Consider your own browsing habits as you scroll through your Facebook news feed. When you are skimming through the content, which posts typically catch your eye and force you to stop or pause? I would bet that, usually, it’s an image that gets your attention first.

This is why social media channels such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Pinterest are so popular. These channels are image-focused outlets. Any text connected with the visual is secondary to the image. Facebook is also a visually rich environment, but its text-friendly format allows funeral homes to do a better job of storytelling. This is why Facebook is still, far and away, the top choice for funeral professionals when promoting their funeral homes. To get viewers interested in the story you want to tell, you have a greater chance of grabbing their attention with a dope and well designed photo or graphic.

Visuals are, possibly, the most critical component of any content you post. In Facebook, articles with images get 94% more total views. Because your news feed is so packed with images it’s helpful to know what kind of photos or graphics get the most attention. Here are some pointers on creating, finding, and formatting the best images for your funeral home's Facebook Page:

• Use Facebook insights, or another 3^rd party reporting tool to find and review your most popular posts. Examine the images connected with those posts to determine the characteristics that may have set them apart. It’s simple…once you determine what’s grabbing the attention of your viewers, use more of what works and less of what isn’t working.

• For photo images, try to discern why the photo garnered the attention that it did. We are finding that readers are, typically, more drawn to photographs of familiar subjects than they are of generic, stock images of people or places they don’t know. This is not to say that professionally produced pictures of beautiful subjects don’t get peoples’ attention. But readers are more likely to engage with photos of familiar places, people, or things. Organic content, those locally-generated images that “open the door” to your funeral home, is particularly interesting to people who live in your area.

• Nicely produced and framed graphic images can also grab the attention of viewers. Obviously, your business logo should be well-balanced and should represent a story and heritage of which you are proud and which will evoke positive feelings on the part of your potential customers. If you highlight holidays or special occasions in your content, and you decide to use a graphic image instead of a photo, use a professionally produced image purchased from a local graphic artist or from an online image source. Visually is a site where you can hire a content creator to build images, infographics, or even eBooks. Fiverr is another site where you can find someone willing to create images for you, usually for $10 or less.

When uploading images, make sure they are resized for optimal display using an online tool like Canva. Landscape takes the image you created and quickly resizes it to match the exact specifications required by each social media network.

You should no longer look at the sheer amount of followers and fans you have as an indicator of whether your funeral home Facebook Page is achieving results. The real two-way conversations and engagement you have with your readers are a better indicator of success. Great images can help you get those conversations started!

While any business can implement the ideas presented above, it can be an uphill climb to get started and it can be time-consuming. If you need help, the professionals at DISRUPT Media can work with you to create and maintain an effective presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and/or Twitter. We can craft a social media strategy tailored to your business using our exclusive four part FUNERAL Social Design Process. Our process is what enables DISRUPT Media to claim that we are the funeral profession’s only full-service social media management firm. Our clients who are a part of our FUNERAL Social Design Process are seeing an increase in post reach and engagement of over 300%. Go to https://www.disruptmedia.co to find out more about the services we offer.

About Author

Ryan Thogmartin is a death care entrepreneur and the CEO of DISRUPT Media and creator of ConnectingDirectors.com. | Follower of Christ | Husband | Father | Entrepreneur | Host of #DISRUPTu! and #FUNERALnationtv | Lover of Skittles

DISRUPT Media is a social media first marketing company that focuses on social storytelling for funeral companies. DISRUPT uses insights gained through analytics to build creative campaigns that achieve actual business goals.