Last month, I went on an AMAZING weekend silent retreat. It was truly the best retreat I've ever been on, mostly because I didn't have to run it. 😝

The second I found out about it, I knew I had to go on it. I'd been looking for a retreat, I grew up volunteering with the sisters who were going to be leading it, it wasn't too far away, and the theme was on a topic I'd really felt drawn to grow in.

And it didn't disappoint. I know the word "life-changing" is thrown around a lot, but this was truly a before-and-after kind of weekend for me.

Here's the thing: The Holy Spirit was definitely involved in me going, because the marketing for it consisted of a Facebook event and a Word doc flyer that someone happened to share in a group I'm in.

And you know what? The retreat was sold out at 70+ women, despite not utilizing the marketing strategies I would have recommended.

Another example: while we were there, I happened to see a fundraiser gift that would make a PERFECT gift for my parents for Christmas.

I didn't buy it then, but reached out to the coordinators last week to see if I could purchase one online because I couldn't find any information about the fundraiser.

In return, I got a slanted photo of an order form with instructions on where to send a check.

And guess what? I will very happily be sending a physical check even though I can't remember the last time I've done that because it's the perfect gift for them.

I spend a lot of time here talking about marketing because, well, I'm a marketer.

But the reality is that the best marketing in the world can't sell a product or service that people don't want.

Whereas if you have something people want...well you can advertise it in a Word doc and it will sell out.

Trust me, I'm not advocating that we throw marketing out the window. It's incredibly valuable in spreading our message, and I would border on saying that we have a responsibility to do it to the best of our ability just as we would any other part of the call God has placed on our hearts.

But if we know without a doubt that our offerings are being seen by the right eyeballs*, then we need to turn to the offering itself and ask, "Do people want this?"

And if not, is it because of price (they want it, but can't afford it) or is it just not something they want regardless of price?

I know these are tough question to ask, especially when we feel God's call wrapped up in what we do.

But they are essential, not only for marketing, but also because sometimes it's only in letting go of what we think God wants that He has the opportunity to create through us what will change the world.

(Trust me, I'm saying that for myself more than anyone else.)

Because once you can create something people want, something they've actively been looking for — then marketing just becomes about increasing reach, not convincing, because the offering sells itself.

So there's your challenge for the week — take a look at the offering you have that gets the least interest.

And ask yourself:

• Am I doing everything I can to market this offering to the right people? (This involves knowing who those right people are and where they "live.")
• If it's non-essential, is price the reason people aren't taking action? (Not necessarily a reason to lower your price, just to set expectations that a $10 product is easier to get a quick sale on than a $10,000 product.)
• And if marketing and price aren't the factors, then is this something people actually want? And if not, how can I make it into something that people want, that truly serves a need for them? (Or is God asking me to let this one go?)

For His greater glory,

Emily

*Not sure if you're reaching the right people, or know you're not but not sure how to reach them? That's where Catholic marketing comes in! Hop on a consult call with me, and we'll figure out who your audience should be and how to reach them.

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P.S. I searched for quite a while to try to find a Q4 marketing blog post that was actually helpful to share with you all...but I found zilch. So I'm planning to write one, but want to know: What are you more concerned about this Q4 — simplifying your marketing to cut down on the overwhelm, or expanding it?

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