Funeral homes who haven’t already found their way onto most major social media platforms are really missing out on an excellent funeral home marketing opportunity. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are used by virtually everyone in varying degrees. While many other businesses have already claimed their space in this sector, many funeral homes have fallen behind. They mistakenly believe that there is nothing for them to be gained from posting a few photos on Instagram.
This philosophy is the exact reason why your funeral home needs to sign up for social media as soon as possible. There is little competition to be faced in this arena, giving you the first chance at earning loyal followers and prospective customers. Instagram is an easy platform to use if you have even the smallest amount of technical skill and an eye for photography. While it may not seem like the most logical investment of your time, it is a fresh and creative way for you to engage a new audience and put your name in front of more people.
If you think that you might be ready to take the leap into Instagram, here are a few of the most important things you should know:
Keep Branding Consistent
By now, you should already have a professionally-designed logo that represents your business. Make sure that you have copies of the logo that can easily be added to different photos. You want to incorporate this logo throughout your Instagram feed so that people become more familiar with what your brand looks like. While not every photo needs to have your logo pasted over top of it, it is a nice touch to add a small version of your logo in the bottom corner in roughly a third of your photos.
In addition to your actual logo, you should also be consistent with what your brand will look like on Instagram. Most people take decent photographs with their high-tech smartphones or digital cameras. However, those photos still need to be edited to make them marketable and perfect before you share them on social media. Try out all of the different filters and editing tools available to see what you like best but refrain from posting your experiments.
Instead, try to edit all of your photos the same way once you get your Instagram feed going. You can do this easily by using preset options in Adobe Lightroom. This program charges you a small fee on a monthly basis but it can make a huge difference in your ability to edit your photos quickly so that you can move on with your day.
Schedule Your Posts
Perhaps you are accustomed to working a strict nine-to-five schedule. While this is fine and beneficial for you, most Instagram users aren’t active during these hours. Funeral home directors don’t necessarily like the idea of going home just to be chained to their computer in order to update their social media accounts. Fortunately, there are solutions to this problem: You can schedule your Instagram posts so that they automatically go live during peak hours for your audience without the need for you to lift a finger.
Companies like Tailwind specialize in this sort of work. You can sign up for an inexpensive monthly subscription that allows you to upload your photos and videos during regular office hours. Drag and drop them onto the specific time slots that you want. When the time comes, they automatically post your Instagram content. It’s as easy as can be and it can make a huge difference in your overall engagement levels on Instagram.
Learn Public Speaking
One of the things that people love about Instagram is the video sharing capabilities. Customers want to actually hear more from the brands they love. You can create amazing content that your audience will enjoy and want to share if you can learn some basic public speaking skills. Even just a short video gives viewers a chance to connect with your brand, put a name and a face to your business, and learn more about what you have to offer.
People are desperate to learn more about your particular area of expertise. They might need help with pre-planning a funeral or handling the loss of a loved one. Because of your professional experience, you are an expert and an authority on these topics. Feel free to share some of the things that you’ve learned with a captive audience on Instagram.
Research Some Hashtags
Hashtags are one of the more important things that you will need to understand before diving into Instagram. These hashtags can increase the popularity of your posts and expose more people to your particular brand. Many people search for similar topics on Instagram by using this method. They simply type in their particular hashtag and search through the available posts that are similarly labelled.
Popular hashtags like #funerals and #funeralhomes might be important for you to incorporate at the end of your posts. Make sure to do a little bit of research on which hashtags are the most popular. You may find that some fit your funeral home more than others. Understanding and incorporating these hashtags into your business is essential if you want to boost the impact of your Instagram posts.
Start Your Instagram Today
Instagram is one of the leading social media platforms that all funeral homes should be leveraging in their marketing campaigns. Sharing photos and videos is crucial to keeping a new generation interested in your business. Even those who are aging are becoming more and more active on social media. If your online audience is on social media (and they likely are!), then you need to make sure to keep up with the times.
Starting an Instagram feed doesn’t require much time or effort. It is one of the easiest things you will do for your business this year and it can make a huge, lasting impact with your audience. With just a few of these simple tips and tricks, you can get started today.