Facebook 101 for Funeral Home Owners
As of July 2017, Facebook has 1.71 billion monthly active users and 1.13 billion daily active users, on average. So, the majority of your community — and target market — is probably online.
For funeral home owners, having a Facebook page is a tricky proposition. You want to have a presence, but what you would most likely post — obituaries, preplanning and grief support resources — might not be what your Fans want to see on their News Feeds.
Here are some questions to think about as you plan your funeral home’s Facebook strategy.
What do you want to say? Do you want to post obituaries, announce events or encourage preplanning? Many funeral homes I’ve seen are doing all three. Posting obituaries every day can be time-consuming, but think of the goodwill and branding you can get from families that Share your link. You will receive Likes and Comments from people in and out of your networks and could potentially get a new Like.
How will you say it? Will you speak as yourself or the funeral home? People respond better to people than places, so feel free to let your personality show. And, you can choose to post from your name or the firm name, so you can mix it up, too.
Do you have someone on staff who can write content? Will you repurpose other content? Hire a service? Sometimes a picture of your firm or a new employee can be enough for the day! And other times, you’ll want to get a little deeper. The best way to manage Facebook (and any other Social Media account) is to create 4-6 weeks of content in advance so you are able to think about how it complements your other marketing tactics.
Do you have someone who can help customize your page with professional-looking graphics? The Profile Image can be tricky for many firms because it requires a square logo — uncommon for funeral homes. Also, many funeral homes use an image of their facility for their Facebook Cover, which is great. But, from time to time, it would be great to update it to keep the site fresh and interesting.
After you’ve thought about these questions, it’s time to get started. Who on your team is already active on Facebook? They may surprise you and volunteer to help. Or if time and resources are limited, know that adfinity is able to help you with content and postings on a full or part-time basis. Call us at 1-877-251-1222 for more information.
P.S. Regardless of your interest in Facebook at this time, I highly recommend setting up a business page on the popular site and linking it to your funeral home web site for the added SEO boost. And after you have 25 Likes, you can customize your Facebook account name/URL to include your firm name — even more recognition.
(originally published in July 2012; updated July 2017)
Tags: Facebook, Social Media