What all have you talked about today? Maybe a little bit of politics, sports, food, job related topics? The list could go on and on. Most people enjoy a good conversation, whether they are taking part in it or just observing. That’s why podcasts continue to rise in popularity, and everyone likes posting their own opinions all across the internet. See, humans are meant to communicate. When your funeral home or cemetery can enter your communities daily conversations, you are on the fast-track to success. Real quick, I want to show you how social media IS word of mouth marketing and will give you results.

Living and breathing social media marketing is a major blessing and a deadly curse. For us, it means always being ahead of the game. Leading a profession into the current state of marketing is a big responsibility.

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. 

Many of my followers and friends have asked how I got into the death care space. Now is the time to share. This is my story. Definitely, the most open and transparent I have ever been. Would love to read your thoughts below.

A Gauntlet type week! FUNERAL hustle explores a thriving business in Charleston, SC filled with very talented and ambitious employees and owner. The rest of the week is filled with on the road meeting and in office meetings all before making the journey out West to Spokane, Washington for the Washington Funeral Directors Association conference!

What is an unofficial Facebook page? We answered this question in an earlier blog but to review; an unofficial page is a Facebook business page that is created when someone “checks in” to your business with their smart phone. It’s so common for people to check in that, more often than not, your business has a Facebook page – one that you didn’t create and one about which you may be totally unaware. Think of it as a billboard for your funeral home that you didn't create and you don't know what it is on it and your entire community is viewing it and talking about it.

So many funeral homes we come in contact with say they are 'leveraging Facebook' for their funeral home, but it is not working. When we start digging into it, we discover that they are just buying generic content and posting to their Facebook. This is a complete waste of money. In this episode, Ryan, explains why and what you should do about it.

One of the most important aspects of any marketing campaign is your social media presence, but getting an active, engaged audience is far from easy. Too many funeral homes get stuck on brand and sales and forget the most important factor that drives both of these - the relationship that you have with your community and client families.

This question gets asked on the daily, "Why do you give so much away for free?".

When speaking with funeral homes, one of the most common reasons funeral directors give for not having an active social media presence is "our community is too small." Ten years ago, this point may have been valid, but today, 68% of all Americans use Facebook. Madison Chapel Funeral Home in Alabama receives between 85-95 calls a year in a community of 50,000 and has been a DISRUPT client for 18 months. Since implementing a social media strategy, their home has seen measurable growth.