When I worked in higher ed, we would produce a magazine three times a year and it would CONSUME me for weeks.

As a contributing writer and copyeditor, I'd read the magazine at least 10 times before it went to print, including an infamous roundtable where myself and two of my colleagues would sit at a long table and pass the pages around for a final grammar read for at least 3-4 hours.

As the hours would wear on, we'd get more and more punchy — we'd laugh until we cried at least once per editing session — but it was never over until one of us declared:

"Welp, I hate it, so that must mean it's done."

But seriously, after reading something SO MANY TIMES, I'd go from thinking it was the best magazine we'd ever produced to wanting to throw it in the fireplace if I had to read it one more time.

And when we hated it, we'd know that we'd reviewed it as many times as we could, and we'd send it off to print.

But today I want to propose the opposite strategy.

Look at a piece of your marketing: a social media post, email, website copy, etc.

And instead of asking yourself if you hate it, ask: "Do I even like this? Am I convinced by this?"

And if you're not...it might be time to reevaluate.

"If I didn't already go to this church, I'd be signing up so fast!"

"You've convinced me that I need to hire my own consultants!"

^ These are things people have said to me after looking at websites I'd done for them.

​I did a webinar with Great Catholic Parishes recently, and John and I discussed how important it is to actually like your own marketing.

I talked about an example I use: Imagine you go to a gorgeous cathedral. The stained glass windows, the smells and bells, the vaulted ceilings that literally draw your eyes to heaven...

...and then you look down at the bulletin. And most likely, you don't get that same elevated feeling of God that you do the architecture.

If you're in the Catholic space, your marketing and communications are another way you draw people to God. Not just what you offer, but your actual marketing collateral.

It's worth it to make it beautiful. It's worth it to make it convincing.

Not just because that makes marketing sense, but also because even these things are meant to glorify God.

So I ask you: Do you feel inspired by your communications? Does your marketing call you to action, to prayer, to a deeper knowledge of God?

Do you even like it?

If you don't, I can assure you other people won't be convinced by it either.

If you aren't inspired to action by your own marketing, what do you do? Well, follow the tips from these newsletters 😉 but also ask yourself, what WOULD convince you?

Here are some things to look out for:

• Are you calling them to a specific action (sign up, donate, buy, etc.)? If not, even adding in some action words can be helpful.
• Is the design appealing? Can you use actual photos instead of clip art or stock photos?
• ​I talked about this last week, but the more authentic and real we can become in our marketing, the more effective it will be. Drop the technical, generalized, and cliche language and just be yourself.

And finally, be a detective. Start actually paying attention to ads or websites that catch your eye, even non-religious ones. What is it about them that made you stop?

Because at the end of the day, if we don't like our marketing...probably no one else will either.

For His greater glory,

Emily

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