Like any other business, funeral directors must actively engage in marketing your funeral services. Marketing is engaging with people and informing them about brand identity, services, mission, values, and, importantly, what distinguishes you from your competitors. In this article, we’ll explore how to market your funeral services.
The funeral industry generates significant revenue and attracts fierce competition. Understanding marketing strategies and consumer behavior is key to successfully marketing your funeral services.
Related: Funeral Marketing in the 21st Century
How to market your funeral services
Figuring out how to market your business successfully is often time-consuming and challenging. Small enterprises may also face additional hurdles due to limited resources and budget. According to Statista, nearly 76.2% of funeral homes are family or privately owned. This represents a substantial proportion of the industry, generating around $20 billion.
The remainder of funeral homes are in the hands of large corporations and private equity firms. Service Corporation International (SCI), headquartered in Houston, Texas, “own 1,471 funeral homes and 488 cemeteries in the U.S. and are the largest funeral and cemetery services company in the world.” (Nicholas Ville, March 30 2023, US Funerals Online)
So, how do you go about marketing your funeral services? The first step involves developing a marketing strategy to communicate your value to your target audience.
Understanding your target audience
Funeral directors who regularly interact with their community are more likely to understand what potential consumers want. Recognizing diverse religious and cultural requirements enables you to tailor your services, ensuring mourners receive the best experience when saying goodbye to loved ones. Building relationships with religious leaders provides insights into the wants and wishes of community members.
Creating a unique selling point (USP) can help your business stand out from the competition. For example, you could offer themed funerals centered around hobbies, interests, or something of value to the local community.
A funeral home in Bryan, Texas, provides Texas A&M-Themed Services. They appreciate the university’s important role in the lives of many in the local area by creating unique Aggie-themed funerals. They also acknowledge the deceased in the “Roll Call for the Absent” during the Aggie Muster, “one of Texas A&M University’s most solemn and most visible traditions. On or near April 21 each year, current and former students gather to honor and celebrate members of the Aggie family who have passed away in the past year.” (Texas A&M Today, April 20, 2023)
Make your funeral home visible to customers
Once you’ve established your niche and identified your audience, you must make your presence known. Traditional methods include placing advertisements in the Yellow Pages, newspapers, billboards, radio, and direct mail.
Conventional marketing creates instant brand awareness and a greater recall rate than digital media. “When it comes to recall, print reigns supreme: RAMetrics data covering 2022-2023 shows print ads deliver a recall of 78%, a whopping 48 percentage points higher than digital.” (Newsworks 3rd April, 2024)
Aiming for a higher recall percentage helps people become more familiar with your brand and its message. This leads to better performance in the Top-of-Mind Awareness metric. This benchmark measures unprompted brand recollection in a neutral setting.
However, since mourners are often in an emotionally charged environment, funeral homes may have to work harder to achieve this awareness level. Your funeral home will need to be at the forefront of their minds as something they recognize and trust to provide the comfort and services they require during a time of grief and loss.
Key digital marketing strategies for funeral homes
Traditional marketing can be expensive, so digital methods are a cheaper alternative. Or, depending on your budget, you could choose a blend of both.
A website is a vital part of a business’s digital marketing strategy. It is the central hub of its online presence and represents its brand. The website must be high-quality to reflect the standard of your services.
The design should be sensitive and respectful, demonstrating you offer compassionate support during a difficult time. Individuals will assess the credibility of your business by your website, and how they perceive it will influence their decision to pick up the phone and find out more.
SEO content marketing for funeral directors
Websites are powerful marketing tools. Publishing regular Search Engine Optimization (SEO) content will help increase your company’s visibility and drive more traffic.
Potential clients include those planning for funeral arrangements or others seeking last-minute services. Most searchers do not scroll beyond the first of the Search Engine Results Page (SERPS)
Content should be informational and engaging. Topics your audience might find helpful include,
- Burial versus crematorium
- How to plan a funeral
- The cost of a funeral
- Helpful information about grief and loss
- How to make a funeral greener
Social media
Social media might not seem like the most obvious method of reaching out to customers. However, it is an excellent way to connect with people, interact, and answer questions. Responding quickly to followers shows that you are listening and value their thoughts and concerns. Friends, family, and the community can use social media to express their condolences and support.
Funeral homes can promote events and share educational articles, inspirational quotes, and helpful tips. Live videos gain more visibility than posts on social media, so holding live events is a valuable way to interact.
Highlighting members of the team working at the funeral home can be personable. It builds trust and puts people at ease.
Virtual memorials
The demand for virtual memorials is rising as families and friends increasingly live far apart. Individuals with medical conditions may be wary of attending public events but still wish to view the service. Online obituaries reach a wider audience and have a long-lasting presence.
Gathering market information to improve services
Social media is an effective way to gather market information to improve services. For example, you can address the demand for livestream funeral services, provide keepsakes, or introduce additional services that accommodate individuals’ diverse requirements, like eco-friendly funerals.
It could also be used to streamline administration services. Loved ones can find documentation and legal procedures confusing and stressful. Tweaking the administration service might alleviate some of that stress.
Encouraging feedback can identify areas for improvement. Surveys and polls are an effective method of encouraging engagement and gathering insights. They are anonymous, quick, and easy for audiences to complete, and they make readers feel valued for their opinions.
Featuring reviews and testimonials on your website is an excellent way to highlight your compassionate service.
Advertising regulations and the funeral rule
The marketing principle is to help businesses maximize sales, which involves building customer relationships and developing trust.
The Federal Trade Commission has devised regulations and guidelines for marketing in the United States to protect consumers. “Under the law, claims in advertisements must be truthful, cannot be deceptive or unfair, and must be evidence-based. For some specialized products or services, additional rules may apply.” (Federal Trade Commission)
The Funeral Rule, a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) law, establishes further regulations to protect grieving families. These families are likely to feel overwhelmed by the decisions they face and are vulnerable to being taken advantage of.
Further to the FTC rules, various states have additional consumer protection laws governing advertising.
