Sunday, March 30, 2014

Four Marketing Tips from a Canadian Convent

Four Marketing Tips From a

Canadian Convent

Sister Elaine Lachance—vocation director for the Good Shepherd Sisters of Quebec—had a problem. She needed a better way to raise awareness of her dwindling order. And then the PR firm she hired gave Lachance a two-word solution: social media.

A Facebook page and a blog did the trick. "The story [of Internet-savvy sisters] has been covered by more than 300 newspapers," writes Verónica Maria Jarski. "The BBC interviewed Lachance. So did MarketingProfs." It's safe to say young women who feel a call to vocation are now very aware of the Good Shepherd Sisters.

Here are a few of things you can learn from the sisters' experience: 

Know where to find your audience. A young woman planning a life of religious service will research her options like any other young woman—online. Meet your audience where they gather, and be prepared with the content they want to see.

Budget for start-up costs. Creating content costs the sisters nothing at all—but they did budget for professional website design. "Don't go cheap: It shows," notes Jarski.

Maintain a consistent design aesthetic. Be recognizable wherever a prospect or customer encounters your brand. "Lachance's blog, for example, looks like the order's website, which in turn resembles its Facebook page," she explains.

Go beyond your comfort zone. The world of social media felt awkward to Lachance, but she knew she had to risk it. In the same way, you should press forward with new ways of reaching customers even if it makes you uncomfortable at first.

Conclusion: It isn't often that we turn to a nun for marketing advice—but this nun knows what she's doing.

 

 

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