There is no doubt that Facebook is the perfect social media platform for funeral homes to use when trying to reach today’s mobile public. The capability of targeting your audience, the ability to post attractive photos and videos, the opportunity to carry on two-way conversations, and the ubiquitous nature of the platform all work together to put Facebook at the top of the “must have” social media outlets for funeral homes.

But just because it’s available and fairly easy to utilize does not mean it’s a slam dunk to do it well. Many poorly executed, inefficient, and downright ugly Facebook pages exist out there. We’ve identified the 6 critical elements below you’ve got to get right. Check these things against your business page to make sure your Facebook presence is not a distraction and a detriment to your funeral home:

• Use your funeral home logo as your Profile image – The reason you have a logo is so the public instantly recognizes your brand. So it makes good sense to use your logo in a prominent place on your page. The small, square photo that resides on the left side of your page, the Profile image, is the perfect place to display your logo. This image should remain consistent and rarely be changed, except during a special campaign or if your logo is consistently displayed elsewhere on your page.

• Use an attractive photo of your facilities, vehicles, or staff as your larger Background image – This helps the public get to know and recognize you, your amenities, and your staff at a glance. Some of our more proactive clients change their background (cover) image regularly, maybe every month or even every other week. Because your logo is always there as the “anchor” image, changing the larger photo from time-to-time is not a problem.

• Use your exact business name as your Facebook page name – We’ve discovered some of our new clients have two, three, or even four Facebook pages (the reasons why this happens are beyond the scope of this article). On each page is a slightly different rendition of their business name. It makes sense to have and maintain only one Facebook page for each separate business you may manage. When you eliminate redundant pages, be sure to use your full and exact business name as the name of your Facebook page. You can edit your page name by clicking the About menu on the left side of your page, then click the Page Info link just to the right. Click Name to edit your page name.

• Simplify your Facebook URL by editing your username – Some Facebook pages have long and complicated page URL addresses. Once again, this may be due to the way the page was created. Once you have created a single Facebook business page, check the URL address. If it’s long and cryptic, you may be able to change it by editing your username. Here’s how to make the change (if you are eligible): click the About menu on the left side of your page, then click the Page Info link just to the right. Find the Username option and click to edit. Choose a username that is short, simple, and makes sense given your business name. For example, if your business name is Smith Brothers Funeral and Cremation Services, you may want your username to be @smithbrosfuneral. You can find guidance for creating a username here.

• Use a variety of interesting videos, photos, and images in your posts – Of course, the definition of “interesting” varies with the viewer. We simply recommend you give some consideration as to whether the typical Facebook user will be drawn to the images you post. If you don’t find them to be very attractive, your fans probably won’t be drawn to them either. Posting the wrong size images can severely reduce the visual appeal of a photo or graphic because the image may be pixelated or stretched. Click here for the current guidance on optimum image sizes for posting. Videos always draw more attention on Facebook but, once again, the posting must be done correctly in order for the video to display and play properly. It’s best to embed the video (embedded video plays within the actual post without taking the viewer to another web site). Here is some guidance on posting videos on Facebook.

• Actively manage your Facebook presence – Outdated information, infrequent posting, not responding to comments or reviews…all of this speaks to inattentiveness and an apparent inability or unwillingness to take care of business. Because the public is paying a tremendous amount of attention to a business’ social media presence these days, and unmanaged page gives the impression that you also may not manage your business very well either. Be sure to assign a “point person” to watch over and update your business page.

If you score well on these 6 critical measures, you are well established in the basics. Now you can focus on content, campaigns, and the consistent administration of your page. But you might find that you simply do not have the time or knowledge to effectively create and manage a solid Facebook presence. If so, you can turn to the experts at DISRUPT Media. We are the only full-service social media agency specifically catering to the funeral profession. We manage every aspect of the elements discussed above, and more, for our clients on a daily basis. Go to https://www.disruptmedia.co to find out more about the services we offer. Our clients who are a part of our FUNERAL Social Design Process are seeing an increase in post reach and engagement of over 300%.

Schedule a live demo with DISRUPT Media: http://www.funeralsocial.com/demo

Learn more about our FUNERAL Social Design Process: http://funeralsocial.com/social/

Download our social media goals worksheet: http://funeralsocial.com/social-media-goals-worksheet/

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.