Yes, it’s a strong claim to make, but there are too many examples of funeral related businesses whose Facebook pages ARE working to deny the truth…when you do it right, your page will generate a lot of attention, engagement and leads (yes, real leads from families in your community).
What do I mean when I talk about a Facebook page working for you? I mean engagement. In Facebook speak, the term "engagement" refers to any time a user takes action (clicks)on a piece of content in their news feed in order to enlarge an image, watch a video, or to Like, Comment, or Share the post. Generating leads is the by product of an engaging social media, in this case specifically, a Facebook presence.
When it comes to Facebook, it's all about engagement. You can sell on Facebook (like pre-need policies) and you should be but the engagement your content and brand get are what is able to allow you the opportunity to sell.
The complicated algorithms used by Facebook developers depend on "engagement " to determine what content appears in the new feeds of Facebook users. In short, the more a user engages with the content from a friend, business, or organization, the more likely content from that person, business, or organization will appear in their news feed. People who see and click on your content get to know and appreciate you, your staff, and your mission. Through the engagement you are building transpanparency, trust and humanization for your firm or business.
Let me challenge you with the following questions...
- Is your content "shareworthy" Look, everyone posts puffy content with images of rainbows, American flags, beautiful country sides, and puppy dogs. If this kind of content is the only thing you are posting, you will get little engagement. There is simply too much of it out there to set you apart. Think about the content you engage with on Facebook. What content are you most likely to ‘share’ when you see it? Focus on less content with more value that is ‘shareworthy’.
- Is your page obituary rich and engagement poor? Certainly, there is nothing wrong with posting some obituaries. Especially in smaller communities, people appreciate seeing who among them has passed. But, if your page is nothing but obituaries, do not be surprised that people are not engaging. Nor should you be surprised if many people “unfollow” you. They probably want to see more than obituaries.
- Are you opening your virtual doors to your community? We have found that “home spun” videos and photos get a LOT of attention for our clients. People appreciate learning more about you, your staff, and your facilities. Facebook is the PERFECT place to post this kind of content. You will get engagement, and lots of it, if you share your story with those who may become your customers in the future. Facebook Live video is a great way to create organic ‘home spun’ content. Live video gets priority in the News Feed and get 3X more engagement than any other content type on Facebook. Here is a guide we created for getting started with Facebook Live.
- Have you tried running a campaign, contest, or special promotion on Facebook? One sure fire way to get a ton of engagement and new Fans is to run a simple contest centered around a holiday or special day. One of our clients garnered over 40,000 views by hosting a Fall contest in which participants Commented with their guess on how many pieces of candy corn were in the jar shown in a photo. The first person to guess correctly won a $60 Carrabas gift card and two movie tickets..
At DISRUPT Media, we make our clients’ Facebook pages WORK for them! Our mission is to get as much engagement for our funeral profession clients as possible. We're not interested in simply posting nice images and happy platitudes, because this content doesn't result in many clicks and it doesn't help Facebook readers learn about you. Our full service clients are amazed at the increase in engagement and in their fan base we've been able to achieve for them and the leads we have been able to drive..
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.