By Drew Seale, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

Recently, I was on the hunt for a new driver.

Any golfer knows there’s nothing quite like breaking out a new club on the course. But it has to be the right club. With so many brands, I did what anyone in my shoes would do.

After asking friends and family and getting mixed opinions, I turned to the internet for help.

I opened the browser and searched “best drivers,” “top drivers 2024,” and many other terms to begin my search. Quickly, I was bombarded with sponsored ads from various companies looking to redirect me to their websites to browse their offerings.

However, I also noticed links to blogs from Titleist, video tutorials from golf enthusiasts, and even a digital eBook that could help improve my swing. Those blogs and videos – the content – were the most helpful to me during my search as I tried to weigh my options. Only after a few selections did I go to each company’s website to determine which driver would be right for me.

I experienced two forms of marketing: outbound marketing (the sponsored ads) and inbound marketing (the content). Both are incredibly important and necessary in a business’s marketing strategy.

If you’ve been wondering how to improve your funeral home’s marketing, this blog is for you. You’ll learn about the strategy of content marketing and discover examples you can use to increase brand awareness, leads, and engagement for your funeral home.

What is Content Marketing?

When you think of marketing, you might envision TV commercials, billboards, or flyers. While those are prime examples, we’ve seen a shift in the marketing landscape. Businesses are blending traditional marketing methods with digital solutions.

Most funeral home owners I talk to have done some form of traditional marketing but maybe haven’t shifted to include digital solutions, including a content marketing strategy. In fact, only 29% of marketers have a consistent content marketing strategy.

HubSpot defines content marketing as “planning, creating, distributing, sharing, and publishing of content via channels such as social media, blogs, websites, podcasts, apps, press releases, print publications, and more. The goal is to reach your target audience and increase brand awareness, sales, engagement, and loyalty.” (HubSpot)

In short, it means to write, publish, design, or create materials to educate consumers about who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. Then, it involves you sharing that content so people can find it.

If you’re one of the only funeral homes in your area with a content marketing strategy, you’re in a unique position to set yourself apart from your competition!

What Content Do I Create?

The first step of a successful content marketing strategy is creating content. You need these resources to drive online engagement to your funeral home and get families to notice you.

That said, you want to create content tailored to educate families on essential funeral topics. Write blogs, articles, social media posts, email newsletters, and more to show families the importance of preplanning, personalizing a funeral, and grieving well. 

Videos are also an excellent tool for educating and building trust with families. 

Most families have a limited understanding of the funeral profession, so create content that shares valuable info about these topics to set yourself up as your community’s trusted, go-to funeral expert.

How Do I Distribute the Content?

Now that you’ve created educational content, it’s time to figure out how to get families to see it. But between Facebook, YouTube, Google, and other online platforms, how do you decide which is best to reach families interested in your services and offerings?

Luckily, you don’t have to choose just one option. You can distribute your content through several channels to increase your chances of reaching families. Here are a few platforms to best distribute your content.

– Social Media: Post captivating photos, videos, and captions to introduce families to preplanning, cremation options, personalized funerals, and more.

– Website: Share in-depth articles and eBooks in a resources section of your website so families can learn how to discuss end-of-life planning with loved ones, pay for a funeral, and manage an estate. You can even capture their information to generate leads for your funeral home.

– Email Newsletter: Guide families toward healthy grieving with an email newsletter that provides support and tips.

– Text Messages: Keep families updated on upcoming events around your funeral home where they can learn about important funeral topics. Just make sure families agree to you texting them!

How you share your content is just as important as creating it. Distribute your content online where families are active and looking for answers.

How Do I Follow Up with Leads?

Creating helpful content is an important part of content marketing, but so is having a plan to track, monitor, and follow up with leads. Use content marketing to introduce more families to your funeral home, then let a customer relationship management (CRM) system keep all your leads organized.

A CRM will keep your pipeline full, help you follow up with families in a timely manner, prevent leads from falling through the cracks, and more.

Additionally, a CRM will keep every lead’s information safe, so you won’t have to worry about losing phone numbers or email addresses again. You can even document every conversation with a family and build a positive relationship with them.

Experience Content Marketing Success with Us

Creating the content is one thing. You also need a plan to distribute it to families in your community. With everything else on your plate, you likely don’t have time or resources to ensure your content marketing strategy goes off without a hitch.

Fortunately, our digital marketing packages consider content marketing. Our team will manage your funeral home website content by regularly updating it with new blogs and eBooks. Our experts can even create high-quality videos for educational or marketing purposes.

Plus, we manage your social media presence to improve brand awareness and increase leads for your funeral home, always posting engaging content. Learn more here.

And if you’re wondering how my new driver is faring, I’ve already shaved 7 strokes off my game.

Get a Marketing Demo Today!