Social media helps promote attendance of your funeral home’s holiday remembrance program, but you shouldn’t stop there. Along with social media promotion, you also should use it to post updates during and after your event.

With social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can share photos, videos, or even live-stream your event. The opportunities are endless and all free for your funeral home to use.

Below are some ways to use social media during and after your holiday remembrance program.

During Holiday Remembrance Program

Facebook Live

If you want to live-stream your event, Facebook Live is an easy feature to use. For example, maybe you want to live-stream your guest speakers or remembrance ceremony for those who can’t attend. You can easily do this with Facebook from your mobile phone or tablet. Simply click “Live,” choose your share settings, write a brief description, and click “Go Live” to start streaming.

For more tips, check out our Facebook Live article that breaks down this feature.

Facebook and Instagram Stories

Or, if you’d rather take short snippets, then Facebook or Instagram Stories are both good options. However, stories only appear for 24 hours, so don’t use this tool if you want access to them whenever.

Also, don’t forget to take photos and videos to share on social media after your event. Below are some photo and video ideas.

Photos

• Families and your funeral home’s staff
• Your remembrance tree and ornaments
• Event setup and décor
• Food and table settings

Videos

• Families talking about the event and who they’re honoring
• Your guest speakers or performers
• Your funeral home’s staff talking about the event and your families
• Program activities, such as a releasing ceremony or candle/tree lighting

After Holiday Remembrance Program

Now, you have many memorable photos and videos to share on social media. On Facebook, you can create a “(Insert Year) Holiday Remembrance Program” photo album. Then, families can tag themselves in your photos. You also can encourage them to share their own photos and tag your funeral home.

Also, you can share some photos or videos on other social media platforms, like Instagram or YouTube. If you use a tool like Buffer, you can share to multiple social media platforms at once. It also helps to have a dedicated social media person or a social media intern.

Along with photos, you can write a post thanking everyone for making the event a success. You also can briefly share event highlights such as a memorable choir performance or your beautiful remembrance tree. However, this doesn’t replace mailing personal thank-you notes.

Benefits for Your Funeral Home and Families

By sharing memories from your event on social media, you’re connecting with your community in many ways, such as:

• Gaining more social media followers, event attendees, and potential client families
• Showing your community involvement and establishing community togetherness
• Learning families’ wants and needs, while families get to know your funeral home’s staff
• Spreading the word about your funeral home and events to your community and beyond
• Creating and documenting a tradition to honor families’ loved ones

Interested in learning more tips for planning your annual holiday remembrance program? Download our free Holiday Remembrance eBook that includes a checklist to help you stay organized!