The Seminary of Hard Knocks with Seth Muse

16/01/2024

Ok hive mind, got a problem that needs a solution. So I have a customer who's website is on Weebly. I created a new home page and swapped it out with the old one. I also did the same thing with the About page. Then I hid those pages from crawling. I've added the XML sitemap to search console but keep getting the Failed: Redirect error message in the image. I have tested and requested crawls numerous times. Any thoughts?

13/09/2022

Needed to rant today. Not sure what Instagram is trying to be anymore. Not sure if they know either.

22/08/2022

Attending my first conference in the Metaverse. I don’t have a VR headset so I’m in 2d but still cool. The Church Communicator Conference is live!

01/04/2022

Normally I would say “don’t believe anything that you see on the Internet today,” but that really goes for every day nowadays. Have a happy and fun April fools day

05/01/2022

We’re back! New season of the podcast launches Feb 1 wherever you get your podcasts. Check out the explainer episode out now at the link in my bio!

31/05/2021

New out today with about good and bad guest gifts. Check it out at the link in my bio or whereever you get your podcasts.

25/03/2021

New episode of the podcast is out now! My guest Adesewa from helps women find their voice in leadership for communications, ministry, and sharing the Gospel in Nigeria, Africa. Tune in for the cool accent, stay for the wisdom and encouragement!

Women have had to fight for a lot of rights and freedoms and the church is one of those places where the debate still quietly rages on. My guest this week, Adesewa Greg-Ighodaro helps women in the professional world in Nigeria, Africa to find their voice for sharing the Gospel in their workplace, th...

03/03/2021

Does your team have chemistry?

Every good team needs good chemistry. It's an intangible that can only be built when teammates do these things.

17/02/2021

No one keeps up with new trends in digital communications for the church like Natchi Lazarus. On this episode, find out what's going on with Twitter audio, false information, and a cool new YouTube clipping tool. www.sethmuse.com/142

If you feel like you can’t keep up with what’s happening in the world of digital communication, follow Natchi Lazarus on Instagram. I talk with Natchi about what the church looks like in India, some of the latest trends and developments in digital media, and his new book The Connected Church in ...

16/02/2021

Ever had a bad teammate? I have. Ever been a bad teammate. I've done that too! How to become a good teammate is something we all should chase and in this week's blog, I'll give you four areas to work on being an awesome team player!

Of course, I know YOU haven’t ever been a bad teammate, but you’ve probably worked with one. Seen one on TV? Many of us wonder what it takes to be a good teammate, but we know a bad one when we see it. Unfortunately, we never see it when it might be us. This blog tells you four areas to work on ...

09/02/2021

Easter is coming. After a tough year in 2020 and a somewhat heavy Christmas, Easter might be a dark cloud in the future for some church leaders and communicators. This episode is your permission to see the bright and fun future of hope that this Easter represents! Several great ideas for online fun with Easter in this episode!

09/02/2021

It's hard to avoid posting announcements on social media. But if you have to do it (and most of us do), then what's the best way to do it? This week's blog will give you the recipe for some awesome Social Media Announcement Fajitas!

This is a 403 error, and it's not as ominous as it sounds. Bitly can only show this page to people who have permission to see it. Maybe what you are looking for can be found at Bitly.com.

02/02/2021

If a delegates in a forest and there's no one around to hear it, does it get done? If you're notoriously alone or bad at delegating, this podcast with Paul Fleming will help you learn to like a master. https://buff.ly/3rg0J17

Learning to delegate tasks and doing it in a way that ensures the tasks are completed well is a learned skill. Paul Fleming has been a successful business owner, entrepreneur, pastor, and communication director. He shares how he has built several of these on remote work and strong delegation.

29/01/2021

How do you manage volunteer content teams at your church? Do you even have a team of volunteers to help you out? This episode covers how to recruit, train, encourage, and keep incredible comms volunteers. https://buff.ly/2NQz1K5

If you're in communications at your church, you probably need some help. Before we hire more staff, we first try to find volunteers. So where do we start? How do we recruit volunteers for our content teams, what teams should we create (like a Photography team)? In this episode, we'll tell you what h...

18/01/2021

If you're in communications at your church, you probably need some help. Before we hire more staff, we first try to find volunteers. So where do we start? How do we recruit volunteers for our content teams, what teams should we create (like a Photography team)? In this episode, we'll tell you what has worked for us to recruit, train, inspire, and lead volunteer content teams for communications.

If you're in communications at your church, you probably need some help. Before we hire more staff, we first try to find volunteers. So where do we start? How do we recruit volunteers for our content teams, what teams should we create (like a Photography team)? In this episode, we'll tell you what h...

28/12/2020

Do you like magic? Magic tricks are a great time for a big reveal and thrilling "ta-da!" but the workplace really isn't. This episode of the podcast explains why there is no ta-da in TEAM. https://buff.ly/3nU4tUN

Pulling a rabbit out of a hat is a welcome time for "Ta-Da!" but when it comes to working with leaders who hate magic but enjoy the big reveal, it's frustrating. This episode explains why playing your cards close to the chest, big reveals, and mixing metaphors is not a good leadership strategy!

18/12/2020

Less is more, so they say. There are several things we write and say all the time in the church world that don't really have the impact we think they do. Listen to the newest episode of The Seminary of Hard Knocks wherever you get your podcasts. https://buff.ly/2WpwXtl

Usually, the copy comes last. It's an afterthought behind the graphics, the plan, and the aesthetic. But the copy is what causes people to take action, so it should be an important checkbox on our content creation list. Because we often mail it in when it comes to writing, we write garbage. This epi...

09/12/2020

There are four big issues facing church communicators today. They are big-picture problems that affect all the little pictures. Get these under control for 2021!

01/12/2020

Redeeming the Church from Racism. A conversation with Jason Caston on faith, culture, and restoration. New episode on The Seminary of Hard Knocks Podcast! https://buff.ly/2Vd55Iq

This very important episode is a very honest conversation with my friend Jason Caston. Aside from his many communications credentials including Daystar, AT&T, and writing his own books and strategies, he has a very poignant perspective on how racism has been and is currently being dealt with in the....

24/11/2020

The trolls we're seeing now are unlike the typical internet troll. They are armored, extra mean, and more difficult to deal with than ever. Here's how to handle them.

16/11/2020

New Podcast: The 10 Commandments of Zoom Calls https://buff.ly/3f3oeFL

There are rules, etiquette, if you will, to being on a video call and suddenly we all have to learn them. In this episode, Meagan and I walk through some of the rules for staff meetings, counseling calls, or general Zoom calls in King James style!

03/11/2020

In the ever-changing world of church communications, not all opinions about tools and practices are absolutely agreed upon. On this episode of the podcast we go into our unpopular opinions for a church comm smackdown!

Right now, we are rethinking EVERYTHING! Especially when it comes to core practices like guest follow-up. With a much larger digital audience than ever, it can be a bit overwhelming. Text in Church is one of those tools that can help you make sense of your follow up strategy and Jeanette Yates is on...

02/11/2020

Nepotism is toxic. If you're thinking of hiring your family at your church, here are the reasons why maybe you should not do that. https://buff.ly/3oE4i0u

14/10/2020

What if I told you that social media has contributed to poor mental health in ways you couldn’t imagine? We’re discussing mental health and the effect social media has had and looking at the recent documentary The Social Dilemma on this episode of the podcast.

In this Episode:

- What social media algorithms contribute to our bias and health.
- How the Church has been affected by political divisiveness due to social media.
- Ways to keep yourself mentally and emotionally healthy through difficult times such as pandemics or elections. https://buff.ly/33ZzRK9

What if I told you that social media has contributed to poor mental health in ways you couldn't imagine? We're discussing mental health and the effect social media has had and looking at the recent documentary The Social Dilemma on this episode of the podcast.

06/10/2020

New Podcast: Digital & Online Guest Follow Up using Text in Church w/ Jeanette Yates. The Seminary of Hard Knocks Podcast Ep. 130 https://buff.ly/30Es4zk

Right now, we are rethinking EVERYTHING! Especially when it comes to core practices like guest follow-up. With a much larger digital audience than ever, it can be a bit overwhelming. Text in Church is one of those tools that can help you make sense of your follow up strategy and Jeanette Yates is on...

06/10/2020

For I wanted to remind everyone in the world that I offer a free 45 minute consult call. It’s sort of a try before you buy thing. Coaching is super important for so many reasons and I would love to help you move on to whatever next step you are trying to get to. Link to setup a meeting is in my bio.

22/09/2020

This book by my good friend Jonathan Malm and Jason Young is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to improve their volunteer recruiting, training, and retention. It’s story-driven and practical approach to volunteer ministry is really refreshing. Get it on Amazon.

11/09/2020

Getting everyone on your staff on the same page is a challenge. When you hire me to conduct a workshop for your communications team or your whole staff, I'll walk you through principles that help you all work together and get more done without burning out. Contact me and let's talk about how I can help you.

https://buff.ly/3m8S5jk

11/09/2020

New Podcast: Facebook Ads for specific groups at your church with Joe Chavez, former Social Media director at Elevation church.

Joe Chavez is the former social media director for Elevation Church. In this episode, we talk about how to set up Facebook ads for people in and out of your church depending on which of the 3 levels of connection they are in. We'll also talk about what types of content works for those who are heavil...

09/09/2020

It's always good to have someone in your corner when things are tough or when you have a big decision to make. Coaching is all about community with someone who understands where you are and can help you get to the next step, whatever it may be. Set up a free call with me and let me help you move forward.

Let's connect --> https://buff.ly/3bzKEwq