7 Reasons Texting Helps Funeral Homes Serve Families and Stand Out
November 10, 2025
The easiest way to connect with families
For funeral homes, texting is more than just convenience. It’s a way to support families with compassion and set your firm apart from competitors.
That’s why Tribute Technology created Tribute Text, powered by our partner Elevia. This service allows funeral homes to send up to 18 personalized texts per year, all professionally written and managed by trained support staff. Campaigns can focus on aftercare, preplanning, review generation, or invitations, depending on your goals. Every reply is monitored, and important messages are escalated to your team so families always feel heard.
Here are seven reasons why texting is such a simple but powerful way to communicate better and serve families with less stress:
- Texts Get Read
Texts have a 98% open rate, which means families are far more likely to see your message than an email or missed call. When families need quick updates — service details, reminders, or directions — texting ensures your message doesn’t get lost. - Families Set the Pace
Texting respects how families want to communicate. They can reply when it works for them, without the pressure of answering a call in the middle of a difficult day. - Builds Trust Through Personal Touches
A thoughtful message after the service, a reminder for an upcoming appointment, or a simple “we’re here for you” text goes a long way in showing care. - Encourages Reviews and Referrals
A short, direct link sent by text makes it easy for families to leave a review or share your firm with friends—helping you grow your reputation without added work. - Keeps Preplanning Simple
Preplanning can feel overwhelming. Text reminders and helpful resources make it easier for families to stay engaged in the process and follow through. - Affordable and Easy for Your Team
With a managed service like Tribute Text, your staff doesn’t need to craft every message. Professionally written campaigns are sent automatically, giving families up to 18 thoughtful touchpoints a year—without adding to your team’s workload. - Sets You Apart in Your Community
Not every funeral home offers texting. By meeting families where they are—on their phones—you position your firm as forward-thinking, responsive, and family-focused.
Firms using Tribute Text consistently see stronger family engagement, more Google reviews, and greater visibility in their communities.
Offered as a powerful enhancement to our Behavioral Marketing strategy, this add-on is available exclusively to Tribute’s digital marketing clients—giving them a connected way to engage families at every stage.
Want to learn more? Contact us below to schedule your Tribute Text demo.
Get Signatures Without the Stress
Waunakee, Wisconsin – November 5, 2025 Partnership Provides Client Families Access to Budget-Friendly Payment Plans while Strengthening Funeral Homes and Reducing Accounts Receivable Tribute Technology has announced a new partnership with Family Shield Credit, the first fintech platform designed by funeral professionals to offer flexible, budget-friendly payment options for funeral homes and their client families. This collaboration integrates Family Shield's proven financing platform into Tribute Technology’s ecosystem, making it easier than ever for funeral homes to provide families with the services they need without the burden of immediate financial constraints. “Family Shield offers a crucial solution that allows families to make decisions based on what they truly want for their loved ones, not just what they can afford at the moment,” said Craig Greenseid, CEO of Tribute Technology. “By working with Family Shield, we’re adding another layer to the Tribute Technology platform, giving funeral homes the ability to offer more comprehensive services while improving their financial health at the same time.” Key Benefits for Funeral Homes The partnership with Family Shield brings several key advantages to funeral homes. Funeral homes receive direct payment from Family Shield, typically within 48 hours of the client’s service, eliminating the delays and uncertainties associated with waiting for estate settlements, life insurance disbursements, or property sales. This helps improve cash flow and reduce accounts receivable. Homes using Family Shield see an average 30% increase in total spend per family. Flexible payment plans empower families to select the services and memorials they truly want, rather than settling due to immediate financial constraints. Family Shield’s platform provides fast underwriting and approval decisions through a proprietary fintech portal, streamlining the application process. There is no paperwork or manual review required, making it easy for funeral homes to offer this option to families. Tribute Technology funeral homes can quickly onboard through an automated online portal. Ongoing webinars and training are available to help funeral directors confidently present these payment options to families. Combined with Tribute Technology’s existing Tribute Pay payment platform, this exciting partnership with Family Shield creates a comprehensive financial solution for funeral directors. “Our goal is to help funeral homes serve families with compassion and respect, and this partnership directly aligns with that mission,” said Dan Solecki Sr., Co-Founder and President at Family Shield Credit. “With Family Shield, funeral homes can streamline their payment processes, improve cash flow, and offer families the peace of mind they deserve.” About Family Shield Family Shield Credit provides flexible payment solutions for funeral homes and their clients, offering families peace of mind during difficult times. Families can borrow funds to cover funeral expenses, relieving the stress of immediate payments and providing much-needed time. Learn more at familyshieldcredit.com . About Tribute Technology Tribute Technology is a leading provider of software and services for funeral homes, cemeteries, and crematories, helping professionals serve families through best-in-class websites, management tools, and digital memorialization solutions. To learn more, visit www.tributetech.com . Media Contact Heather McWilliams Mierzejewski VP of Marketing, Tribute Technology press@tributetech.com | heather.mierzejewski@tributetech.com | 303-717-3774
What Every Funeral Professional Must Know About AI Right Now
The new Benchmarking the Modern Obituary study from Tribute Technology reveals how small changes — like timing — can make a big difference for families and your business.
Strategies You Can Use the Minute You’re Back Home: Inside the Tribute Technology Summit If you’re ready to do more than just talk about the future of funeral service, this is where you need to be. The Tribute Technology Summit, November 10–12, 2025, at The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, co-hosted with MKJ Marketing, brings together the most forward-thinking leaders in the profession for three days of expert guidance, open conversation, and sessions built around real-world takeaways. You’ll head home with fresh ways to strengthen culture, simplify operations, and grow confidently into what’s next. What You’ll Gain New ways to inspire staff and strengthen culture with insights from Jamie Naughton Henriod , former Chief of Staff at Zappos. Tools and systems that save time and improve care , helping you focus on families instead of processes. Smarter strategies for growth, acquisition, and leadership that position your firm for long-term success. Marketing and pricing approaches based on real data , showing what’s working for firms across the country. A clear look ahead at how technology is becoming the new standard of care in funeral service. Join us at the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort this November and come ready to take home strategies you can put to work the minute you’re back in your business. Fin d more Info and Registration Here
Faster help, familiar faces, and answers that fit the way you work.
Tribute Technology is partnering with Homesteaders Life Company, one of the most trusted names in funeral service, to make preneed policy management easier for funeral homes.
Waunakee, Wisconsin – October 22, 2025 Tribute Technology is partnering with Homesteaders Life Company, one of the most trusted names in funeral service, to make it easier for funeral homes to manage preneed policies. The planned integration, coming in 2026, will connect Homesteaders’ policy data directly with Tribute Management Software, allowing funeral directors to see and link matching preneed policies right from a case. Policy information will update automatically each night, so directors always have the most current details without sorting through paperwork or entering data twice. “At Homesteaders, we’re committed to offering financial support, expertise, and partnerships that bring value to funeral professionals and the families we serve together,” said Steve Shaffer, Homesteaders President, CEO and Board Chair. “This planned integration with Tribute Technology helps simplifies the preneed management process, giving funeral providers easier access to the information they need so they can focus more fully on designing meaningful experiences for the families they serve.” For funeral homes, this will mean fewer errors, faster workflows, and peace of mind knowing every available fund is captured and applied correctly. Families will benefit too, with less back-and-forth over documents and a smoother, more professional experience. “Funeral directors carry an enormous responsibility, and every minute spent searching for paperwork is a minute taken away from serving families,” said Courtney Gould Miller, President of Commercial Markets at Tribute Technology. “This upcoming integration with Homesteaders takes something complex and makes it simple. It’s about giving time back to the professionals who give so much of themselves every day.” This is the first of several planned integrations designed to connect Tribute Management Software with multiple preneed partners. Together, these systems will help funeral homes work more efficiently and better support the families they serve. About Homesteaders Life Company For nearly 120 years, Homesteaders Life Company has provided products and services to help people design a better farewell. Rooted in financial stability and a deep commitment to the funeral profession, Homesteaders partners with funeral providers of all sizes to help them grow their businesses through innovative preneed solutions. About Tribute Technology Tribute Technology builds technology that helps funeral professionals focus on what matters most—supporting families. Serving more than 9,000 providers worldwide, Tribute’s connected tools for management, websites, marketing, online planning, and payments simplify daily work and strengthen the relationships that matter most. Learn more at www.tributetech.com . Media Contact: Heather McWilliams Mierzejewski VP of Marketing heather.mierzejewski@tributetech.com 303-717-3774
A simple way to expand your reach and bring more families to your website
WAUNAKEE, Wis. — October 22, 2025 ObituaryShare.com has partnered with Tribute Technology to make it easier for funeral homes to share obituaries online and connect with more people in their communities. Through this new partnership, funeral homes using Tribute Technology websites can now link directly to ObituaryShare. The integration lets staff automatically post obituaries to Facebook and other social channels with no extra steps or technical work required. Each post leads readers back to the funeral home’s website, helping more families find services, send flowers, and show support. “As obituaries continue to move online rather than being printed, it’s important that they still reach the people who care,” said Bob Arrington, President of ObituaryShare. “We built ObituaryShare so families could get the word out in a way that connects. Working with Tribute Technology makes that even easier for funeral homes.” The connection between the two platforms is simple to set up and available now for Tribute Technology customers. Those who activate the feature will also receive special partnership pricing on ObituaryShare services. “Families often turn to Facebook to remember a loved one and share memories and support,” said Courtney Gould Miller, President of Commercial Markets at Tribute Technology. “Our partnership with ObituaryShare makes that process effortless for funeral homes by helping bring those stories to where people are already connecting.” Special Offer for Tribute Technology Customers Tribute Technology partners receive exclusive pricing on ObituaryShare services. To learn more or get started, visit ObituaryShare.com or contact your Tribute Technology account representative. About ObituaryShare ObituaryShare.com helps funeral homes publish and share obituaries on social media, reaching friends, family, and community members in a more personal way. Founded by Bob Arrington, President of Arrington Funeral Directors, and Roy Heatherly, a longtime newspaper executive, ObituaryShare offers a simple, affordable way to share stories and strengthen community connection. About Tribute Technology Tribute Technology is a leading provider of software and services for funeral homes, cemeteries, and crematories, helping professionals serve families through best-in-class websites, management tools, and digital memorialization solutions. The company is headquartered in Waunakee, Wisconsin. Media Contact Heather McWilliams Mierzejewski VP of Marketing, Tribute Technology press@tributetech.com | heather.mierzejewski@tributetech.com | 303-717-3774
