I get it. You’re busy. The last thing you want to hear is that you need to add yet another new marketing technique to your funeral home’s advertising arsenal.

But hear me out on this. When it comes to possible marketing channels, Facebook represents one of the easiest ways to maintain top-of-mind brand awareness with your target customers for the lowest possible cost. Here are four reasons why your funeral home needs a Facebook Page:

Reason #1 — Your target customers are there

Facebook currently has more than 1.1 billion users, a growth that has occurred because the social site is far and beyond favorite of active online adults. Of the 73% of online adults who use social networking sites, roughly 71% are Facebook users. LinkedIn, the second most popular platform among these users comes in a distant second with only 22% adoption.

And while this chart encompasses all adult users ages 18 and up, the numbers are just as promising for the older adults that likely represent your target customer base.

As our “5 Surprising Statistics about Social Media and Older Adults” article shared:

• Of the 88% of Baby Boomers that are active online, 57% prefer Facebook for their social interactions.
• Of the 57% of online seniors that use social networking sites, 35% use Facebook as their primary social platform.

So don’t try to tell me that “my customers wouldn’t be interested in that kind of thing.” Older adults roughly tripled their presence on social networking sites over the past four years, making them the fastest growing out of all the different demographic groups represented on Facebook.

Your customers are on Facebook and they’re engaging with both people and brands alike. It’s up to you to decide whether that social energy benefits you or your competitors.

Reason #2 — Facebook offers cheap (or even free) brand awareness

Traditional outbound marketing methods, including direct mail campaigns, print advertisements, and other media buys, can be expensive. Compared to the amount of money you’d spend to reach your target customers through these channels, Facebook represents one of the lowest cost options for getting your name in front of your prospective customers.

In fact, research compiled by HubSpot suggests that inbound leads, like those generated by Facebook engagement and other social media marketing activities, cost an average of 61% less than outbound leads. And depending on the funeral home website provider you use, they may cost you even less. A Frazer-powered website, for example, can be set up to automatically send your obituaries to your Facebook Page for free!

This brand awareness is vitally important, as many of today’s consumers lack the standing relationships they once had with community funeral homes. As a result, the internet is the third most frequently cited source of information used by families to plan funerals (behind family/friends and funeral homes themselves). Your funeral home needs to be a part of this conversation, and having a Facebook page up and running is one of the cheapest, easiest ways to do so.

Reason #3 — Facebook lets you take advantage of social connections

One of the things that makes Facebook so appealing is the social connections each of your followers enjoys. On average, the people who “Like” your funeral home’s Page have 130 friends a piece. If just one of these people shares a link you post to your Page (for example, an obituary or helpful resource article), that’s another potential 130 people that could see your brand’s name, all without any direct effort on your part.

When it comes down to it, very few other marketing tactics give you the ability to extend your reach virally in this way without extra cost or energy!

Reason #4 — Your Facebook Page can play an important role in your lead generation process

Ideally, your website should be equipped with call-to-action features that encourage visitors to connect with your business on a higher level. For example, contact forms, preplanning forms or rotating banners are all tools to get readers to become even more involved with your business in some way whether or not they’re actively looking for a funeral service provider at the time.

As a result, your funeral home’s website could be a major business driver for your company. The only challenge is getting people there in the first place!

When used correctly, Facebook lets you put your brand in front of potential customers in a non-threatening way. If you avoid packing your Page full of sales messages, Facebook users will come to know your funeral home and build trust with your business. As they become more confident in you, they’ll click through to your site, where the calls-to-action you’ve put in place can help to convert them into prospects or customers down the road.

Working together, your Facebook Page can supply leads and your website can help convert them into customers. And considering that this type of marketing is pretty much hands-free (depending on the funeral home website provider you work with), setting up and maintaining a Facebook Page for your funeral home is pretty much a no-brainer!

If you have any other questions about this popular social site, ask them below in the comments section. We’re always happy to help funeral homes take advantage of the different opportunities today’s social tools have to offer!