By Leader Editor Kara Apel
No matter what size your firm is, marketing matters — especially when it comes to reaching consumers in the digital world.
Todd Walton, the owner of Walton Funeral Service, Inc. in Indiana, says he’s learning all the time just how valuable digital marketing and videos are. He recently partnered with MKJ Marketing to host a video shoot at his firm.
“I initially thought MKJ Marketing was way above our needs. We have three small rural funeral homes, and I really just thought this was something more for bigger firms. But as time went on, and since we partnered with MKJ, we appreciate the ability to have help,” Walton said.
Walton said he learned several years back about how important having high-quality videos are, along with their impact on a firm’s website and social media presence.
“I always look 10 years ahead, maybe even 20 years ahead – if possible — and I could see the future in that. I also see if you have video on your website and your Facebook, it seems to direct people toward your website or to your firm, and that’s a really big help,” Walton said.
Interested in learning more about the power of video and how you can use digital marketing to ensure your firm’s success? MKJ Marketing is hosting a one-day seminar in Nashville on Aug. 11, along with the opportunity to book a video shoot on the day that’s best for you. Click here to learn more.
Walton said he’s seeing more consumers look up his firm on Facebook and Google instead of the more traditional marketing tools like newspaper ads or the Yellow Pages.
“The more reviews we have, the higher up it puts us and that’s where people look. We actually had a person who had never heard of our funeral homes look up funeral homes in a nearby city. They were disappointed when they went to do their pre-arrangements, so they looked up ‘funeral home near me,’ and our funeral home popped up because of its reviews. She didn’t even know how to get to the town, and she showed up and she preplanned with us,” he said.
Facebook has proven to be a powerful tool for Walton. Through just one preplanning ad on Facebook, he was able to generate 19 leads.
“We tried to manage Facebook on our own for several years. As great of intentions as we had, we always had that death call to attend to, we always had that family we needed to meet with. We couldn’t consistently do it, and we don’t have the skill or the knowledge to time things — to put it on there when it’s the best time to put it on there. It takes somebody else — that that’s what they do.”
Are you making the most of marketing for your firm? Here’s a checklist:
- Are you using video on your website and your social media pages?
- Are you collecting reviews?
- Are you getting pre-need leads off Facebook?
- Are you using video for a higher Google ranking?
