The Ultimate Guide to Your Cremation Marketing Strategy

Only targeting families who prefer burial won’t cut it for much longer. NFDA predicts every state’s cremation rate will be higher than 50% by 2035, and some states exceeded that prediction already.   

The growing demand for cremation doesn’t just fall into one category. These are just a few of the top reasons people choose cremation over burial. 

1. Cost – Cremation doesn’t cost as much as a traditional burial service with embalming and selecting a casket. 
2. Environment – People want eco-friendly disposition options like cremation rather than burial with embalming fluids and casket materials that harm the planet. 
3. Religion – The Neptune Society found some religions consider cremation more acceptable than they did before, and more people consider themselves atheists.   

Don’t let your community’s cremation leads slip by. Target families who prefer cremation and show them why they should work with your firm by following these three cremation marketing steps. 

Step 1: Establish Your Brand 

Your firm needs to answer this important question before you can establish your brand. 

1. Is your cremation business separate from your funeral home or a part of your funeral home?   

Next, you need to determine how to stand out from the competition. See if you’re competing with any cremation-only businesses or funeral homes that offer cremation services. Then, figure out what makes you different from them. 

For example, the funeral industry isn’t any different from other industries like the car industry. People want to buy from the experts who know the ins and outs of what they’re selling. Let your community know your firm hires and trains cremation experts. This gives them peace of mind they’re putting their loved ones in the best care. 

Step 2: Invest in Your Website 

A major part of cremation marketing and establishing a brand involves investing in your website. Many families’ first interaction with your firm includes searching online and coming across your site. Make sure they leave your website feeling educated and interested in your services by creating compelling copy and design.   

Start with these five suggestions to create a website that wows families both from a design and content perspective. 

1. Start a blog for your cremation-only business or create a cremation blog category on your funeral home’s existing blog. This educates families while showing you’re knowledgeable about cremation. 
2. Create downloadable resources to further educate and nurture leads and show you’re the cremation experts, such as an eBook about the ins and outs of cremation or a checklist for planning a cremation service. 
3. Share an interactive cremation quiz to test your community’s knowledge. If users viewed your educational content and still scored low, revisit your content. Make sure people outside of the funeral industry can understand it. 
4. Include your general price list on your site. Remember, your firm has competitors besides other funeral homes. Companies like Amazon and Etsy sell urns, jewelry, and other mementos. Show why your products are the best option. 
5. Your website isn’t just about the content. Make sure your site has a user-friendly design, so people can navigate it on all device types. People should be able to easily browse your website on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. 

Step 3: Bring in the Traffic 

The first step to bringing in the traffic aka leads involves search engine optimization (SEO). SEO tactics like keywords, titles, and descriptions for your webpages help your site appear higher on search engine results pages. Adding multimedia like images with alternative text and backlinks to reputable sources also boosts your SEO. 

Online advertising isn’t optional if you want to bring in more website traffic. The easiest way to do this involves the Rule of 7. Did you know consumers need to be exposed to your brand 7 times before they’re ready to make a purchase?   

These are just a few examples of online exposure to your brand:   

1. Visiting your website. 
2. Reading your blog. 
3. Downloading your resources. 
4. Clicking Google Ads. 
5. Interacting with Facebook Ads. 
6. Engaging with social media posts. 
7. Opening an email.