By Drew Seale, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

Did you know that 88% of consumers use online search engines to find answers to their questions (HubSpot)? Whether they want to know the best show to watch on Netflix or how to make French toast (105,000 searches so far in 2024 for that breakfast tip), most families pull out their phones or crack open their laptops to find the answer.

Families also turn to the internet when they have funeral questions. That’s why your funeral home’s website and social media need to offer valuable and educational content to confused families.

Because to properly serve families, you need to answer their questions when they look for help.

And answering families’ questions online starts with having the right content.

Having informative and helpful content can help you:

– Build trust with families

– Stand out from your competition

– Educate families on your care and services

– Increase leads for your preneed program

– And more!

Here are 7 types of content you can use to educate families and help them on their journey from confused funeral consumers to enthusiastic preplanners!

Getting families started

When families go online for answers, they want to find those answers quickly and easily. Here are 2 forms of content that can make a great first impression and provide fast answers for families.

Educational articles

Blogs and articles are one of the most consistently viewed forms of content. In fact, an overwhelming majority of online users have read at least one blog or article in their lives, compared to only 17% of users admitting to never reading a blog or article (HubSpot).

Families can learn more about preplanning, veterans benefits, healthy grieving, and other important funeral topics through blogs and articles. Specifically, “how-to” articles are very popular with consumers, so be sure to include articles that inform families on how to write an obituary, use music to personalize a funeral, make a digital estate plan, and more.

Share these articles on your website and social media!

>>> Looking for what topics to include in your blogs and articles? Start here!

FAQ Landing Page

Have you ever heard of the phrase “you don’t know what you don’t know?” Your funeral home’s website might be a wealth of knowledge and information, but to get families started, it’s best to have an FAQ (frequently asked questions) page as a simple way to show families topics that they might not know and want to learn more about.

An FAQ page lists common inquiries that can help new funeral consumers find a starting point and learn what topics are most relevant to them.

Here are a few examples of questions your website’s FAQ landing page could include:

– What do I do when a death occurs?

– Why are funerals so expensive?

– What is the purpose of a funeral?

– Can you still have a funeral if you choose cremation?

– What do I need to know about income tax when I lose a spouse?

Just remember to always include answers to these questions! Because when you can answer families’ questions online, they’ll see you as a trusted guide before they ever visit with you in person.

Getting to know your funeral home

Now that families know they can turn to you for answers and accurate information, you can show them who you are so you can build trust and credibility. Here are 3 types of content that can help further introduce yourself to families.

Social Media Posts

After a family learns that you can offer them valuable information, they may look to connect with you on social media to learn more about you. That’s why your social media content should educate, inform, and direct families to understand your service and offerings.

Use your social media to:

– Answer common funeral questions

– Explain the benefits of planning ahead

– Show how your staff can take care of any need

– And more!

Plus, using videos and images on social media is especially powerful at getting families to interact with you. (We’ll get to videos later).

>>>See how these social media post ideas can help provide value to your families.

Aftercare Email Newsletters

As an experienced funeral professional, you know that families still need support after the funeral. With the right content, you can help families start their grief journey on the right foot.

Offer grieving families an email newsletter that can bring healing and help you stay connected to the families you’ve served. An email newsletter can also help your aftercare program and build customer loyalty for your funeral home!

>>>Here’s a great example of grief education ideas you can use for your email newsletter!

Personalized Videos

One way to help increase your online engagement with families is by providing a strong mix of content types like articles, social media captions, emails – and videos!

Based on recent consumer trends, many families prefer watching videos when learning about new companies and products. Here are a few stats from Wyzol’s 2024 video marketing study that show the impact video has on consumers.

– 91% of consumers have watched a video to learn more about a product or service.

– 82% have bought a product or service after watching a video.

– 89% want to see more videos from brands.

– 44% prefer to watch a video to learn more about a product or service, the highest among all content forms.

Personalized videos can also help you show families your facilities and heart for service and improve your online reach! Use videos to connect with families on an emotional level and set yourself apart from your competition.

>>>Start creating engaging and educational videos today with these ideas! 

Getting ready to preplan

Hopefully, your website and social media content answered families’ initial questions and established familiarity with your funeral home. Now, since you’ve built a relationship with the family, your funeral home is likely their first choice to contact if they decide to preplan.

Here are 2 forms of content you can use to help families begin their preplanning journey.

Preplanning Checklist

Imagine someone learned about preplanning through an article you shared on Facebook. After reading it, they watched a testimonial video you posted of a family who shared the benefits of preplanning.

Interested but still confused, they visit your website and find a checklist that explains everything they need to know about making their prearrangements.

What a great service you could offer families with this piece of content!

Educate families on everything they need to know about preplanning, from forms of disposition to personalization options and more with this checklist.

>>>Check out this preplanning checklist to see what information to include in your own resource!

eBook Download

Some families might have a general understanding of funerals and only need a few questions answered. However, most families don’t know their options for paying for a funeral, how to talk to their parents about preplanning, if they should choose burial or cremation, and other funeral topics.

These families need in-depth resources to learn and make the best decision for their family. Your funeral home can offer families this deeper understanding with eBooks or other long-form digital content pieces. 

Families can explore all the ins and outs of important funeral topics, and your funeral home can use eBooks to generate leads! It’s a win-win!

Educate, connect, and guide families with the right content.

No matter what questions families have about funerals, you can give them the answers they need with valuable and educational content. From introducing yourself through informational social media posts and videos to providing continued care with an email newsletter, the right content can help you connect with new families and increase customer loyalty.

But creating great content takes time.

After serving families and running your funeral home, how much time will you have to research, write, film, post, and publish all your new content?

Let our team craft content that builds trust and leads.

Our new digital marketing packages feature website, video, and social media management services.

Plus, all our marketing services are driven by content that can help you build trust with families, stand out from your competition, increase leads, and more.

Find out how the right content can turn educated families into served families. Request a demo to learn more!