VIDEO: How Social Media Creates Authenticity in the Funeral Profession
Video Interview Courtesy of FuneralOne and Creedy Commentary
Have you joined the social media bandwagon yet?
If not, you could be missing out.
In this informational video below, Al Creedy and funeralOne CEO, Joe Joachim, discuss why social media is extremely valuable to the funeral profession.
They talk about:
– The impact Facebook and other social networks have on the funeral profession
– How to build trust with your families through social media
– Why funeral home reviews can help your funeral business
– Why the Internet has shaped the future of the funeral service
Watch Joe and Al Creedy’s discussion here
Don’t have enough time to watch? Read the summary article:
Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg once said that the major impact Facebook has made is that it’s forced people and businesses to be authentic. That resonates. Not just in funeral service, but in most industries because it boils down to the fact that we just don’t trust anybody anymore.
What social media has done is help not just the funeral service, but every profession, create that authentic, trusted brand.
And not just trusting what the company says, but most importantly, trusting what the community is saying. They’re the ones who are actually liking your Facebook page or interacting with you online.
Social media builds trust with your families
A lot of funeral professionals often worry about having a Facebook page in case someone leaves a negative comment. The truth is, a negative comment can actually be a good thing! It gives you a chance to create an authentic brand that’s trustworthy.
It’s like being a builder. No matter how good you are, you’re going to make a mistake.
The difference between a good builder and a bad builder is that the bad builder doesn’t then return your phone call about it. The good builder does and that’s what builds that authentic brand.
Negative comments are going to get out there whether you like it or not. At least give yourself a chance to be part of the conversation by responding authentically and honestly.
Reviews on your funeral home drive new business
If you’ve ever gone to a product page and seen reviews on a site, and you see that a product has 78 people rating it five stars and another with only two people who have rated it two stars, you’re more likely to trust the product with all the ratings.
It’s going to be a lot better product experience for you because you’re trusting the community.
Social media takes a step further and allows you to see what buying decisions your friends are making in relation to the things you might be looking at. So you have the opportunity to create a huge impact of influence, because when you see others doing something in a trusted environment, that’s powerful.
These days, many people don’t buy anything from books to major household appliances without reading reviews. And those people certainly don’t buy anything they don’t know much about without looking at the star ratings.
Funeral homes would be well advised to put star rating systems and comments on their homepage and encourage interaction. When you do get a negative comment, it gives you the opportunity to respond to it and build trust with this customer and future ones.
Transparency positively influences your level of service
If your staff and everyone at your firm knows that you’re going to be commented and rated on your service, your level of service will likely increase.
Why? Because at the end of the day, they know the transparency will be there. If they don’t give the most meaningful service possible to your families, it’s going to come out one way or another. It did before, but the rest of the world didn’t know about it. Now they will.
Family input helps shape your future service
If you invite the public beyond the family to comment on your business, you’re going to start getting input as to how you can shape your future service.
You’ll be able to modify your business as you answer the question, “What do we need to look like a year from now, five years from now, etc.?” The only way to create this change is to make sure that your marketing, your website, your social media and everything you’re doing is focused on authenticity and transparency.
It’s not about designing everything for you. You don’t want a website for funeral directors. You want a website for families.
It’s not about your staff, your history, or your location. It’s about how you’re going to help that family, how you’re going to give them the information they’re looking for, and how you’re going to be transparent as they react to things they don’t like.
Don’t be everything to everybody
If you’re not doing enough to make people go one way or another, you’re probably not trying hard enough.
If you’re vanilla to everybody, you’re not going to make anybody happy. Focus your efforts on what you believe in. It may not be perfect and it may not always work, but be open to advice and feedback from your customers to become better.
