I’ve heard a saying that “news” is what nobody wants others to know and “public relations” is every thing else that is printed.  There is a lot of truth to that saying in the funeral business — nobody wants to be in the news — especially if the things that are being said are not particularly flattering about your firm.

However, when it is “Public Relations” we can make the decision on what is said or written – the key is to get it in print the way we want it.  It’s very true that in funeral service we are always trying to put our best foot forward with a spin of positive public relations.

So, what have you done at your firm that can give a wholesale positive public relations spin on your firm.  It’s great to do PR one-on-one with people and build personal relationships, but they come at the retail level — just like we said one at a time – and take a lot of effort.  How about on the wholesale level?

While cruising newspaper articles for future Funeral Director Daily columns I came across a column written periodically in the Herald Bulletin of Anderson, Indiana.  I read the articles — the particular one you can find here was about what families can do with the remains of loved ones who are cremated. It’s a short, really good and informative article with a positive spin for funeral homes.  Especially, since it gives the consumer some great information – which may benefit funeral service –without sounding self-serving.

The article – which is in a news format – is a great Public Relations piece written by Rob Loose of the Loose Funeral Homes.  This is a great example of “spinning” the news your way.  I did not check but my guess is that Mr. Loose is an uncompensated columnist for the Herald Bulletin.  While being uncompensated – the real value of the column and advice is to get the Loose name out there as being a good teammate in the community.  This kind of public relations, over time, can really pay off.

Funeral Director Daily take:  Mr. Loose has shown a great way to become better known in his community.  The offer to write a monthly column in your local paper may provide good fill for the paper while providing valuable information for the consumer while at the same time building positive name recognition for you and your firm.  It’s can be a great win-win-win for all involved.

Take your newspaper editor out for coffee with the idea and also think about talking to the radio station man about answering during an informational call-in show monthly.  These type of wholesale public relations efforts can make a difference over time.

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