I've been passionate about country music my whole life. I started buying Haggard CD's when I was 8, and I dressed up as Randy Travis for my elementary school’s Halloween.  Even now I devote much of my time to being a part of this genre. Growing up, I never understood why I liked it so much, but I've come to realize my love for the style comes from its powerful yet simple lyrics.

Just days ago DISRUPT Media introduced Price My Funeral, a brilliant new lead generation tool built exclusively for the funeral home profession. DISRUPT owner and CEO Ryan Thogmartin created Price My Funeral to offer death care professionals the social traction tools that were missing from the market’s current lead gen options.

Zanesville, Ohio., (Oct. 22, 2019) – In response to increasing demand, funeral home marketing leader DISRUPT Media has created an innovative pricing and lead generation tool that not only drives leads but gives funeral homes the social tracking that has been missing from existing options.

When I tell you there is one thing missing from every single funeral home marketing conversation, what would you think that one thing might be? Content? Goals? Budget? Analytics? Video?

A marketing funnel is a way of breaking down the customer journey all the way from the “awareness” stage, top of the funnel, (when they first learn about your funeral home or cemetery) to the “transaction” stage, bottom of the funnel (when they’re ready to buy your product or service).

We talk a lot about leads — why you want them, how to get them, and how we can help you find them. But do you really understand what a true “lead” is when it comes to your marketing efforts? 

When the calendar turned over into 2019, did you make any resolutions regarding your organization’s marketing plan? If not, it’s still not too late to make at least this one:

Stop wasting 95% of your marketing budget!!

If you’re investing your money in billboards, newspaper ads, and television/radio commercials, just stop. Now. There are two reasons these traditional methods aren’t working for you anymore:

1. Billboards don’t build relationships
2. You’re ignoring your target audience

Building relationships

Let’s face it: people don’t pick a funeral home based on an advertisement they see in the Sunday paper. They choose you because they understand what your organization is all about. Maybe they’ve worked with you before to plan a family member’s services, or they’ve attended a viewing at your facility. Either way, they’ve had the opportunity to meet your staff, take a look around your funeral home, and see how you do things. If they liked that experience, they’re probably planning to turn to you for their own needs.

So how do you let others — those who’ve never set foot in your facility — know what you’re really like? The answer is by telling your story. Share your “why” — why you’re the team who will truly care for them and their loved ones when the time comes. Win their trust by sharing your expertise and demonstrating your level of professionalism.

You can’t do this in a 30-second radio ad. But you CAN do this on Facebook. Create your own videos of your staff sharing their thoughts, beliefs, and advice. Post photos of your new chapel. Share a blog post about how cremation works. And keep doing it. Very few people are going to make an important decision like who will provide their funeral services based on a one-off encounter.

Social media is 'marketing.' It's not the new marketing, it's the current state of marketing, and funeral homes and deathcare companies can no longer afford to ignore it. There are so many reasons why deathcare companies need to get their heads out of the sand and start engaging on the platform used by over 75% of all Americans over the age of 45.

I am privileged to speak at many state, national, and even international funeral conventions each year. This allows me the opportunity to talk with hundreds of funeral professionals and to answer thousands of social media questions. In some cases, funeral professionals try to explain to me why they don’t need to market on Facebook or how they have mastered Facebook marketing because they have a young staff member. 

All DISRUPT Media clients now get free access to Domani for Grief