C2C: They are yelping ... I mean *talking* about you again!!!

I recently wrote an article for ICCFA Magazine about consumers talking about death care, funeral homes and funerals in general on social networks, specifically on Twitter. And all this social chatter, as my article stated, is incredibly visible to the thousands of people who participate in any given network. Well, friends, the consumer-to-consumer (C2C) chatter continues on Yelp.com, a web site that serves as "the ultimate city guide that taps into the community's voice and reveals honest and current insights on local businesses and services on everything from martinis to mechanics."

Think of Yelp as a C2C guide where the world of glossy marketing is peeled back and consumers give each other the nitty gritty about *everything* in their specific area. Yelp.com is "word of mouth marketing - amplified. Savvy local marketers now have a great channel to effectively target local consumers." As you may be aware, no amount of marketing dollars can control the tone or direction C2C word of mouth marketing. It's marketing by the people, for the people.

And since any review is possible on Yelp.com, then guess what ... funeral homes beware! Consumers are actively sharing their reviews with others in Yelp communities and beyond.

Yelp.com funeral home review example

Here's what they are saying about the Arthur J Sullivan & Company Funeral Home in San Francisco, California:

“A nice venue for a celebration of life! We visited for a memorial of a friend who lived on this planet for 100 years before she moved to the next level. There were 2 chapels, 3 reception areas, and a green room. The chapels were tastefully appointed in ways that could accommodate any type of ceremony.”

David J.

“Great location, great parking, easy to access via transit.  Open, airy "chapel" rooms of varying sizes.  Alcira and staff there were very nice, appropriate, available.   The venue is neutral enough so that anyone would feel comfortable there (not too religious, not too Castro-like, etc.).  Great area in front for people to gather before the service.
My only criticism and I heard this from several people:  The worst job they'd ever seen on a body for an open casket.  My friend died of a heart attack.  I'm not sure exactly who was in that coffin, but it didn't look much like him and it did look pretty bad.  If you're going to use this service, you might not want an open casket.”

Jessica L.

Do you know what they are yelping about you?

Even better: do you know what consumers are saying about your local competition? You should, and it's easy to do. Right on the home page, just enter "funeral home" or "cemetery" or "cremation" — whichever term best describes your business — and then enter the city and state. That's it! The feedback shared is honest, pure (no sugar coating) and straight from the horse's mouth.

Opportunities for testimonials

It's always a challenges to collect testimonials from families. Collecting testimonials, in general, is not always easy to do because we are asking for positive feedback to share with other prospective interested parties. Sometimes folks gladly give you a glowing testimonial (assuming, of course, your service was worth glowing about). Other times, however, it's not comfortable to "chase" people for good words that will benefit you only and not them, necessarily. I've seen good customers in many industries be "passive" and not really responding to a request (or two) for their testimonials.

On a social network like Yelp.com, however, the opportunity to collect testimonials — or to at least link to them — is super easy. A woman named Kay Jay, for example, is a walking advertisement for the excellent service she received from California Cemetery Brokers. Upon her dad's passing, Kay Jay tells anyone who will listen (or read) that California Cemetery Brokers saved the day:

“These people are quick, kind, courteous and know their business well. They know it is a sensitive time for you and your family and they handle every thing with care and consideration. You don't have to travel one step; they get in their car and come to you. When I recently purchased a head stone these gentlemen were kind enough to travel to my job to assist in the process and draw up the paperwork. This last year has been hard, but thanks to CA Cemetery Brokers and their assistance the duties of burying a loved one was made just a little bit easier.”

In addition to the glowing testimonial, Kay Jay is also a walking human advertisement for the value of pre-need services:

“(California Cemetery Brokers) ... are in the business of buying and selling space, but offer these spaces to families at very reasonable costs.  Much more reasonable than the cemeteries sell them for. When they say burial costs are upwards of $10k, they aren't joking people, so even though you may not want to even think about it... think about it.  Seriously.  Sit with your folks and have that discussion we all dread.  Ask the question "Have you...?  What can I do or what should I know?" You'll be thankful you did when time comes.”

What are you waiting for? Go out there and *listen*!

The most guru of all marketing gurus are speaking today of the importance of simply just *listening* BEFORE you engage out there in a social network. The advice is very good wisdom. You want to monitor what folks are saying, good and bad, and really understand what is prompting the chatter ... perhaps a good deed or a positive experience; or perhaps an error or really poor service. And if you listen long enough, you'll develop a keen insight on internal operations. Perhaps something that is being done well (or not) can be identified and amplified (or corrected). Additionally, the social chatter in the form of real-world reviews will help to inspire a marketing idea or program that speaks directly to what folks are talking about (or not).

What you don't know *can* hurt you

Look, if your funeral home or death care establishment continues to ignore the value of being active on social networks — let alone the internet as a whole — you'll never know what you can know. Why would you purposefully avoid participating in something that could truly benefit your funeral home's or cemetery's marketing efforts and for free I might add? I highly encourage those funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories (and you know who you are) to begin significantly shifting much of your death care marketing efforts to the digital arena. You will save time, money and draw much inspiration from the kinds of C2C chatter we once could not so easily access.

The bottom line

Believe it or not, consumers want to engage with you and see you out there, participating with them. If you continue to dismiss social networks as irrelevant and complete wastes of time, you are in for a rude awakening, my friend. You might as well put a sign out in front that says you don't care about what anyone thinks or says about your death care establishment. And c'mon ... you and I both know that's not true. You do care, don't you?!? If you are in business to make money, then you should.