How do I market my funeral home? What should I consider doing to get my funeral home's name out there? Should my funeral home have social media? Where should I spend my funeral home's marketing dollars?
For most, the last thing people think of is marketing, sales, publicity, and advertising for the funeral home industry, but it is something that happens every day. Flyers, billboards, commercials, radio spots, bus stop bench seats, you name it, the funeral home industry, on a local scale has done it. But how do you stay current with your marketing strategies and grow with society as a funeral home? What is glamourous about death and despair? How do you market end of life decision making? How do you advertise an easier way to deal with death?
The reality is, there is so much more to a funeral home that meets the eye. Yes, there is the chapel where they display the casket or urn and people come and say their last goodbyes, but there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that can be leveraged to obtain your business.
Emphasize Your "Death Call" Pick Up Time
Want to show people you're serious about the business of death, advertise how quickly you will be there once they call. Funeral homes have employees on-call to pick up bodies at all hours of the day and night, and you should highlight the hard work and quick response time your customers will see when working with your funeral home.
Create Partnerships with Other Local Businesses
It may seem basic, but creating a partnership with other local businesses get your funeral home's name on more people's radar. The reality is that funeral homes are community-based, and you most likely have a handful in the area, so capitalize on leveraging other successful businesses.
Not sure how to connect? Consider:
- Align yourself with a local florist where customers you sent their way to receive a discount on flowers for a funeral (or other events). Advertise each other's businesses at both locations - it can be as simple as displaying each other's business cards. Speaking of business cards, go around town and display/set out your cards at high-foot traffic areas/businesses.
- Partner with a small business in that area that can provide services or supplies to your company. For example, if you use aromatherapy during client meetings and go through a lot of essential oils, consider creating a partnership with a local salesperson or even better, a locally sourced and produced product.
- Sponsor local sporting events, children's sports teams, 5K walks and runs, and any other community-oriented events. Putting your name on the back of a kid's baseball jersey or on the back of a 5K t-shirt can go a long way.
- Connect with any memorabilia making companies in your area. If there is a jewelry maker who specifically makes ash-containing necklaces, find a way to work with them. This will result in more business for both of you.
- Donate leftover flowers to local nursing homes and hospitals. Is this a partnership? Not really. But there's a chance that as a funeral director you find yourself at the hospital and are in and out of the morgue regularly. Does it hurt to run upstairs with some extra flowers and brighten everyone's day?
- Is there a local casket maker that is worth partnering with? What about a local distributor of caskets? Either way, consider connecting yourself with their business(es) and advertise the partnership and what you now offer because of them. Post pictures of customized caskets, caskets that just came back in stock, urn designs, etc.
Publicize the Technology You Use
Technology in the funeral home industry can mean so many things. It can come down to the computers and tablets you use on-site for planning, to the technology around your chapel with recent upgrades, to the mobile applications your business leverages from back-office to client-facing and interacting.
Consider This. You may want to leverage mobile applications, such as AfterReach, which "connects grieving families (Receivers) with their family and friends (Supporters) for 90 days following the loss of a loved one. This new service gives an answer to the question most ask at a wake or funeral: "Is there anything I can do?" Join their Care Team Network — provided by the funeral home and free for everyone involved — and enjoy an active, convenient, ongoing connection with those who you care for the most, at the time when they need you the most" AfterReach.com. Applications like this can keep you connected to your clients, which will result in more customers over time due to your funeral home's investment in grieving family therapeutic solutions.
If You're Family Owned and Operated, Leverage and Capitalize via Social Media
Everyone loves to see a thriving family-owned business. Funeral homes are often passed down through generations, and that can be leveraged on social media. The funeral industry doesn't always have to be sad, you can celebrate how everyone comes together.
A great example of a family-owned funeral home social media account is instagram.com/glenvillefuneralhome. Not only do they show their family-oriented direction, but they also advertise the local organizations and programs they fund/sponsor, the partnerships they have, and most importantly, everything they offer. Take a look - you'll be impressed with the 50+-year-old funeral home's ability to communicate family-friendly, accommodating, involved in the community, and always working to provide comfort to those grieving.
Do You Want to Look at Your Financing Options for Your Funeral Home?
If you find yourself needing to find funding for your funeral home, First Union Lending is here to help.
We have nine different business loan types to choose from. This means that we're uniquely qualified to help you find the perfect loan to open your small business.
Applying for a business loan doesn't affect your credit. Better yet, your business loan may be approved as soon as the same day.
To discuss our business loans with one of our lending experts, click here or call 863-825-5626. We'll talk about our various business loans and help you find the right one for your funeral home.
Get started with the process now by learning more about our business loan types.