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Here's how to find me

Mailing address:
Death Care Publicist
Mayra Ruiz-McPherson
32 Dunlap Drive
Charles Town, West Virginia
25414

Email:
mayra@deathcarepublicist.com

Instant message:
my screen name for
AOL, MSN and Yahoo! is
mayramcpherson

Phone:
304.707.5919

Need more info?
Why not visit me
@ mayraruiz.com!

Thursday
16Jul2009

the internet and death ... they go hand in hand as of late

As shared in an earlier post, the Michael Jackson memorial and passing really put a worldwide spotlight on how people are actively using the Internet to share their grief, express their sorrow and memorialize this international entertainer.

The thing is this ... regular, non-celebrity type of people were and already have been using the Internet to share their loss or their experiences at memorials, burials and wakes well before MJ's passing. Yet with MJs death, it seems like attention to and awareness of "Internet mourning" and web memorializations have been thrust forward unlike ever before.

Click to read more ...

Friday
10Jul2009

dear blairsville cemetery ... where's your press and news room?

I came across quite a terrific news article online just today entitled "Blairsville Cemetery planning memorial walk addition." As you can see, the article goes into some length about Blairsville Cemetery's history as well as the new memorial walk which will be lined with brick pavers patrons can purchase and have etched in honor of or in memory of a loved one.

Clearly, this is an extensive article that's full of wonderful information about the cemetery and really positions the cemetery in a positive light as well as a meaningful contributor to the local community.

I was happy to see the cemetery's web site address published at the end of the article, informing users to "learn more" about the cemetery at www.blairsvillecemetery.com.

My happiness, however, was rather short lived once I found myself on the Blairsville Cemetery site. It's just so sad to see absolutely zero mention or reference to this super wonderful memorial walk they are adding to their cemetery grounds.

I searched this cemetery web site high and low (not that there was tons to search, mind you) and confirmed that not only what this new memorial walk not being shared at all online but even worse ...

... their "News and Events" section was more outdated than my passport. Events listed were for 2007 and 2008 ... and we are in mid-2009.

Although it kills me ...

Look, I take *no* pleasure -- trust me -- in throwing this cemetery's web site under the digital marketing and PR bus. Really. I would much rather report a totally different story or scenario where Blairsville Cemetery was totally on the web 2.0 ball and had an interactive calendar of events posted on their site in addition to more information about their new memorial walk (amongst other things).

So what's the (real) prob?

The problem with this specific death care site -- as well as an infinite number of other funeral service-related sites -- is not the web site itself. The web site is simply a symptom of a much bigger problem ... which is ... the mindset of many death care operators in so far as their view of the Internet's potential and value not only to their business but to the industry as a whole.

I realize this is a non-profit cemetery challenged with funds and with fundraising...

I used to be Executive Director of a non-profit organization way back when so if anyone knows how challenging fundraising can be, hey ... that would be me. The secret ingredient to raising funds of any kind, however, is raising awareness of your cause. And once can't do that if he or she doesn't expend the effort to share their story with the community at large. Therefore, while monies can be a challenge, updating this cemetery's web site with 2-3 paragraphs and a link to the article online is not a huge monetery expenditure. All it would cost is about 5-10 minutes of someone's time to post and publish the information.

More thoughts ... coming soon

In upcoming e-newsletter editions, I will address some of the things cemeteries, crematories and funeral homes can do to improve their web sites to better maximize their internet presence and digital marketing and PR efforts.

Have you subscribed yet?

And P.S - If Blairsville Cemetery or any other cemetery or funeral home really needs help with their web site, marketing, PR and outreach, you know how to find me.

Monday
06Jul2009

death, funeral services and memorials are all over the tube (and the web) these days

I don't know about you but with the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson (and not to mention the shocking deaths of pitchman Billy Mays and footballer Steve McNair), funeral services and memorials are all I've been hearing about on television these past few weeks.

And in the reporting about these famous deaths, there have been some extremely interesting things taking place in so far as to how people are expressing their grief and choosing to memorialize their icons or favorite stars on the Internet.

I am writing about these specific and very trendy observations and will share my thoughts in my next edition of Death Gets Digital which will be distributed by mid-month.

If you haven't subscribed to receive my FREE e-email newsletter, you can subscribe here.

Sunday
05Jul2009

interview with webCemeteries.com's nick timpe

Nick shares valuable insight and information regarding not just webCemteries.com's capabilities but also what factors cemeteries owners need to consider before deploying web-based web 2.0 solutions.

View the complete interview here.

Friday
03Jul2009

i've moved ... here!

Well, I used to house this Death Care Publicist blog on my small business marketing and personal site as an add-on feature. Today, as you can see from the new duds ... this blog is now more than just a blog. It has become a full blown web site with articles, samples of work and my new e-mail newsletter *exclusively* catering to death care service providers seeking to further develop a competitive marketing edge via web 2.0 and social utility tools.

Read the press release here