Category: Marketing

  • Free Palmer, The Penske Moving Version

    The subtitle of this post could be “The absolute random life of Adam McLane.” Tomorrow I leave for a 3-day trip. I’ll be flying to Nashville and then driving back in a giant Penske moving truck with my buddy Dave Palmer as part of a theory that you can catch a company doing something good.…

  • A Children’s Ministry Curriculum about Underwear. Really?

    Taking a little detour into online marketing this morning…  This ad popped up on my Facebook profile this morning. It kind of stopped me cold. The title is clear: “For children’s ministers.“ The picture is of little girls underwear… Let that sink in. Strike you as odd? I clicked on the ad, seeking to understand…

  • William Shakespeare on Marketing

  • Hype

    Here’s a little lesson on hype for all my wanna-be self-promoter friends. If you hype something you’ve got a vested interest in it’ll come off as fake. If someone else hypes it for you, even if you lose some level of control, it’ll go a lot better. Three examples: I follow hundreds of pastors on…

  • Kid’s Attention Valued at $1.12 Trillion Annually

    My kids can tell me about all the latest Disney movies. And they can rattle off the specs of just about every toy that they want. Worse yet? They are armed with lines that tell me all about why buying that toy is good for them and the deal they will get if they buy…

  • Dear Church, You Can’t Buy Followers

    There are dozens of services online that let people buy followers. Prices start at about $15-$20 per thousand, with bulk orders costing less – 50,000 followers will typically run less than $500. Those followers, though, are often dummy accounts run by computers, some in a very obvious way, some in a more sophisticated fashion. —…

  • Are they tired of your narrative?

    Most individuals, organizations, and companies underperform to their potential. Others miraculously live up to or exceed their potential. Why? Each tells a story every day and validates it with their actions. Their audience either likes that story (and repeats it) or they don’t. Take the example of Wal-Mart. Here’s their mission statement: “Wal-Mart’s mission is…

  • When companies listen

    I think the most powerful thing I do at YS is listen. Sure, I know what it’s like to be a youth pastor. Sure, I know some skills and tricks for building websites. Sure, I know a little about engaging with people in the realm of social media. Above all else… I am careful to…

  • 3 Qualities of Successful People

    I have a lifelong obsession with golf. It started in 2nd grade when my parents scraped together enough money for a starter set and a series of playing lessons at a local par 3 course. Even though neither of them were serious players– I guess they thought I’d enjoy it. And I did. A lot.…

  • The Resurrection of the Cottage Industry

    Is this the best time ever to start a small business? It sure seems like it! Countless brilliant minds, long cooped up in boring corporate jobs, are on unemployment and unable to find new corporate jobs. The internet has made the world pretty flat. You have a good product? You can move it online for…