The Memorial Business Journal (the NFDA’s weekly newsletter) has been drilling down into the NFDA’s 2024 Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey. With the FTC’s Funeral Rule amendment looming, the July 4th MBJ edition was of particular interest to us. The Survey found that 92% of the survey respondents use Facebook, with most of those respondents using it daily. Almost 48% of the respondents have visited a funeral home’s Facebook page. Apparently, consumers are using the funeral home’s Facebook page to familiarize themselves with the staff and the satisfaction of other consumers with the establishment. About a third of the respondents indicate they used the services of a funeral home they found through Facebook.
MBJ also reported that the percentage of respondents that attended an end-of-life planning event doubled from the prior year. It is probably due to COVID, but more consumers are receptive to end-of-life planning and funeral prearrangements. However, consumers are more likely to attend an event sponsored by a third party (such as a church or community center). This should suggest to funeral homes that there is an advantage to working with a church or hospice center when offering end-of-life planning events.
When the FTC’s issues the Funeral Rule amendment, it is widely expected that funeral homes will be required to make GPLs online in some format. As a result, consumer trends towards Facebook surfing will only accelerate.
To receive a copy of the Memorial Business Journal, contact the National Funeral Directors Association.