Marketing Tools Deathcare Firms May Overlook Part 1: Press Releases

Cutting the ribbon on a new funeral home location is certainly a newsworthy story, but did you know you can use press releases to market your business and services at other times too?

A press release is simply a formulaic method of notifying news outlets and publishers that you have a story they might be interested in. Press release distribution services let you do this by creating a single document and releasing it automatically to dozens or even hundreds of publications. Those that are interested can run the story straight from the information in the press release or contact someone at your firm for an interview.

When can a deathcare firm use press release marketing? Some businesses make the mistake of sending press releases every week or two no matter what, and that can be a bad idea. If you don’t have anything newsworthy to offer, publications are likely to ignore your press releases. You might even be banned from press release services if you abuse them in this way.

But you don’t need to break major ground on a new business location to have legitimate news to share. Here are a few times funeral homes or other deathcare businesses might use press release marketing:

• Announcement of events, including free webinars or hybrid events people in the community can attend to learn more about preplanning
• Partnership with another business or community organizations on a charitable effort or other endeavor that’s meaningful to the neighborhood or city
• Availability of new service lines or products so families in your area will know they’re an option

While there’s no hard and fast word count, press releases should be short and informative. Aim for 400 words or so and follow the journalistic pyramid structure:

• The headline, summary line, and first paragraph should provide enough details that people get the picture even if that’s all they read
• Follow up with a couple of paragraphs with additional details that give more context to your story or announcement
• Conclude with your contact information and a short boilerplate about you or your company

Mastering the press release format can be difficult, and it’s even harder to create compelling press releases that stand out in the piles received by publications daily. If your press release efforts aren’t providing results, consider working with a marketing agency to up your game

Come back next week for the second installment in our series on marketing tools that are often overlooked: vehicle wraps.