Can't get Enough?

Yes I know how you feel.  After 3 days of the Expo, 3 Keynote Speakers, and 3 workshops could there be more?  I turned somewhat into a Nerd on the subject of how we can make the experience at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery serve our friends and accomplish our mission.  So, Saturday's sessions offered workshops all day and I was able to attend 5 more.  I hope you find the information that follows as useful in your thinking as I have found it. 

So next up on a Saturday morning was Traci Tucker with the subject: "How to Build a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy for Your Funeral Service."  Traci is president and founder of Fuchsia Focus LLC and a brand manager with Adfinity, a full service marketing and advertising firm.  She is located in Florida.

 

Traci broke out various media choices with pros and cons.

I have attempted to simply and will show on a table below.

Media	Pro	Con	Remarks
Mass Media
1.TV	Target age groups	Expensive	Production costs High
2.Cable	Local news 55+	Less Expensive	Production Costs High
3. Radio	Talk radio 55+ Target events	Can't write while driving	Fairly Inexpensive and Radio includes Production
Outdoor
1.Billboards	Excellent Awareness	Long lead times	Electronic boards no production cost. Paper yes
2.Transportation, transit, shelters, etc	New Outlets all good	Lead time varies	Production costs
Print
1. Newspapers	Excellent over 55	Some markets no papers	Costs can be high
2. Inserts fliers	Excellent to reach targets	Depends on availability	Allows for detailed messages
3. Magazines	Excellent over 55 long shelf life	cost	National pub., have local editions. Religious Pub.
Newsletters
1.Print	Directly received	Snail mail, labor	Assemble mailing
2.e-mail	Rapid	Not always viewed	Maintaining the list -Quality content
Direct Mail
1. New business	Reply cards	Expense	Controlled by # bought and volunteer man hours
2. Current customer	Events, Reminders	Scheduled right	Maintain accurate list
Brochures / Fliers
	Awareness	Stocking racks	How to get them to right people.
Posters / Banners
	Inexpensive	location	Local regulations
Digital on-Line
Web site(s)	Without one -You are not real	Appeal, usability	Protects your Image -Must have many visuals
E-mail Contact	Great for getting your message out	Cost of running data base, appeal	Database management, timing and amount track
Social Media	Inexpensive great for Events	Content management	Focus on community - FB F 130 friends 80 lists
Grassroots
Events	Person to person	Identifying who want follow up	Time performing other tasks

 

TAKE AWAY:

• What is your Goal(s)?  Is it measurable and actionable?  To know if your marketing is working, you need Goals that are clearly defined.
• Traci quoted Doris Lessing and I wish I could find the quote, but the message is that when we focus on all the little tasks at hand we are destroying our future as stated in our goal(s).
• Whichever media you choose - the message must be clear, tell them why you are different, and prompts them to take some action.
• Establish priorities and identify them to your team

      1. Have to Do

      2. Want to Do

      3. Would be nice to Do

• Establish a budget, break up budget by priorities
• Establish a reserve fund for opportunities that arise (5 -10% for local events, etc.)
• Have a Marketing Calendar -- Back your needs into the calendar.  (When would you have to have copy to the radio station before a new ad is run?)  Set up reminder alarms to make sure all bases are covered.
• Have a separate calendar that you send to the management team with the dates and places your media buys are covering.

Another Excellent Workshop.  Thanks to Traci Tucker for coming out on a Saturday morning.