Marketing for vocations

Catholic vocation directors often have qualms about marketing vocations. After all, shouldn’t others just see the good of religious or consecrated life?

Or they may think, does marketing vocations really work? After all, there are lots of stories of failures.

If you are thinking this, know that your thoughts are shared with all kinds of workers and professionals in the business world. Accountants, dentists, financial advisors, and lawyers are all compelled to think that the value of their service should be enough to attract clients and customers.

But it just doesn’t work that way. Whether in the world, or the Church.

Our way of communications has changed. Advertising does work, if done in the right way.

The Popes have even pointed to the internet as a good means of communications.

In his 50th World Day of Communications, Pope Francis said that “emails, text messages, social networks and chats” can be “fully human forms of communication”. He also said,

“It is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal.” … “Communication, wherever and however it takes place, has opened up broader horizons for many people. This is a gift of God which involves a great responsibility. I like to refer to this power of communication as ‘closeness’.”

In the old days we were connected by small communities – people who knew each other through person-to-person-contact. But today we have added to that electronic communications. Personal contact will always be with us. But with electronics, we have more tools in the shed. So, you might want to look into ways to find vocations with social media.

Marketing vocations is just a sign of the times

So, can you market vocations?

In fact, marketing vocations is a good idea, and it works. Modern communications has opened the door to make contacts with vocation prospects hundreds of miles away. For example, there is a Carmelite community in Louisiana who at one time found all their vocations from the surrounding area. And yet, a recent vocation of theirs was a young lady who was born and raised in Vietnam.

And so the Church must adapt to the global community, and to the new ways of connecting with people. Our task at Vocation Promotion (a project of TreeFrogClick), is to help vocation directors find and nurture good candidates with social media and the internet. Our flagship product is called the Come & See Vocation Promotion Program. This program has been developed since 2013 and is ever-adapting to the changing nature of social media and paid advertising. (Do you have a followup program in place already for the names you get? See also our Vocation Lead Generation Program, which involves only finding names for your program.) Why not contact us today about marketing vocations for your religious community or diocese?