How to grow your funeral/cremation business

Last I checked, death wasn’t going out of fashion. There were over 182,000 recorded deaths in Australia in 2023 according to the ABS. Broken down by state, that looks a bit like this:

• New South Wales: approximately 60,032 deaths
• Victoria: approximately 45,732 deaths
• Queensland: approximately 36,374 deaths
• South Australia: approximately 14,731 deaths
• Western Australia: approximately 16,489 deaths
• Tasmania: approximately 4,901 deaths
• Northern Territory: approximately 1,275 deaths
• Australian Capital Territory: approximately 2,443 deaths

*These are estimates based on past distribution and should be treated as such until official data is available.

Statistically, most Australians will have to arrange at least one funeral in their lifetimes, and due to the nature of the funeral business, it’s seen as one of the most stable industries in the country [1]. 

Funeral directors and businesses fill an important need in people’s lives, not only around the logistics of handling a deceased loved one – but also acting as guides and confidants, helping their clients navigate through difficult times. But these skills are not necessarily the same skills that are needed to attract clients in the first place.

With an estimated market size of $2.2bn in 2024, and with two-thirds of the funeral sector being comprised of small, typically family-run businesses that rarely have dedicated marketing teams, many business owners may be left asking the question, how do I attract more clients for my funeral or cremation business?

Keep reading, and we’ll give you all the tools you need.

Note: For ease of navigation each of the headings in the table of contents has been hyperlinked so you can quickly reach the section of most interest to you.

5 Ways to get more clients for your funeral or cremation business

Here’s a very quick snapshot of the main methods you can use to get more clients for your funeral or cremation business. Each is covered in more detail in its own section below. 

1. Word of mouth/referrals – an acquisition channel that most business owners are all too familiar with, referrals are often the lifeblood of trust-centric businesses like these. The downside of referrals is that if you become too reliant on them, you have no backup plan if they slow down or dry up. Click here to jump ahead and get 4 tips on increasing your referring reliability and volume.
2. Organic web search (Google/SEO) – with over 99,000 searches per second on Google, it’s fair to assume that a decent number of users will be searching for cremations or funeral directors. To make the most of this acquisition channel, you need a Google Business Profile and a website that’s optimised for SEO. Click here to jump ahead to find out how to give yourself the best chances to appear above your competitors in organic search.
3. Search advertising (Google Ads) – Google ads are the go-to acquisition channel for many funeral businesses, allowing you to appear at the top of search results and targeting users by keywords, location, and device type. Click here to jump ahead to the Google Ads section, where we share our experience and best practices in lead generation for this sector.
4. Social media – platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be highly effective for funeral and cremation services. These platforms allow businesses to create a community, share educational content, showcase their compassionate nature, build trust with potential clients, and reach customers with targeted ads. Click here to jump ahead to the social media section.
5. Traditional advertising – such as billboards, radio and TV spots, newspaper ads etc. These old-school advertising techniques may still work for some businesses, but are best suited for those with large advertising budgets who can afford to use them for what they primarily are: brand awareness devices. The return on investment is typically harder to measure for traditional advertising and the results trickle in over time as people “remember” the brand (hopefully) at the time when they require the service.

Bonus: having a great website is a must in today’s digital age, with 97% of customers searching online to find local businesses [2]. Click here to jump ahead to our website section where we give you our top tactics on how to create a site that looks great and converts at its maximum potential.

The top challenges facing the funeral industry

As with any business, the funeral & cremation industry has its own unique challenges to overcome when it comes to acquiring, nurturing and converting clients. After conducting our own independent research, as well as speaking with business owners in the sector, we’ve identified the following major challenges facing businesses in the funeral industry – as well as offering our suggestions on how to overcome each hurdle:

Challenge	Suggested solution
Clients don’t understand the value of the service, causing them to be price-resistant. Source: FuneralOne	Enhance customer education through detailed brochures, informative websites, and personal consultations that clearly articulate the benefits and personalised aspects of the services offered. Building a narrative that emphasises emotional support and the care taken in organising personalised memorials can also help justify the costs.
Hidden charges and/or lack of pricing clarity. Source: ACCC, QLD Gov.	Adopt transparent pricing models and provide detailed, itemised quotes and bills to clients. Include clear pricing on all promotional materials and the company website. Offer packages with customisable options to simplify decisions for clients while ensuring transparency.
Funeral directors may struggle with marketing. Source: FuneralOne	Follow the steps in this guide in line with the acquisition channels/challenges that have the most potential for you.
Attracting and retaining staff Source: NFDA	Increase focus on recruitment by offering competitive wages, benefits, and a supportive work environment. Providing training programs and career advancement opportunities can attract more candidates and improve staff retention.
Family-owned businesses may struggle against InvoCare group which has over 300 locations and 26% market share in Australia. Source: ACCC, InvoCare	Leverage the personal touch and community involvement that family-owned businesses can offer. Enhancing local marketing efforts and building strong relationships within the community can help differentiate from larger corporations, and embed the business more deeply into the community.

How to get more funeral/cremation clients through Referrals

Let’s cut to the chase – the #1 way to make sure you’re getting new clients through referral/word-of-mouth is by delivering an amazing service. If you’re not already getting regular referrals, there’s a chance your service could be improved. 

Gathering & Implementing Constructive Feedback

It can be hard to analyse your own business objectively, so consider asking past clients or trusted acquaintances for advice. Framing your questions correctly is important; to get the best answers, try not to focus on negative aspects or even things tied directly to your business – instead ask things like, “What would the perfect end-to-end customer experience look like for [XYZ service]?”. Note down the answers, and then compare them against how your service is currently being delivered to identify gaps that need to be bridged.

After gathering insights on what an ideal customer experience might look like, implement changes that address any shortcomings. This could involve training staff to enhance their empathy and attentiveness, improving the ambience of your facilities, or streamlining admin processes to reduce stress for your clients.

Other ways to boost your client base through referrals include:

Building Strategic Partnerships with Adjacent Industries

Forming strategic partnerships with businesses in adjacent industries such as hospice care, elder care facilities, and hospitals can significantly boost referrals and enhance your service visibility. Establish a formal referral program with these partners, providing them with information and materials that help them understand the unique benefits your services offer. Regular meetings and updates can strengthen these relationships, ensuring mutual benefits and consistent referral flow. This approach not only diversifies your client base but also embeds your business within the broader community health ecosystem.

Engaging in Community Activities

Similar to above, increasing your visibility and credibility by actively participating in community events can help you stay top-of-mind for the clients who don’t yet require your services. Sponsor local gatherings, participate in charity events, and hold educational seminars about end-of-life planning. These activities can build a positive reputation and encourage community members to remember and recommend your services.

Leveraging Social Proof

Create a dedicated section on your website for stories from families who have had positive experiences. Regularly update this content and share it on your social media platforms. Seeing real-life testimonials can prompt others to consider your services when the need arises. 

Note: usually when it comes to review generation, we advocate asking clients for a review as soon as your service to them is concluded (this has a far higher response rate compared to waiting) – however, unlike other industries, it may be beneficial to wait a week or so to allow the grief of their loved one’s passing to abate. For ease of completion, we recommend sending your clients a Google Review link via SMS or email.

By focusing on these strategies, you can enhance the effectiveness of referrals and ensure a steady stream of new clients through word-of-mouth.

How to get more funeral/cremation clients through organic Google search/SEO

“Just Google it” has become an iconic part of our modern vocabulary, and it’s no surprise why – search engines like Google are the first place most people turn to when they need information, including services like funerals and cremations. In the Google Trends graphs below you can see that there’s no shortage of demand or interest for the topics of “funeral director” or “cremations”.

Let’s take it a step further and look at the keyword-level data – below are a few of the most popular/common search phrases for the industry:

Note: these figures show the national search volume, while most funeral and cremation businesses only cater to an audience in a specific region or city, e.g. Melbourne, Greater Sydney, South East Queensland, etc. That said, when you factor in all the possible keywords/search term variations (not shown above) there are still hundreds if not thousands of possible searches and customers available for your business each month. And if you don’t sweep them up, you can be sure your competitors will.

Understanding the Anatomy of a Google Search Results Page

It’s helpful to understand the different sections of Google’s Search Results Pages (SERPs), since having your business show up in each section requires a different approach. 

The Ads Section

If anyone is bidding on the search term/keyword, the Ads Section will be triggered as the first thing you see in the search results – you can always tell if it’s an ad because the listing will have the “Sponsored” tag next to it. See the image below.

The only way to appear in this Ads Section is by using Google Ads – more on how to maximise your Google Ads’ effectiveness below.

The Map Pack

For any search that includes a location modifier (e.g. “direct cremation Brisbane”, “funeral director near me”, etc) Google will show what we call the “Map Pack” or “3-Pack”; see below:

Note: the listings you see ranking here are NOT companies’ websites – but another online asset called a Google Business Profile (GBP). It’s a free online listing you can create and manage directly through Google – if you haven’t already then claim yours here: https://business.google.com/ 

Your GBP is one of your business’s most valuable assets when it comes to showing up in online searches, and is the #1 place we tell local businesses to start when it comes to improving their online visibility and leads. Below in the Local SEO section we offer our tried-and-tested methods for ranking higher in Google Maps and snagging one of the coveted top 3 spots to show in the Map Pack.

The Organic Results

The organic results section is what most people picture when thinking of a Google search – an itemised list of web pages each with their own Title and preview text (known as a meta description), enticing you to click on them to read more.

How to Improve Your GBP Ranking

According to Google themselves, there are three main factors they consider when ranking businesses in Maps: Distance, Relevance, and Prominence. In the table below we explain what each of these means as, well as offer our recommendations on how to demonstrate them to Google.

Factor	Explanation	Recommendations
Distance	Measures the proximity of your business to the searcher.	Verify your address details are correct and consistent across all online platforms to ensure accuracy in local searches.If you have more than one business location, make sure you set up a GBP for each of them.If you do not have a physical business location, ensure you use the Service Area feature in GBP.
Relevance	How well your business fits the search query.	Make sure your GBP Categories accurately reflect your business/service. If you’re not sure which categories to pick, you can use the free Chrome Extension Phantom Buster to see what your competitors have used.Populate your GBP with as much detail as possible, including a keyword-rich description, listing all of your services, your opening hours, contact information, social profile links, etc.
Prominence	Reflects the fame or reputation of your business online.	Build up your Google Reviews score & quantity by being proactive in asking customers for reviews (more tips below)Make sure you’re listed on as many business directories and review sites as possible; the larger your digital footprint, the more “established” your business will be seen as by Google.Acquire backlinks to boost your website authority, through guest posting, media coverage and partnering with/getting featured by other websites.

Other tips on getting the most out of your GBP and improving your Maps rankings:

1. Post regularly on your GBP to signal to Google (and users) that your business is active. If you already post on social media, you can repurpose & re-use these same posts on your GBP. Try to post at least once a week. A few content ideas to get you started: customer testimonials, company news, current offers, pictures of a recent job/client you completed, a link to/excerpt from a blog article you’ve published:

2. Generate as many Google Reviews as possible. Reviews are a major rankings factor. To figure out how many you’re likely to need, take the average number of reviews from the current top 3 businesses in the Map Pack and then add another 50% on top – that’s your review generation target. From your GBP you can generate a “review shortlink” which you can send to customers via SMS or email, or even turn it into a QR code which they can scan after you’ve served them. This review shortlink is by far the most effective way to generate Google Reviews since it only takes the customer one click to reach the page and leave their review:

 3. If possible, ensure your GBP name has your main keyword in it. So, here’s the deal – the “name” or “title” of your GBP is the #1 Relevancy factor when it comes to ranking in Maps. Google’s policies say that your GBP name must match your real-world business name, and while we’re not suggesting that you go out and change your business name, it’s definitely an advantage if your business is called something that incorporates your main target keywords, like “Alexander Funerals & Cremations” rather than something more abstract like “Heaven’s Gates”.

4. Optimise your website so that it reflects your GBP information, or vice-versa. Although it’s possible to rank and run a successful business with just a GBP, there’s a proven correlation between businesses with well-optimised websites and ranking in Maps. This is because Google’s bots compile all of the information they have available from all over the web into an “entity stack” about your business – so if your website mentions that you offer Direct Cremation, Burials, Funeral Director, and Memorial services, and this information matches your GBP’s categories and services, it reinforces your Relevancy for those searches. More information about how to optimise your website in the next section.

Remember – only the top 3 ranked GBPs get shown in the Map Pack; users have to physically click into the Maps results to see anyone ranked lower than this, so if you’re not in the top 3 then there’s a high chance that  users will never even see your listing.

Related reading: Top 10 SEO Ranking Factors

How to optimise your website for SEO and rank higher in organic results

Before you ask – yes, you need to be at the top to matter. A 2024 study of over 4 million search results found that the top 3 results earn a staggering 68% of all clicks from a Google search – with the #1 position grabbing a cool 39%. Meanwhile, page 2 of Google is seen by less than 1% of searchers, making it known in the SEO services industry as “the best place to hide a dead body”.

Source: Google SERP CTRs – 2024 – firstpagesage.com

With over 200 reported ranking factors, this section is worthy of an entire article on its own. For readability reasons, we’ve compiled the most important factors you need to consider when trying to rank your website higher in Google:

1. Make sure your website is technically sound. Use a broken link checker to find and fix broken links on your site; use GTMetrix or PageSpeedInsights to identify website loading or speed issues and fix these – both Google and your users will thank you. Use  ScreamingFrog’s crawling capabilities to look for pages which are marked as No-Index (but shouldn’t be), missing Page Titles and Meta Descriptions, multiple H1s per page, and more.
2. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. I know it sounds obvious, but if your website sucks on mobile then you’ve got a big problem. Not only will your users quickly get frustrated and leave (which by the way is a negative rankings signal and will hurt your rankings long-term), but ever since Google moved to mobile-first indexing having a website that is thoroughly tested and optimised for mobile users (and robots!) is absolutely non-negotiable for SEO. 
3. Make sure your pages aren’t competing with each other. A common misconception when first starting out in SEO is that if you “stuff” your main target keywords into every possible page then your site will rank better. This is not how it works, and all you’re doing is confusing Google (and probably your users) with what each page is about. Each page on your website should be about one specific service or topic related to your business.
4. Use blog articles, guides and FAQ pages to support your service pages. If you think about each of your service pages as a “node” or “Pillar Page”, you want to be creating supporting pages for each of those which links back to the pillar page and reinforces your website’s subject matter expertise. See the diagram below for what this “Topic Cluster” strategy looks like:

If you have no idea where to start when it comes to coming up with topic ideas, here are two great methods for idea generation:

Topic Generation Method #1: Every time a customer or prospective customer asks you a question, whether it’s in person, on the phone or via email, jot it down on a notepad or a Google Keep note (a free cloud-based note app – personally I love this method since I can take notes from my phone and then refer to them on my computer). Then block out some time once a week and write a short but detailed answer to this question, publish it to your blog/website, and link back to any related service pages. 

Topic Generation Method #2: Use the “six questions” method to quickly come up with topic ideas. Grab your favourite beverage and your writing implement of choice (PC or pen and paper – ideally not your phone because it’s an absolute distraction monster and you’ll likely get derailed). Write down your first service as a subheading, and then below it jot down every single possible question about this service you can think of that starts with “What…”. Repeat the process with “How…”, “When…”, “Why…”, “Who…” and “Is…”. Below is an example to help you visualise what I mean:

There, a dozen hyper-relevant topic ideas generated in a few minutes! Now all you have to do is answer them, which as the subject matter expert should be relatively easy (pro tip: if you’re not comfortable with writing, record an audio instead and get someone to transcribe it into article format).

Psst – feeling overwhelmed? Don’t stress. Our Brisbane-based content writing agency has been helping businesses populate their websites and blogs with terrific content since 2018 and have published over 10,000 pages of content to date. Contact our team to discuss your requirements.

PS: see? SEO works!

How to get more funeral and cremation clients with Google Ads

Google Search Ads are the primary source of revenue for the tech giant, and was the biggest contributor to their $237 billion U.S. dollar haul in 2023. So, it’s in their best interest to make sure that we – the people using it – make money off the platform, so that we keep using it!

When it comes to Google Ads, there are a few important considerations you need to be successful:

• Be patient: as with any marketing channel or endeavour, Google Ads requires experimentation and refinement to get the best results. Depending on the competition within the niche, this could take weeks or months. A fully optimised, high-performing campaign may take six months to reach its peak performance. This is due to market forces, brand awareness, bidding and keyword optimisation, landing page tweaks, offer testing, and more. Although your ads can be live in a matter of hours from creating your account, the direct return on investment may take a little longer.
• Be prepared to spend money: it feels like a redundant piece of advice, but Google Ads charges you every time someone clicks on your ads, and most of the time 95% of those won’t become a lead or a customer, which means there may be long stretches of time where you see the money going out but not coming in. This is why Google Ads is best suited for business with a mid- to high-ticket product or services, e.g. something that your customers will pay anywhere from a few hundred to a tens of thousands of dollars for, so that when you do get a new customer from Google Ads then it can often pay for the entire month of advertising on its own. This is what makes funeral & cremation businesses an ideal client for our Google Ads agency.

Now that we’re in the correct mindset, let’s get a bit more tactical on some Google Ads best practices!

First, let’s start off with what NOT to do:

Top 5 mistakes we see in Google Ads campaigns

We regularly audit existing G-Ads campaigns to help people improve their campaign performance, and here are the most common issues we find:

1. Using Broad Match keyword match type on “autopilot”. Broad Match allows ads to show on searches that include misspellings, synonyms, related searches, and other relevant variations – in theory, a good thing. However, without active monitoring and Negative Keyword management, it can quickly lead to excessive spending on irrelevant traffic, resulting in high acquisition costs and low-quality leads that diminish return on investment. Broad Match is best utilised in situations where you: a) are gathering data or entering a new market, b) are expanding your reach and trying to reach as many customers as possible, or c) have a very large budget with which to experiment.
2. Excessive competitor targeting. Focusing too heavily on bidding for competitor keywords can lead to inflated costs and lower ad performance. This strategy often results in engaging with an audience that may not convert as effectively because they are already inclined towards the competitor’s brand. Additionally, this can provoke retaliatory bidding among competitors, further escalating costs without proportional returns.
3. Overlooking Conversion Tracking: Without proper conversion tracking, advertisers can’t accurately measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. This leads to difficulty in optimising ad spend and understanding which elements of the campaign are driving results.
4. Poor Account Structure: Having a disorganised account structure can make campaigns difficult to manage and optimise. This includes poorly segmented ad groups, which can lead to irrelevant ad placements and inefficient budget allocation.
5. Wrong Campaign Goals: Selecting the wrong campaign goals can lead to a misalignment between what the ads are optimised for and what the business actually needs to achieve. For instance, if a campaign is set up with the goal of Maximize Clicks when the real objective should be increasing conversions, the campaign may drive a lot of traffic but not necessarily the right kind of traffic that converts into sales or leads.

Top 5 “Pro Tips” for maximising your ROI through Google Ads:

1. Ad Scheduling: Adjust ad schedules to align with the target audience’s most active times to optimise ad visibility and effectiveness. Running ads during peak hours when potential customers are most likely to be online increases the likelihood of engagement and conversion, optimising budget use and increasing ROI.
2. Using Dedicated High-Converting Landing Pages: Direct paid traffic to specialised landing pages designed specifically for conversion rather than general website pages. These landing pages should be optimised for clarity, speed, and direct calls to action, providing a focused user experience without distractions that could deter potential conversions. Keep scrolling below to the Website section – all of the same principles for a high-converting website also apply to landing pages.
3. Use Ad Extensions: Utilise ad extensions to enhance your ads with additional information like sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets. This not only improves visibility but also increases the functionality of your ads, making them more useful to users and likely to drive higher engagement and conversion rates.
4. Regular A/B Testing: Implement consistent A/B testing for different elements of your ads, such as headlines, descriptions, and images, as well as landing pages. This helps identify what works best and continually optimises your campaigns for improved performance.
5. Targeted Keyword Optimisation: Continuously refine and optimise your keyword lists, focusing on those that convert the best. Use negative keywords effectively to exclude irrelevant traffic, and regularly adjust bids based on keyword performance to ensure your budget is spent on terms that drive valuable outcomes.

Bonus tip: how to write great ad copy. Here are the most important things you should incorporate into your ad copy:

• Match your searchers’ keywords
• Highlight unique selling points
• Use clear, action-driven language
• Have a clear value proposition
• Focus on user benefits & outcomes
• Demonstrate your expertise
• Showcase your guarantees
• A/B test different creatives

Example: 

Other considerations when it comes to Google Ads:

• Make sure you’ve got enough budget available. Google Ads, like any ad platform, relies on collecting data to make informed decisions and continually improve your performance. We generally only work with clients who have $1500/month in available ad spend – any less than this and it becomes difficult to identify trends, what’s working and what isn’t, resulting in guesswork and ultimately impacting the success and profitability of the campaign.
• Competition is fierce. Google Ads is an incredible customer acquisition tool. Unfortunately, this is not exactly a secret and there’s a good chance you’ll be diving into a “red ocean” of entrenched advertisers who already have a stranglehold on the market. If you’re serious about getting the most out of the platform, you’re going to have to dedicate 5+ hours a week to managing and optimising your campaign or hire a dedicated PPC agency like us to do it for you. 

I’ve spoken to dozens of amateur advertisers over the years who say that “Google Ads doesn’t work” – guess what the common denominator was? They created a single ad, spent $200-300 on it, got no results, and gave up. Is anyone surprised?

If you follow the steps listed above you’ll already be ahead of 90% of the competition. The other 10% comes from patience, understanding and expertise.

Psst – already running ads and feel like they’re underperforming? Click here to request a free Google Ads Account Audit from our team. We’ll review your campaign structure, bidding strategy, keywords, landing pages, and send you a comprehensive PPC Blueprint to help you get the most out of your ads.

How to get more clients for your funeral/cremation business using social media

Social media. Two words to which the response is usually “eurgh”. Odds are, if you’re anything like the average funeral director in Australia, you probably avoid social media like the plague and want to stick your fingers in your ears and shout “lalalalala” at the mere mention of it. Hey, I get it. Unless you’re a Millennial or (improbably) a Gen Z-er, your relationship with social media is relegated to staying connected with family and friends, or keeping up with your hobby/interest groups – maybe buying event tickets or something on Marketplace on the odd occasion.

Regardless of your feelings towards social media, there is no denying its potential as a powerful marketing tool. Here are some strategies to effectively leverage social media to attract more clients:

1. Educational Content: Share informative posts about funeral planning, the benefits of pre-planning, and what people can expect from your services. This helps demystify the process and makes your business a trusted source of information. You can leverage the blog content you’ve already created (refer to the SEO section above) for social media, too.
2. Community Engagement: Engage with your local community online by participating in or sponsoring community events and sharing these moments on your social media. Highlighting your involvement can boost your visibility and reputation as a community-centric business.
3. Testimonials and Stories: With permission, share stories and testimonials from families you’ve served. This not only humanises your brand but also shows potential clients the compassionate and professional nature of your services. For economy of effort, you can take these from your Google Reviews like we discussed earlier, instead of getting new testimonials all the time.
4. Live Q&A Sessions: Host live sessions where you answer common questions about funeral and cremation services. This can be a way to directly engage with potential customers and provide valuable information they might not find elsewhere.
5. Virtual Tours: Offer virtual tours of your facilities through posts or live videos. This can be particularly effective for those who may feel uncomfortable visiting in person but want to know more about your facilities and what to expect.
6. Content Scheduling: To maintain a consistent presence without becoming overwhelmed, use tools to schedule posts in advance. This way, you can manage your social media efficiently and keep your audience engaged without needing to be online all the time. We use Buffer, but there are many tools out there that can fill this function nowadays.
7. Targeted Advertising: Utilise targeted ads to reach specific demographics in your area who may be most likely to require your services soon. Social media platforms offer powerful targeting tools based on location, age, interests, and more. 

How often should I post on social media?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for this, and really comes down to your internal resourcing and availability. If your business is on the smaller side and you & your team members are pretty much flat out every hour of the day, then you’d be best off outsourcing your social media management, or spending some time creating 10-12 pieces of social media posts and scheduling them to go out weekly. On the other hand, if you’ve got an admin assistant or receptionist who has downtime between their tasks, you could set them up with creating and posting to your social channels a few times a week. Canva is a great (and free) web-based graphic design tool that anyone can use to make professional-looking social media content.

Taking it to the next level with social media advertising

Most of the advice in the section above relates to what we call “organic” social media marketing – i.e. you post stuff on your page, people like it, follow you, tag their friends, and so on. This is an important part of any brand’s overall marketing strategy, but if you really want to use social media to its maximum potential, there’s no way around it – you gotta pay to play.

Organic reach (meaning the number of people who see your page’s posts), has steadily declined year-on-year, leaving many brand managers and business owners scratching their heads, ala “Where’d my likes go?”.

Make no mistake – social media advertising is a powerful tool when deployed correctly. If you fancy your hand at audience targeting, there is no shortage of data that these platforms hold on their users – you can target people in any location, of any gender, age, religion or relationship status; pair that with Interest targeting and you can curate a very specific audience to show your ads to. Pair this with a killer (err, no pun intended) ad design and ad copy that resonates directly with your ideal customers, and you’ve got a potentially auto-client-getting-machine on autopilot.

Of course, success with social ads comes back to the same principles we’ve been harping on about in the other channels’ sections – iterating, measuring, testing, and refining. If anything social media has even more variables to consider and test – compared to say, Google Ads, you’re introducing not only more complex audience configurations, but also the added “does it work?” factor of ad creative (graphics and videos). And unlike, Google Ads, you’ll pay every time someone sees (or scrolls past) your ad, not just when they click on it, meaning you can burn through your ad budget with little to show for it. Our advice (and yes, we’re biased, but we’ve also spent a fair whack of our own cash learning what not to do!): work with a professional.

Here’s a screenshot of some of White Lady Funerals’ Facebook/Meta ads:

As you can see, WLF is testing multiple ads at the same time, including ad copy, creative and video variations, to see what performs best.

Pro tip: want to see your competitors’ ads? Use Facebook’s Ad Library to take a peek!

Note: As a rule of thumb, social media advertising is best treated as a “brand awareness” channel for funeral & cremation businesses since the person seeing the ad might not need your services at the time they see the ad – but when they do need you, they’re much more likely to remember and recognise your brand when they subsequently find you via any of the other marketing channels we’ve described above. 

Whether or not you choose to use paid ads on social media or just use it “organically” (posting to your existing follower base) depends entirely on your business goals, budget and available time & resources.

How to make your website look great – and convert

What makes a website “good-looking” is very subjective, but I think we can all agree that you generally want a site that:

1. Portrays your brand professionally
2. Is user-friendly, and
3. Turns website visitors into customers or leads

With that in mind, we’ve developed a simple but comprehensive “C-A-T-C-H” formula, which you can benchmark your website against to see if there are any areas you need to improve. CATCH stands for:

Call to Action: Encouraging immediate response or engagement from visitors. What do you want them to do next?

Attention-Grabbing Headline: Capturing interest and conveying key messages quickly. What is your page about? How does that benefit the reader?

Testimonials and Social Proof: Building trust and credibility through others’ experiences. Happy customers’ quotes, pictures and review stars, as well as trust badges and awards/recognition all help elevate your business.

Clear Navigation: Making site exploration straightforward and effective. Remember this: confused users leave.

High-Quality Images: Boosting aesthetic appeal and supporting visual communication. Try not to use stock images, people can spot them a mile away. You’re in the people business, so show them that you, too, are people. Hiring a professional photographer or videographer for a half-day shoot is seriously worthwhile for serious businesses.

If you’ve already ticked all these boxes, here’s a more advanced checklist that you can use to audit your website:

• Website main menu is sticky (follows the user down the page)
• Clickable phone number in header
• All buttons are prominently displayed through colour contrast, and feature value-based CTAs
• Most common customer questions are answered in a dedicated FAQs page/section
• Each service has a unique page on the website with detailed content
• The site is responsive and works well on all devices types (mobile, tablet & desktop)
• The website loads quickly, and there are no elements with loading issues
• The website has an SSL certificate
• You’ve set up Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console to monitor traffic trends
• All your social media accounts are linked from the footer
• You’ve followed all the SEO recommendations listed in this guide
• You’re using video on at least the home page
• You’ve got an up-to-date Privacy Policy
• Your page hierarchy and URL structure is logical and easy to understand (e.g. home/service-1/)

Is your website underperforming? Request a free website and marketing review from one of our team to quickly identify the major issues holding your site back. Includes SEO, CRO and UX review.

Final Thoughts: A Strategic, Multi-Pronged Approach is Key

In today’s digital age, growing a successful funeral home or cremation business requires a comprehensive marketing strategy that effectively reaches and resonates with your target audience across multiple channels.

While implementing all the tactics outlined in this guide may seem daunting, focusing your efforts on a few high-impact areas can be an excellent starting point. Optimising your Google Business Profile, leveraging Google Ads strategically, and fostering an engaging social media presence can significantly boost your online visibility and attract more qualified leads.

However, it’s crucial to remember that marketing efforts, no matter how well-executed, will ultimately fall flat if your business fails to deliver exceptional service. In an industry built on trust and compassion, providing outstanding care and support to families during their time of need is paramount. Positive word-of-mouth and glowing online reviews will not only generate valuable referrals but also reinforce your business’s reputation as a leader in the community.

While the road to growth may seem challenging, the funeral and cremation industry’s enduring demand ensures that your efforts will be well rewarded. By consistently refining your marketing approach, staying attuned to industry trends, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction, you can position your business for long-term success in this vital sector.

As one of the top-rated digital marketing agencies in Brisbane, we’re passionate about helping service-based businesses grow through online advertising, and are here to support you every step of the way. We’re dedicated to helping funeral homes and cremation businesses like yours thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. If you need personalised guidance or a comprehensive marketing assessment, don’t hesitate to reach out.