Free Marketing Ideas

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Free Marketing Ideas for FDs, Locksmith, Wake Venues, Celebrants, Florists, House Clearance

If you are involved in the chain of events which follows a death, 4 million people have been looking for you….
How to increase your share of the local market: Free Marketing Ideas for firms related to probate matters. Definitely not the definitive guide, but some ideas your competitors will NOT have thought of for sure. If there is only one useful idea, it is worth a read, or print the page off (but don’t forget to come back and check for new ideas – perhaps bookmark the page?) Think about how you could put your own slant on the ideas.

We don’t list lawyers but probate ones are welcome to have a chat to see if their services might benefit our clients. IFAs are listed generically.

The best idea is number 99 at the end of the page. tell us something useful about the area you are in, which is worth adding to LOCAL page, and we will add your phone number to your entry FREE.

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Make sure you at least take up the free listing

in your town on The Probate Department (brokers) – details after these marketing ideas  – currently number 14.

Have you set up a free Google Business Profile account? The BIG one.

Then ask for 5 star reviews from your clients (we add it to every email – but that may not be ideal if you are top-end as some may just complain about prices!) Google review are free, and really make you stand out on a Google search. In ALL cases it is important that the format of Name Address and Phone is identical (it is called NAP). This allows to search engines to recognise all the listing being of the same business, which pushes you up the rankings

Who are your audience?

By and large, you are marketing to people in the last third of life – the spouses for older folk, the children for single people including second deaths. Care homes want a fast clearance, carers just need to have a positive view of you.  Past users will spread the word if they are pleased, and far more if not!

Your Website

It is probably very pretty, but are there interesting articles in key areas relating to what people are searching for?  Try looking at the possible search ides Google throws up when you start to type in a search. What do you do that makes you different?. Your favourite charities, your staffs hobbies, anything to make you more approachable. Use a search engine optimisation program at low cost to improve the site – which is a continuous process as everyone is playing catch up.

Follow the top information sources in your niche.

Make a list trade papers, grief specialists, funeral bloggers, funeral homes, florists, community leaders and gather links to their blogs and social media accounts. You can get ideas from them, and rewrite them in your own words, but don’t just write about what interests you, write about what interests your target age group predominantly: your audience are not FDs!

Social Media check this page out.

Choose your marketing focus

Decide which channels to focus your funeral marketing efforts on. Should you start a blog on your website? An email newsletter (way cheaper than posted ones)? Start with a couple, add more when you are confident. Video things are all the rage, and if you have a smartphone, you already have the equipment.

Just bear in mind that your firm should only be peripheral, your copy should be primarily about pretty much anything except you, but you could do swaps with other local businesses where you each have a little in each others newsletters.

To entice people over 60 to subscribe to your newsletter, you need to offer something they want – things like Free Wills Month, Care Fees review, clubs, recipes for single people, or those who can’t cook, meals delivered, food delivered, latest articles in Which?, offers from people you work with. Then talk to some older folk you know who are not FDs and ask them what would be helpful.

https://www.sendinblue.com/pricing/marketing/see-all-features/ email marketing with a free option.

Maintain a Professional image

I don’t subscribe to the unsmiling image some firms portray, but make sure your profile, photos, bio and posts are professional, engaging and show who you are. While you’re at it, make sure every suitable employee at your business is using their personal social profiles to put a name to the faces at your firm. If your staff have interesting hobbies then why not feature them to convey a human image. 

Your employment contracts should make it clear that any social media accounts which could be traced back to them as members of staff could reflect badly on the business – especially if they get sacked or join a competitor.

Maybe they should each contribute to the company account, perhaps one idea a week each – once they get in the habit, it becomes easier. Just a quote from a happy client, or a bit of local news.

Create a marketing calendar.

Try to set up a list of regular activities each month, and tick them off. For example:

  • New Facebook post weekly
  • New or revised page on your website monthly to include Search Engine optimisation of the page. Big changes are not essential, but each page should have its own key words, and other pages mentioning those words should link through to the “cornerstone page” a more detailed page on that topic.
  • Advert in one of the local buy and sell groups for one of your “lead magnets” – freebies to give away which are useful. Some ideas appear in the rest of the list.
  • Plan a Youtube channel, and you can embed the videos in your site too – or borrow other peoples where appropriate (just copy and paste the “embed” code – if you can edit your own sit).

I’m not a social media person, sadly, but it is important to look for the right audience, especially if you have specialisms, then you may have multiple audiences who need different messages,

Start an idea bank.

While you’re creating your marketing calendar, can record your marketing ideas as they come to you and your colleagues, and keep a list of what you have done and when – probably best in reverse order, so in time you will be able to review, update and recycle previous ideas. Even silly ideas may have potential so still add them to the idea bank.  Competitors all over the world have ideas you can make your own,

Promotional Partnerships?

Who targets the same audience as you in your area?  Would working together enhance your image or at least not damage it? Working with solicitors and Will writers and charities of course, for example.

Testimonials are essential for effective marketing for funeral directors.

Have them on your website, with photos if they are OK with it.  You could even offer to photograph each funeral if someone has the skills.  Have a testimonial binder in the front office, maybe even a testimonial board. Ask for testimonials from anyone you can, and maybe in the form of a client satisfaction survey – use it to find ways to improve. Clients and attendees will find problems you didn’t know existed and improving most of them where practical will boost satisfaction.  Thank them for negative feed back or positive.

Social Media again

Keep an eye on local social media, post up your news and offer to post up details of forthcoming funerals (and maybe photos afterwards, but do ensure people are happy to be photographed).  Follow progressive FDs and other media interest in the subject, keeping an eye open for blogs and posts that you can adapt to your own firm. Post up ideas and ask what people think – resummation, celestis, green funerals, natural burial, carbon offsets. How about Memes? (ask the kids).

Contests

Social media is a great place for tasteful contests – you supply a giveaway – theatre tickets, a meal or whatever to drum up support for local good causes.

Become Eco Warriors

but not too strident!  Why not carbon offset:  it is cheaper than you think if you know the right people! Support Natural Burial Grounds – or even get involved with new ones. You could even have a presentation on the topic to give live or add to your YouTube channel and website:

Live Chat

Add a live chat facility to your website – but do some research as the potential client will not be patient waiting for a response, but some will offer answers to standard questions once set up.  A badly organised or run one is a negative factor.

Video Chat/ Meetings

Make that an option, ideal to get your personality over to people who like to chat first.

Could Bookings be made online, subject to confirmation?

People could book and pay online?

Let clients vote on which Local Charity to support – maybe 1st, 2nd and 3rd  50%, 30% and 20%.

Local Radio Advertising or maybe Hospital Radio?

Not always cheap though!

Be a Spokesperson

Set yourself up as a person ready to comment on matters related to your business area. Make sure the local press know you are always ready with a quote and have your mobile number.  You could even have brief stories ready for well know locals and let the press know.  These days, press staffing is minimal so saving work is appreciated. See 34.

Infographics

If you have arty staff or children, these can be great on social media and adverts.

Story Telling

Your adverts should be stories, not sales pitches. Develop articles for the local press, especially if you have local celebrities – you might even end up writing the Despatched column!

Special Offers

If you businesses or individuals who regularly support you, maybe they could do more if you offered their clients a small discount or special extra service for nothing.

Low Cost Carbon Offset – not quite free but brilliant value!

This has to be the most cost effective carbon offset scheme out there!

https://www.unaeastbourne.org/tree-planting-bangladesh.html

Staff

Do they all know enough to answer standard questions? Are they all aware of the vital importance of checking phone numbers have been written down correctly?  I always think it is good to ask for the email too for that inevitable occasion where the phone number is wrong! Are they all friendly and professional? Will they stand outside the crematorium or cemetery smoking while late arrivals appear? Are they all friendly, approachable and professional?  Are your rules for their behaviour where clients may see them absolutely clear?

Phone Calls – this one is really useful (new window).

Google Adwords Target – how to waste Money.

I do quite a lot of searching for businesses (but don’t click on paid ads) and it is noticeable that many people bid on their own website name (if it is an established and well optimised site, it should come up organically) and more importantly their advert comes up for anyone based in their area but searching for you in quite another area, even US businesses, so the geographic targeting is not correctly set up. This reduces the important click through rate, and increases your cost per click. Only national firms don’t have a major problem with this potential financial drain. For example, I am in Sussex and searching for businesses in Birmingham brings up paid adverts for Sussex ones.

99) More to follow, but the following is about how YOU can benefit from this site, the destination of over 3.8 million visits so far. 

The easiest and most cost effective marketing!

To help subsidise the running of this site and move towards 4 million page views, we have added several ways for funeral directors to advertise in their local areas, and are gradually rewriting all of the related pages. Old listings will be removed in time. The actual costs vary roughly in line with the population of the area covered. An office can only have one free entry.

The cheapest way is FREE – just add a comment and some helpful information – another business who should be listed, or a local facilty we were not aware of at the bottom of the page covering the area you are physically in and basic contact details, but links or email addresses are NOT allowed in free adverts except for those who provide us with link backs or fully support improvements on the relevant page – ask.

  • Fred Blogs Co, 27 Arkwright Avenue, Pleasanton. BN6 2PN  FREE.
  • Fred Blogs Co, 27 Arkwright Avenue, Pleasanton. BN6 2PN 01323 384041  FREE with a useful idea for the page.
  • Fred Blogs Co, 27 Arkwright Avenue, Pleasanton. BN6 2PN 01323 384041  Covering Pleasantown and Pleasantville.   level 1 cost  £15 to £30 a year
  • Fred Blogs Co, 27 Arkwright Avenue, Pleasanton. BN6 2PN 01323 384041  in**@*******gs.com Covering Pleasantown and Pleasantville level 2 cost £15 to £30 a year
  •  
  • Fred Blogs Co, 27 Arkwright Avenue, Pleasanton. BN6 2PN 01323 384041  in**@*******gs.com Covering Pleasantown and Pleasantville
  • We specialise in blah blah – call us!                        Level 3 cost range £15 to £30 a year
  • Fred Blogs Co, 27 Arkwright Avenue, Pleasanton. BN6 2PN 01323 384041  in**@*******gs.com Covering Pleasantown and Pleasantville
  • We specialise in all sorts of wonderful areas and you should see our range – visit our website for more information                    Level 4 cost range £40 to £100 a year.

If you would like a more detailed advert – still free – and you can supply some useful information for the public that we can add to the page, just include it in your submission (use the Comment link) on the page and I will give you some extra space, dependent on how useful the information is!

If you are happy to do a link to any page on our site As long as that link stays up, you can have a brief text write-up with your phone number and areas covered in the Funeral Directors section of the actual relevant page, which will carry more weight than the comments section.

You can see the currently rewritten pages below where we haven’t started contacting FDs in, (we’re not a sales organisation!) with costs – and we can always add your area to the work list.

Additionally, there is the page sponsorship option:

which varies in cost from £95 a year (or £9.50 a month) up to £300 a year (£30 a month)  depending on the size of the area (related to population). Modest discounts for multiple areas or for substantial ongoing help in making the page more useful to the public.

This banner indicates that the sponsorship is probably still available on that page, so why not get in touch before a rival bags it? You won’t get any sales spiel! Banner cost is £150 to £300 a year (£15 to £30 pm).  Direct cremation banner (below) is £95 to £150 a year (£9.50 to £15 pm).

(Here is how to make a free banner)

Speak to Steve on 03 300 102 300 or use the form below to enquire about marketing on this site.

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