Building Trust: Waldman Funeral Care’s Success with Targeted Messaging

Syd Waldman
Owner & Funeral Director
Waldman Funeral Care
Houston, TX

Want to build trust and familiarity in your community? Then, you need to send the right message to families.

Syd Waldman spent valuable time and resources working with marketing providers who didn’t understand his funeral establishment’s unique message. Finally, he decided it was time for a change.

Luckily, Syd’s long-time preneed provider also offered digital marketing services, and he didn’t hesitate to further his partnership with Funeral Directors Life (FDL). Now, he no longer worries about Waldman Funeral Care sending the right message to families.

“FDL’s social media team works extensively with us to ensure that all our posts align with our values. They’re truly committed to making sure that the content resonates with our followers.”

Read more to discover how FDL has helped this funeral establishment craft the perfect message and improve its preneed program.

When did Waldman Funeral Care first get started with Funeral Directors Life?

I began my journey with Funeral Directors Life back in 2011. As a Jewish funeral director running a Jewish funeral establishment, I focus on providing sacred Jewish burials and cremations to those seeking them, and FDL helps me do just that.

How did you manage your social media before FDL?

I used a few other companies, but there wasn’t much follow–up on how our posts performed or what kind of content was going out. Many of the posts weren’t appropriate for my audience. When I raised concerns, I was told, “We can’t make changes for just one funeral home.” So, I stopped using them and started managing our social media myself, but that was too much.

That’s when I turned to Funeral Directors Life, a partner I have trusted for more than a decade. They have been able to run my social media effectively.

What makes working with FDL’s social media team special?

FDL’s social media team works extensively with us to ensure that all posts align with our faith and community’s values, and we filter out any content that might be offensive. Running a Jewish funeral establishment means we must be careful and diligent about the content we post on social media. FDL sends me the week’s posts in advance, allowing me to review each one and ensure it’s appropriate. If I don’t like a particular post, they’re quick to find an alternative that suits my audience better, and I’ve never encountered any resistance from their team. FDL is committed to ensuring the content resonates with our followers.

Has FDL helped Waldman Funeral Care target your specific audience on social media?

Oh, absolutely! We’ve worked together on specific posts tailored exactly for the right audience. They’ve helped our funeral establishment be more targeted than just broadcasting to every Houston resident. FDL focuses specifically on areas with large Jewish populations, which allows us to reach the right people. We’re reaching the most Jewish eyeballs for the least amount of cost. It’s been incredibly effective.

How has the social media partnership benefited Waldman Funeral Care?

Knowing that the FDL team filters and customizes the content for my audience is a tremendous help. I’m glad to know that FDL has taken it upon itself to filter the social media for Waldman Funeral Care. That’s important. It’s also been such a relief to hand over the responsibility of social media to professionals. I’m a funeral director. I’m not an IT manager. I’m not a Facebook guru. Leaving my social media to FDL releases a burden off my shoulders. All I have to do is approve posts ahead of time. I trust FDL completely, and they understand the specific needs of my audience.

What has your experience been like with FDL’s preneed program?

FDL is the only preneed insurance company I’ve written with, and that’s because the technology and support they offer are fantastic. The digital platform, DIGicon [FDL’s preneed sales software], is wonderful and makes my job a lot easier. I spend so much time in DIGicon that I can navigate the platform with my eyes closed. I love it, and I love having all the contracts electronically. I don’t have to worry about printing stacks of paper. I can’t remember the last time I had a family physically sign their contract with a pen.

The preneed support is equally outstanding. I once had a family across the country that was having trouble signing their contract electronically. I called FDL and explained the problem, and their support team immediately got us all on a call to explore the issue. They walked me and the family through the problem, and we resolved it in no time. That’s why I rely on the partnership I have with FDL. I don’t hesitate to call them when I need help.

Why have you chosen to remain an FDL preneed customer for so long?

For me, it’s pretty simple. I have a great partnership with FDL and my sales representative, [Market Center Manager] Stephanie Nelson. Plus, the customer support is unmatched. FDL’s preneed has worked fabulously for me for years, and I’ve grown with them as their systems improved. I’m able to write preneed contracts faster than ever, and that’s mainly because of FDL.

What would you say to someone interested in exploring FDL?

Funeral Directors Life is a fantastic partner that provides seamless funding [through Claimcheck] for all our prearrangement funeral contracts when we need it, along with excellent digital marketing and social media services. They are a fabulous partner, and I wouldn’t go anywhere else.