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The ICCM Journal | Summer 2022 | V90 No. 2
do you need an online presence as a crematorium or cemetery? Eimer Duffy discusses the benefits to your organisation of being online. And the answer is yes. There is an expectation from people more and more that crematoriums and cemeteries have the following: • • •
Google Business Profile Website Social Channels
So how can being online help your Crematorium or Cemetery? Most of us “Google” things each day to search for information, products and services. And as we all know, technology is ever evolving, think of it this way, for example, people picking where they want to be cremated or looking for a burial space online without having to make a trip to the cemetery. And from there look to see what else they can find out about the crematorium or cemetery from the website and social channels. Google Business Profile People need to be able to see where you are, how to reach you and what services you provide. This platform is a free marketing tool for you and linked to Google Maps. Apart from adding your information, you can reply to Google Reviews (feedback on the experience - I like to say), post updates, photos and videos like you would on Facebook, answer questions and get messages. And that’s not all you even have insights, and you can find out lots of information on what triggered your Google Business Profile to appear on Google. People can call you via this and check out your website too, all within this one platform. Website Your website should share with people all the information they need to make a decision, as well as have ways they can contact you. If your website doesn’t cover the basic requirements, people who haven’t dealt with you before are likely to go elsewhere. Having your website fresh and engaging, as well as mobile friendly is really important. Mobile searches are increasing year on year and so you need to ensure that your website looks good on mobile. Having images or videos of who is representing the crematorium or cemetery will give people a good impression and reassurance. People do business with people they know, like and trust. Once your website is up to date with all the necessary features, you can turn your attention to its partner and that’s social media. I have a little saying “websites and social media are like a married couple, the website is all picture and no sound and your social media is where the conversation path begins” Social Media You can see the need for a presence on Google and having a website, but wonder about the place of social media. Social media allows you to notify your network about what’s going on. People use the platforms to share not only the happy news but the sad things too. So it’s an appropriate place to post details of a funeral service. It gives the family a way to notify their community of any updates and provides the crematorium or cemetery with online awareness via the family sharing. Social media is a tool focused on engagement, this leads to brand recognition and it helps with being top of mind at a difficult time. When it comes to other things to post on your social media channels these could be things such as historical information, inspiring quotes, special events such as a ceremony for Easter, blessing of graves and even history tours. Create videos to answer people’s questions and even LIVE video streaming. People are curious about what options are out there and this could help them with their pre-planning too. What impact social media has on our lives today and what the future might be? Being online is becoming more and more essential. People use the internet for researching, education and even entertainment and that’s not going away. Social media with its focus on community is a good place to share and engage with people. Social media has an impact by:
