Social Media & Funerals
Part 1 in a 2-Part Series about The Weird & Wonderful Ways Social Media & Funerals Connect
According to TechCrunch, the “average user” picks up his or her Smartphone 85 times per day. People walk into fountains, trees, vans and buildings because they’ve morphed into Smartphone Zombies. And while many use their devices for texting, reading, and sometimes, even talking, most of us spend at least half of our smartphone time on social media. Why are we blogging about this when our field is funerals? Because social media has taken our industry by storm.
Social Media & Funerals
We opened Foothill Funeral & Cremation Services in Glendora in 2016 and shortly thereafter set up Facebook,Twitter and Google+, Instagram. Since the mortuary industry is traditionally slow to follow trends, doing so was pretty cutting edge stuff. Meanwhile, most of our competitors continued to rely on phone book ads and printed materials, scorning digital marketing avenues.
Fast forward two and a half years and entrepreneurs in virtually every field are eager to jump on the SM bandwagon. We embrace people from all walks of life. In much the same way, we happily incorporate any appropriate technology (and, for that matter, anything else) to enrich our client relationships. As such, we believe that tech has its place in the mourning process. But, to be honest, some things are just weird. But don’t take our word for it; review the following and make the call. We cover half this week and the rest in next week’s post.
Funeral Selfies
Believe it or not, people take their smartphones to viewings and wakes so they can take selfies with the deceased. We get it; in some cases, this would be okay. But unless you know the family well, don’t assume the move is socially acceptable.
Check-ins
Some smartphone users can’t go anywhere without “checking in.” But doing so at a memorial service or cemetery could compromise the family’s privacy. When in doubt, ask. And if you need to ask, you might be better off skipping the perks or points associated with that check-in experience.
Fiddling with Phones
Whether bored kids play on their smartphones during the service or adults forget to turn on the “Do Not Disturb,” mode, phones can distract from the purpose of funerals – honoring the deceased. If ever an occasion deserved your undivided attention, it is a memorial service. We recommend setting devices to “airplane mode” during the service.
Snapchat Filters for Funerals (Yes, you read that right.)
With geo-filters for everything from engagements to weddings to graduations, snapchat enables people to look through their phone and see a virtual world superimposed upon the real one. Funeral filters add things like ghosts. Yep. But if you’re a family who is cool with that, then go for it. Create your funeral filter and let mourners know it’s available.
Check back next week, when we discuss the social media funeral-related stuff we love.
About Foothill Funeral & Cremation
Call us now or at your time of need (626) 335-0615. Feel free to drop by our Glendora showroom. Our relationship with United Methodist Church is the perfect place for mourners to host funerals and memorials. You’ll love the grandiose yet intimate setting. We proudly serve the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles Basin, Orange County and the Inland Empire. Finally, working in the mortuary industry since 1996, our reputation is one of quality, sincerity and trust. Please allow us to help you at your time of need or in the future. Call today (626) 335-0615 or contact us via email.
