Why Every Funeral Home Should Use High-Quality, Branded Content on Facebook
In current times, technological advances combined with the evolution of social media has created new opportunities for unique businesses, especially funeral homes. The days are long gone when funeral homes remain in the shadows waiting for consumers to look them up in the Yellow pages. Currently, funeral homes are transitioning towards more modern practices to maintain a competitive advantage over competitors. This is why news outlets such as CBS News have started cranking out news articles that discuss topics such as, how funeral home businesses have integrated digital streaming services into their plans. According to Statistica (2020), Facebook was the first social network to “surpass 1 billion registered accounts and currently sits at almost 2.45 billion monthly active users”. The number of active users on Facebook alone is one reason why every funeral home business should seriously consider putting high-quality, branded content on Facebook. Funeral home businesses that use Facebook control their own narrative and dictate how the community views their business. More funeral home businesses are shifting towards investing in reputable social media management agencies like Beacon Social. Beacon Social specializes in using high-quality, branded content to capture the attention of consumers in the preneed planning stages for funeral homes. This article will outline why every funeral home should:
- Use Facebook to humanize their business.
- Use Facebook to set themselves apart from the competition.
- Develop trust with their Facebook audience to support advertising campaigns.
It Helps to Humanize the Funeral Home to the Community
It is very beneficial for funeral homes to show that they are a part of the community and that their staff consists of ordinary people who are empathetic, encouraging, and supportive during stressful situations. The bottom line is one should humanize their funeral home by being transparent, and they should connect with potential consumers through social media engagement. Social media engagement encompasses likes, comments, and shares of a funeral home’s page or post. According to DeGruttola (2017) “Social factors have always played a part in consumer buying habits, but the ubiquity of smartphones and social networks have taken word-of-mouth to new heights”. Most people use a specific service or make purchases simply because their friend, family member, or someone they know used the same service or bought the same product. High-quality, branded content will bring the funeral home business into the lives of those living within the community. The underlying idea is that funeral home businesses should remain visible, and interactive with the online community, so that they are more accessible than the next funeral home. Each consumer will be in a different stage of life, but some may find it easier to connect with a funeral home that is more humanized, and tangible. It is important to note that engagement does not mean posting obituaries most of the time, but it should include other activities that occur in the community. A funeral home can sponsor a community sports team, or be a part of a 5k run event, both are ways to integrate posts and pictures that can be shared on Facebook. Fortunately, the experts at Beacon Social are highly skilled at assisting funeral home businesses to find ways to humanize their business, and stand out from their competitors.
Competition is usually high for a funeral home in a city or community, so standing out from the rest is key
In larger cities and communities, a funeral home should establish their business as a leader within the community, by consistently putting out high-quality, branded content. Every funeral home is different and offers something unique that the next funeral home may not offer. Some funeral homes may develop a way of delivering content through the many tools offered on Facebook such as live streams, posts, or targeted campaign ads. For example, potential consumers who have never planned a funeral before, may look for information online about funeral planning. Therefore, funeral homes could benefit from using a live stream that candidly discusses the steps in planning a funeral. This is just one way a funeral home can use the live stream tool to set itself apart from the competition. Perhaps the funeral home is located in a city that is popular for a specific sport or college team, and the funeral home offers customizable caskets with that particular sports theme. A market segment of potential consumers could find a customizable casket with their favorite sports theme extremely interesting, and opt to share the post with friends and family. According to Key findings from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) 2017 Consumer Awareness and Preferences Study, “the percentage of respondents who contacted more than one funeral home was only 18.9 percent”. The NFDA (2017) also discussed how some funeral homes offer certified therapy dogs to help family and friends with the planning process and even offer them during the service itself. According to the NFDA (2017) “34.5 percent of respondents said they would be extremely interested or very interested in having a therapy dog present during a memorial or funeral service”. These are just some examples of how a funeral home may set itself apart from competitors in a larger city or community. It is critical to developing rapport with those living in the community, which is what Beacon Social helps funeral homes do on Facebook. High-quality, branded content on the Facebook platform will build productive relationships with those in the community.
Develop trust with the audience on Facebook to help support advertising campaigns
People are creatures of habit, and it has already been established that consumers will likely consider services utilized by their friends and family, over a service that their friend or family has not used. Therefore, a potential consumer may view one funeral home page on Facebook in a more positive light than the next, if their Facebook page has a larger following or more likes. Steps to developing trust with a specific target audience may occur in stages. Initially, the Facebook advertising campaign can be utilized to first expand reach and awareness of the funeral home. The campaign for expanding reach will help develop trust among consumers simply by gaining a significant following. However, other campaigns following those campaigns should work on boosting posts, reviews, and offering information on personalized services. The targeting has to be spot on, which can be a headache for those with limited knowledge about the audience insight tool, under ads manager, or how to create effective ads in the first place. The digital media strategists at Beacon Social are experts at targeting potential consumers for the funeral industry, and creating personalized advertising campaigns, that yield high conversion rates. The ultimate goal of any business is to save time and money, gain leads, and get more website traffic. Funeral homes are swapping traditional advertising for more effective forms of advertising every day.
Why funeral homes should choose Beacon Social?
Beacon Social has emerged as an industry leader in social media management, specifically in the areas of funeral homes and Facebook. Beacon Social employs a talented staff of experts that will publish high-quality content on a funeral home’s behalf, answer inbound messages, and manage monthly campaigns. Funeral homes choose a marketing package that they are comfortable with, in terms of need and pricing. There are no long-term contracts, and funeral homes receive a dedicated account manager, as well as a detailed weekly report. Funeral homes who use Beacon Social for longer periods of time will receive a quarterly strategy session, to identify new approaches for their marketing needs. It is also important to note that Beacon Social does not take a cut of the funeral homes’ Facebook advertising budget. More funeral home businesses are utilizing the many tools available on Facebook to humanize their business, set themselves apart from the competition, and develop trust with their target audience in terms of advertising campaigns. Facebook has become an integral part of digital marketing for funeral homes that want to maintain a competitive edge, but success hinges on the tasks of social media experts like those at Beacon Social to make it happen.