means (you) might win some."

You business owners and corporate leaders should think about ways to make your content pop, especially through your website--one of the lead-generating/sales producing engines which you can modify slightly, without great expense and fanfare.

A great example of using "bonus website content" is Aprimo marketing software's wide variety of client case studies which reinforce their sales message. This content amounts to more than giving your pitch in a different way or the usual "I used them, you should too" testimonials. These case studies offer a real "nook and cranny" view of how Aprimo might help large businesses and non-profits increase their marketing impact.

Other web-based possibilities include audio or video interviews with clients, which put flesh to case studies and testimonials. In fact, if you want to reach out beyond your website (the answer is "yes"), then you should make multimedia interviews available in widgets for your re-sellers to add to their own websites and blogs. And be sure to reference these new resources in your print, email, and radio/TV advertising.

Adding special features which help you cut through the clutter is not as hard as you think. Take a cue from the above article about DVD/Video on Demand bonus content that actually sells. You just might stick out, to the glory of God.

Marketing Strategies for Any Budget - Ministry and Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

In case you missed it, check out this survey from Media Week's 2007 Media Plan Award Winners. If you're short on time, skip to the coverage of SanDisk's brilliant anti-Ipod campaign which won for "Best Plan Under $1 Million," or check out McDonald's uber smart Seattle campaign which won for "Best Use of Nontraditional Media."

Great ministry and business buzz spreading doesn't have to cost a lot of money. In fact, you shouldn't think about what you'd do if money were no object. Rather, take a cue from SanDisk and prayerfully consider how to break through the clutter, to the glory of God.

I also strongly encourage you, to beat an old drum, to use viral widgets to spread your media and message far and wide. With the new, free SproutBuilder, you can build slideshows, music players and more without hiring a Flash programmer. Check out my recent post on Sprout and widgets here.

And you need to research and prayerfully consider Bluetooth broadcasting. It's hot for good reason in Europe and doesn't have to be a pain to consumers.

In fact, why don't you pastors and ministry leaders create simple graphics/promo stuff, load low-cost Bluetooth broadcasting software onto the smart phones of your students, and send them out to concerts & coffee shops? Call it guerilla ministry!

Why don't you store owners set up a low-cost Bluetooth receiver and send coupons to passers-by and customers? Check out Powerade's use of Bluetooth marketing here, complete with scanners that read barcodes right off of mobiles. Again, Bluetooth marketing doesn't have to be annoying and invasive; solid consumer response to past such campaigns shows that a significant percentage of customers actually appreciate this targeted marketing.

Feedback?

Ministry and Business Marketing News - Ministry and Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

A couple of quick items for your Happy Monday...

Media Execs See Multiplatform in Their Future
Ignore the headline of the linked article and skip down to the part about future sources of revenue growth. If you want to maximize your effectiveness, you have to think about messaging across your website, TV, radio, blogs, and more. That may seem like a lot of planning, but it's easier than you think.

Your church can show a video in Sunday services, which is then made available on your website (if you own the copyright). Your website can publish great articles and further offer them in shareable widgets to be placed on blogs, Facebook profiles, and more.

That's My King!
Click on the video below to enjoy this classic short film on Jesus. If you don't know Jesus, drop me a line through the "Contact Lucky Rock" button to the left of this blog. I'll be glad to tell you all about Him.

Christian Prison Guard Drives Gay Son to Mass Murder - Ministry and Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

No, that's not a headline from today's New York Times. But it was a major plot point from last night's episode of one my favorite TV shows: Criminal Minds.

You've no doubt heard of this epidemic of bigoted Christian parents pushing their homosexual children to become serial killers. What's that? You haven't so much as read a single story or seen a lone sociological study about this pandemic of hate-filled parenting? Then why would the writers for a hit show put forth such an outlandish story line?

Group think.

Group think is the boneheaded thoughts and actions that result from a group of people working as one, with no outside influence. Left unchecked, group think allows us to commit intellectual suicide and it can cause massive problems for your ministry or business.

Unfortunately for the Criminal Minds writing staff, what is accepted reality in the entertainment community, is known to be a laughable farce by most folks living beyond the gates of Studio City.

Don't suffer the same fate.

Ask reliable people you don't know about their perceptions of your ministry or business. And use your website to generate real feedback. Yes, you'll have to sift through a mountain of garbage comments. But the resulting insights will help you overcome the group think typical of nearly every ministry and business.

Another proven method of fighting off group think is maintaining relationships with the low men and women on the totem pole within your organization.

Are you a ministry leader or business executive? Why aren't you meeting regularly with those on the front lines of your work? Scary as it may be for your fragile ego, your underlings may have thought of better ways of doing things and may have spotted significant organizational failures. But you'd never know it, because you're too busy asking your fellow execs how to get things done. After all, the cream rises to the top. Right?

Of course, at its core, the unbiblical and fundamentally ridiculous Criminal Minds story line mentioned above, springs from mankind's utterly sinful nature, inherent hatred for the things of God, and desire to prop up all that is wicked, in order to distract from and justify one's own sin. (see Romans 1) But the inane shared worldview of hit TV show writers also teaches us about group think and serves as a warning to all bent on true success in ministry and binistry (business that's your God-given ministry).

Don't let group think kill your effectiveness, innovation, and purpose. Pray about and actively seek opportunities to think originally, for God's glory. And maybe Google search potential plot points before you script hit TV shows.

CSI's Anthony Zuiker and Your Ministry or Business - Ministry and Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

CSI is perhaps the most successful franchise in the history of television, watched by tens of millions around the world. No, most of their shows do not promote a biblical worldview and yes, you should exercise discernment in your television viewing habits. But you can learn a lot from CSI's media planning for your ministry or binistry (business that's your God-given ministry).

Check out the clip below of CSI Executive Producer Anthony Zuiker talking about creating and airing content across multiple platforms including television, web, mobile and more. Especially notice his comments about viewers' immediate response to show content, as evidenced by their web surfing habits. (Warning: the video contains no profanity but does reference inappropriate content.)

Take a cue from Zuiker and think about your ministry or business content, and how to spark audience response across various media. If you air a weekly radio show, push your listeners to log onto your website for a forum discussion immediately following the radio broadcast. Then take it a step further.

Build widgets from your show content, which fans can add to their blogs and online profiles. As an example, check out the PluggedIn movie review widget to the left of this column, which I built in about five minutes this afternoon using SproutBuilder.

Better yet, create shorter webisodes from your audio or video content, which can be consumed and spread virally online. Or unfold a story over a series of ads, which individually convey your sales message, but also fit within a larger narrative, with cues to participate/solve the mystery/share similar stories online.

Don't just utilize a single medium to minister or promote your business. Shape and deliver your message through broadcast, web, and mobile venues. And don't simply hope that folks will talk about your ministry or business online; take a page out of CSI's book. Facilitate and fan the flames of the conversation through better media planning, to the glory of God.