Joel Osteen is one of the most popular ministers in the world. I'm sure you've seen his 30 minute sermons somewhere on Sunday television. If not, maybe you've caught his best-selling book in the book store. Whatever the case, Joel Osteen Ministries from Lakewood, Texas has become one of the most influential groups in American when it comes to spiritual development.

For the moment, I'm asking all of you to put your religious preferences aside. This example of Joel Osteen focuses specifically on what we can learn from Joel Osteen, the content marketing machine. For this post, consider Joel Osteen Ministries the business, and Joel Osteen the CEO.

According to their Web site, Osteen preaches weekly to over 38,000 (in person) and has been noted by Forbes for having one of the fastest-growing and most diverse congregations in the country. Over the past few years, Osteen has used a multi-platform content marketing effort to not only drive his local business, but his national and international business.

Note: The Importance of the Marketing Database
If you look at the Web site, you'll notice how many "gifts" are offered for free.  All a user needs to do is give over their name and email address. This brilliant marketing strategy is used by some of the best marketers in the world - because it works. Joel's most important asset is his database. Through his database he drives his business. Without a name and contact point, Joel can't do much. With a name, he can spread his word through multiple communication efforts.

• Free Giveaway - By just signing up with your name and email, you will receive "30 Thoughts for Victorious Living" for free. Just as a traditional business gives away a white paper, eBook or free seminar, Joel gives away this mini-booklet. Once you subscribe you begin to receive Joel's email updates.
  
  Today's Word" Email Newsletter: As you sign-up for the free giveaway, you receive a daily email (shown here) complete with a scripture passage (repurposed content) and a motivational passage from Joel and his wife Victoria.
  
  
  
• Weekly Video Emails: In addition to "Today's Word" you can receive Joel's "Live Like a Champion" email that includes a web video presentation clip of one of Joel's sermons. Again, Joel uses already-created content, puts a different spin on it, and delivers it to customers.
• Online Video: Customers can watch Joel through streaming video anytime by signing up or logging in.
• Podcasts: Same as above...if buyers want to listen instead of watch, they can download and receive regular podcasts, much of which are repurposed from sermons.
• In-Person Events: Joel and his ministry team travels around the country promoting their message. His events are often sell-outs, and tickets are sometimes harder to come by than a Yankees-Indians series ticket.
• Print Books: Joel cranks out a number of books, including best seller "Your Best Life Now" and soon to be best seller "Become a Better You." Joel also focuses on smaller, niche titles that go deeper into targeting the marketing database.
• Prayer Requests: If a customer wants prayer support, they can type the request into Joel. By doing so, Joel gets prospect information for the database.
• Weekly Television Sermons: Joel promotes all the above content marketing/custom publishing initiatives through half-hour sermons on cable television. Throughout the telecast, Joel promotes the in-person events, books, podcasts, emails and more. So, while you are watching his "great content", you get the opportunity to go to the Web site for more great content. During the entire sermon, joelosteen.com is in clear view.

• Putting It All Together
  Joel hasn't become one of the most popular evangelists in the world through print advertising, radio spots or television commercials. He has done so through the effective use of multi-platform targeted content.

• Joel effectively integrates his content through multiple channels (print, online, in-person) to meet his target buyer where they are at. Each customer has different preferences, and Joel recognizes that.
• Joe mixes tastes of traditional media (cable broadcasts, print books) with non-traditional media (streaming video, podcasts, targeted roadshows) to create the highest amount of publicity and word-of-mouth buzz. Even though I'm sure Mr. Olsteen recouped profits from the book, if it was used as simply a loss leader for the other products, it would be an effective tool.
• Database is Key: Joel's database is a key driver for book sales, events and other promotions. He understands that his followers like information in multiple-formats, and he makes all kinds available.
• Repurposed content: Original content is often expensive and time-consuming. Joel's Ministries can take a traditional sermon and create the original product (30 minute cable product) and repurpose those into daily emails, streaming video, podcasts, and content for the book.

The next natural step for Joel would be a blog...but honestly, Joel is already doing a ton to get the word out on his ministries.  It would seem that a blog would really assist the site's search engine optimization efforts. According to Alexa.com, Joel Osteen's site ranks 260,996 with 186 linking in, while his church URL ranks 34,701 (both impressive rankings). That said, a blog would help. Joel would get more love from Alexa if the sites came from the same domain (both sites are essentially the same, but with different domain addresses).

It also looks like Joel does NOT invest in any search engine marketing. With a database as large as he has (estimated in the hundreds of thousands - if not more), he probably doesn't need to.

Whatever you think about Joel Osteen, and judging from the blogosphere there are many who do not agree with his spiritual tactics, you can't deny that Joel Osteen is perhaps the greatest marketing minister in the world.



Joe Pulizzi is chief content officer for Junta42 (www.junta42.com), a content marketing search portal, and founder and president for Z Squared Media, LLC, a content marketing consulting firm.