Print Advertising For Funeral Homes

You’ve likely heard the old saying “print advertising is dead”. While it’s true that online advertising has become quite popular, funeral home print ads still have many strong advantages. Although we are a web company and strongly push digital marketing, we cannot just forget about the value of traditional marketing methods like print advertising.

Benefits of Funeral Home Print Ads

Traditional advertising for funeral homes has long been the standard practice for many firms. While digital advertising offers many advantages, funeral home print ads and other traditional marketing efforts do as well.

Level of Trust

One of the biggest benefits of print advertising is trust. With something printed in a newspaper or magazine, people have a physical copy of your message. Furthermore, newspaper and print media has been around for generations. Newspapers were once the primary way to learn about what was going on in the world. Although readership has declined over the years, many people still trust what they read in newspapers because they’ve built trust over time that the newspaper is a credible source of information.

In a 2016 study by Marketing Sherpa, it was found that 82% of the 1200 respondents surveyed found newspapers to be the most trustworthy source when making a purchasing decision.

Less Intrusive

Another benefit of funeral home ads in newspapers or other print media is that it is less intrusive. People subscribe to these publications and look forward to them. Consider the chart above, only 25% of respondents say they trust popup ads. Today, many people use ad blockers and programs to stop popup ads from taking over their screens.

With print ads though, they are less intrusive and don’t disrupt the user experience. If you’re reading a web page and a popup appears unexpectedly partway down the page, that can be annoying. But when the user is reading a newspaper, ads do not obstruct the content. If the person wants to glance at them they can, but it doesn’t disrupt their focus as much.

Engagement

Another benefit of print advertising is engagement. Look at your computer screen right now – how many tabs do you have open in your browser or applications running. The internet is a great thing because it gives us access to so much information. The problem though is that we often don’t have the same level of focus as we do when reading a newspaper or magazine.

When someone is reading a magazine or newspaper, they’re typically focused on just that. The information in front of them is their sole focus. They aren’t jumping between websites or having texts and messages pop up on the screen – they’re just reading.

Funeral Home Print Advertising Best Practices

The biggest flaw with funeral home newspaper ads or just print advertising, in general, is that it’s difficult to track engagement. However, you can use the insights you gather from your online advertising to improve your offline ads.

Use Data From Top Performing Posts

If you’re planning to create a print advertisement for your funeral home, consider using data from your online ads to help. Look at past ads you ran on Facebook and study the ones that produced the most clicks. What kind of messaging and images did these ads use? When designing your print pieces, try to mirror what worked online.

Keep It Short

We see hundreds of ads every day, so capturing someone’s attention is easier said than done. Remember, you only have a few seconds to capture the reader’s attention so use eye-catching headlines and images. Keep your copy brief (no more than a few sentences) and easy to digest.

Prioritize Targeting, Offer, and Design

Whether it’s online or offline, make sure to do some research to ensure your ad is reaching the right people. For instance, if you create a flyer for a preplanning event, figure out where your target audience would see it. Are you more likely to reach the right people with a local publication or a church bulletin? Make sure you understand your audience, know who they are, what they want, and where you can find them.

Where To Use Funeral Home Print Ads

There are many different types of print advertisements you can create for your funeral home. The list below summarizes different types of print ads and what types of audiences they can help you reach depending on your goals.

Funeral Home Ads in Newspapers

Newspapers vary in audience reach and publication frequency. They are also read by people with different interests and feature various types of content and stories. In most cases, funeral homes should want to advertise in local publications as these are going to reach people in your area. However, if you live in a major city like New York, advertising in a larger newspaper like the New York Times, might be a better choice as it has a greater reach. Keep in mind though, it will be more expensive and likely have more advertisements from other companies.

Before you commit to a newspaper ad for your funeral home, do some research and make sure the newspaper will reach the people you want. You may find that a local magazine is more affordable and will reach the right people. If there’s a local publication that promotes upcoming events, this might be perfect for promoting an event your hosting.

Funeral Home Billboards and Posters

Billboards and posters are a great way to get people’s attention who are on the move. Research has shown it takes a minimum of seven exposures for a consumer to be ready to purchase. By placing a billboard on a major street they might drive past on their way to work, you can increase the chances of ad recall. This means when a death occurs or they want to preplan, your firm has a better chance of being top of mind.

Church Bulletins

Church bulletin boards have long been a place to post for events and different things happening in the community. If you’re planning an open house, remembrance ceremony, or some sort of preplanning event, use these bulletin boards to help spread the word.

Another great use is if your firm specializes in serving a specific faith. Promoting your firm to a congregation of the same faith is an easy way to make sure your message is reaching the people most likely to do business with you.

Advertising Mail Flyers

Direct mail is a great way to reach a specific group of people. If there are several firms in your area, you might have better luck by targeting the families that live closest to your firm. With direct mail, you can choose what area you want your advertisement mailed to. You may find that you get a greater response by directly targeting people who live within five miles of your firm than you do with a newspaper that’s distributed in the area’s your competitors draw a lot of business from.

Make Sure Your Message Is Aligned

Chances are, you’re likely going to use multiple types of ads both offline and online. To make sure you’re achieving the best results, make sure that your message is aligned with your other advertisements. Remember, some consumers may need to see your message seven times before they act so ensuring that all of your ads are working together is the best way to achieve results.

If you’re interested in creating online or offline ads for your firm, we’re here to help. Our graphic design team is experienced in creating print materials, ads, and other resources to promote funeral home services. Whether it’s a billboard, bus ad, pop up stand or something else entirely, we’d love to collaborate and help you drive more business to your firm.

To learn more or get started, make sure to visit our website or contact us today!