Successful businesses take advantage of “multiple income streams.” By drawing sales from several different markets, these business owners ensure that even if one market slows down for a while, the others will carry their profits. This form of diversifying has long been considered a solid economic tool.
Funeral directors can use this technique not to diversify their business, but to diversify their advertising. The tendency is to want to stick with tried and true methods of promoting funeral homes. With everything else that you have to do every day, testing out new methods sounds as though it would be time consuming, costly, and risky. Who has the time and money for that?
Tried and true methods of reaching new clients have always been newspaper and magazine ads, direct mail, signs and billboards, radio, TV or cable spots. Somewhat pricey, these have nevertheless been effective for decades in building awareness and bringing families to you when the unexpected happens. We could say that these are traditional “income streams.” They bring in clients through subscriptions, mailing lists and passive contact.
The Internet has actually opened up marketing venues never dreamed of before. Every business worth its salt now has its own eye-catching website to showcase its purpose, products and services. Since over 75% of the population of the United States will be online by December 2012, this is an incredibly effective way to reach the majority of consumers and at the same time create an additional, non-traditional “income stream” for your business. Besides that, advertising via the Internet is more cost-effective than traditional options. You can reach many more people with less investment.
But the potential of the Internet doesn’t stop with a well-designed funeral home website. As you add blogs, videos, testimonials and links to your site, and optimize your content, you will attract more people with a wider variety of interests. Recently Social Media has exploded in popularity. This cutting-edge “income stream” is comprised of Internet communities—Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and much more. By incorporating Social Media into your advertising, you can take advantage of that that intense growth. Believe it or not, Facebook alone is expected to reach 143.4 million users this year, and about 2/3 of all Internet users will be also be communicating on Facebook. Ignoring these active social avenues could make or break a business, possibly yours. Your competitors are checking these out. Why not you?
Mobile apps can now be downloaded to cell phones, smart phones, iPads, and tablets. With these apps people can take your website, your business Facebook page, even your Tweets with them wherever they go, interacting with your blogs and catching your ads and coupons.
How “plugged in” is your funeral home to the busy lives of your prospective clients? No need to “test the waters” and cross your fingers hoping that these new-fangled marketing methods work. They DO work. Statistics prove it, so put them to work for your funeral home business.
Today, 81% of funeral homes have a website, but only 47% have a social media campaign to draw in people who might not otherwise discover their website. Start diversifying your advertising today by setting up your own Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter accounts. Link them to your Website. Keep the content fresh, new and fascinating. Add videos, articles, and links. Have an ongoing teaser on your Facebook or LinkedIn page to answer often-asked questions people have when faced with having to make funeral arrangements. Link it to the complete blog on your website.
Take advantage of every advertising venue available to promote your funeral home. Use “multiple” advertising “streams,” from traditional ads to blogging on your website to exciting social media and versatile mobile apps. By doing this, you will be channeling people from all walks of life toward your website and your business, creating a solid “income” for you.
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