Online Grief Support: How to Truly Help Those in Mourning

FrontRunner has given me the wonderful opportunity to write on the topics of grief and bereavement in the process of developing two, year-long email series and a library of related articles.

I am resolute in my belief that I don’t want to write fluff. Instead, it is my intention to provide readers with practical information they can really use. Yet, I know the inspiring and thoughtful insights of others are important so I’ve included words written by both modern and classical authors and philosophers. Their thoughts are an ideal springboard for topical discussion.

Simple & Affordable Cremation Options Make Good Business Sense

The last funeral I attended for a close family member was over 20 years ago. My grandmother, in her mid-80s at the time of her death, had arranged everything. There were several visitations with an open and ornate casket, a full service, and a graveside ceremony. She clearly stated that she wanted all the bells-and-whistles because she had lived a full life and deserved it.

Those words have stuck with me all these years later. There’s little doubt that my grandmother considered a full, traditional funeral as the ultimate way to define her status. This was the accepted and preferred funeral arrangement – the status quo. Everyone else she knew in her generation had a big funeral and she wanted one too. She could afford it and wanted everyone to know it.

It All Boils Down to Customer Service

Marketing is a tricky beast. It’s a critical element to any business yet most small and medium sized companies don’t have actual marketing departments. Budgets are limited to the cost of advertising without any room to pay outside marketing firms. The advent of technology has added a new twist to marketing trends and companies are scrambling to find someone on staff to maintain websites, blogs, and social media platforms.

For some, they just throw their hands up in the air and admit defeat. They refuse to embrace new marketing strategies because they don’t have the time or resources. They continue to market their companies just as they have for however many years.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing when the companies instead focus their efforts on providing excellent customer service. It’s one thing to implement marketing strategies but when you get customers through the door, do you create a truly memorable experience? Does your firm ever take extraordinary measures to set yourself apart from the competition? Do you provide a service to your customers that they will then share with their family, friends and beyond?

12 Ways the Book of Memories™ Connects Your Firm to Your Community

It takes more than just a website to successfully compete in today’s changing market. As families and communities continue to expect more for less, funeral professionals are searching for meaningful and affordable ways to make lasting connections.

How can you reach out to potential families without spending thousands of dollars on advertising and marketing initiatives? How can you get your funeral firm name out there in the community as the ‘go-to’ place for all things funeral-related? How can you ensure your company’s professionalism and integrity are showcased?

The answer is simple: the Book of Memories™.