This is a major problem with funeral homes, cemeteries and frankly almost all businesses. The opportunity to engage your community is right in front of you and it has never been easier. Are you going to embrace it or will you continue to let fear and public perception hold you back?

Did you hear that Ryan is opening up his own funeral home? Yeah, we didn't either! However, the team at DISRUPT often has conversations about what running the Thogmartin Family Funeral Home would look like on a marketing level. Today, we're letting you in on the answers!

TAKEAWAYS:
1) Invest in Social
2) Value Relationships
3) Document EVERYTHING (almost)

Amid the highly-anticipated commercials debuting during Super Bowl LIV, one ad in particular stood out. It wasn’t flashy or funny. It didn’t feature any celebrities, remind us of a 90s movie, or introduce a new mascot. It simply told a story — a poignant, engaging, and absolutely relevant story.

Fifteen years ago, many funeral home and cemetery owners/operators were wondering whether it was important to create a web page for their business on the World Wide Web. Many did not understand exactly what the heck this thing called “the Internet” was, and most probably did not fully realize the impact the Web would have on the business world in the very near future (some even thought it was a fad. Guess what? They lost, just like the guy who bought 200 horses the day before Ford rolled out the first car). Today, no one questions the importance of having a solid web presence. To not have a web page is considered tantamount to committing business suicide.

When seeking an expert who can manage your organic Facebook content strategy and Facebook advertising campaigns, you are met with a few options. You have to decide - should your funeral home or cemetery hire a social media marketing agency, a freelancer, or an in-house account manager? Though different options may work for different people, they may not all be the right fit for you. So, before you choose the partner with whom you want to work with, consider these five perks of hiring an agency.

How did your marketing efforts work for you this year? Did you try anything new, or expand certain areas of your budget? Maybe you spent more time updating your social media pages, or enhanced your website. But did you devote any of your time or marketing budget to video? If not, you’ll want to make 2020 the year that changes … and here are 10 hot-off-the-press reasons why, courtesy of Social Media Today.

If you want results from any sort of relationship, you have to have commitment. People often think that by having social media accounts, they're "trying" social media. The truth is, you have to put effort and time into building a presence that will create a good ROI. We challenge you to go ALL-IN and make a commitment to your digital marketing. It's not a cost - it's an investment!

Sure, in a lot of ways death care is different from other industries. But when it comes to marketing and social media, there’s no reason funeral homes and cemeteries can’t embrace the same trends. You just have to know how to adapt them to your unique products and services. 

Retargeting is an incredibly effective ad strategy that most of your competitors aren’t using, which means you should start today. Even if you’re not familiar with the marketing term “retargeting,” we’re about 1000% sure you’ve experienced it. Consider this scenario...

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.