This article will give owners of funeral homes, cemeteries and chapels some key information about marketing trends in the death care industry.

The year 2017 will be an exciting year for marketers, particularly in terms of enhanced digital skills.  As new trends, technology and customer behaviors emerge, your key to success will be in continually learning and staying up-to-date.

Marketers in the Death Care Industry need to experiment with new tools, tactics and marketing campaign ideas. It’s vital to to monitor each project so you can discover where your greatest return on investment can be made.

Diversifying the Marketing Mix

2017 will be a year of blended media. This is where the old adage – different strokes for different folks – really holds true. Different people respond differently to different marketing channels. Even though we are all focused on digital, it’s important to realize that over 22% of computer users now use ad blockers. That means that marketers need to rethink their ad spend on non-digital forms of advertising. If you really want to get a bang for their buck, it’s time to reconsider direct mail.

Rapid Retail

We are seeing a tremendous effect of Rapid Retail and the “want it now” mentality. Everyone is trying to outdo the competition. Ecommerce companies, including Amazon, are delivering at ever-faster rates. Amazon Prime Now service providing city dwellers with what they want within the hour, seven days a week. This will only increase expectations from consumers. Anyone with an ecommerce site needs to be prepared.

That also goes for making sure anyone who asks for something gets it fast. No one wants to wait for anything anymore.

Mobile

The time spent on mobile now consists of over two-thirds of digital media time. Desktop time is now just one third of time spend digitally. Website speed is a critical area which marketers need to get right. It is all too easy to bloat a site with un-optimized images, code and excessive JavaScript tags. Google has said it will penalize marketers who are directing traffic to a slow-moving mobile site. Because of this, you really need to pay attention to the loading speed of your websites. When it comes to At-Need, mobile usability  is definitely the #1 priority in terms of marketing trends in the death care industry. You also want to make sure you are properly optimized in Google Local. That’s the best place to focus your at-need marketing efforts. BTW – remember to keep your business times current. Also, double check how your cemetery or funeral home appears in the Maps section. People who reply on the phones for directions use the maps feature all the time.

Print

We are seeing a resurgence of print options for direct mail. Marketers can stand out from the crowd with unique shapes, sizes and virtual QR codes that take readers to a new reality. Millennials continue to be a surprise strong mail market segment. Seniors rely  heavily on print for information and offers. For pre-need offers, high caliber printing on quality paper stock is a must.   Bottom line with print – if it’s great, people will read it and save it. Quality print/direct mail offers the first step in buying research. A good piece will help start the purchase journey.

Direct Mail

According to 2017 Media Usage Survey results, direct mail is not only holding steady, but it’s growing. Nearly one-third (31%) of marketers who responded to the survey are increasing their use of direct mail this year. 33% are keeping it the same. Only 9% are decreasing their use of direct mail. In the Death Care Industry, direct mail is one of the key marketing channels. To repeat myself, a good direct mail piece starts the research process for the purchase. It is the first step in the pre-need purchase journey.

Social Influencers

In the world of social media, some humans matter more than others –we call them influencers.  When it comes to social media, marketers are increasingly accepting the new world where they have to “pay to play”. This means they need to find recognizable talent to appear in their newsfeeds, blog posts and ad. Sure, I’d like Brad Pitt to appear in my posts too. Because this is becoming a high cost, marketers are looking for new solutions. Experiment with a company spokesperson, anime or animal who can become your influencer.

Facebook Marketing

Marketing on Facebook is way different than social media on Facebook. This is about paying for ads and sponsored posts that show up directly on people’s newsfeeds. This has become one of the growing marketing trends in the death care industry. Since 2017 is all about blended media, the key here is to match direct mail to Facebook ads with customized match programs that let Funeral Home and Cemetery marketers reach their key audiences.  The more times a consumer sees an ad and the more channels they see it through, the better the branding and the higher the response.

Conclusion

While we all want to showcase our companies across every marketing channel, from a cost perspective, it’s not just feasible. Death Care industry marketers need to test their message in the different marketing channels to find the special formula that’s right for them.

reprinted from June 2017 ICCFA Magazine