Generation X, ages 45 to 60, are the primary planners today, but what about Millennials? Should your funeral home start building relationships with them now?

The short answer: yes.

Millennials, ages 29 to 44, may not fall into your target audience quite yet. But if you establish a relationship with them now, you’ll be the first to come to mind when they do need you.

So, how can you connect with this younger generation?

It starts with the right technology.

In this article, learn 3 ways you can use technology to connect with Millennials.

#1: Improve your social media presence

With 92% of Millennials using Facebook, connecting with them on social media sounds like an easy win. But using social platforms to connect with Millennials is more than getting them to follow or like your page.

When viewing your funeral home’s Facebook page, Millennials want to see more than obituaries and service times. While those are important, younger generations want to see the unique ways you serve families. Here are 3 ways you can do that:

• Show personality by featuring your staff and company events

• Highlight unique services you’ve provided for families

• Share your values through community projects or causes you support

Want to learn more about using marketing to connect with families? Check out this episode of The Graveyard Shift, where Marlan Gary of Marlan Gary Funeral Home joins the podcast to talk about how he has used social media, along with other marketing methods, to become a household name in his community.

Watch the episode →

#2: Offer ways to plan online

With Millennials using technology every day, they’ll likely want the most digital (and convenient) options available when interacting with businesses.

And if you think they won’t want to interact with your funeral home online, think again!

In a study we did in partnership with McKee Wallwork + Co., we found 7 different consumer types with unique preferences and attitudes toward funerals. Of the 7 types of consumers, Millennials were most likely to be the Resolute Rookies and the Future Funerals. 

42% of Resolute Rookies expressed they were comfortable planning a funeral online compared to 45% of Future Funerals. The average was 39%.

This means Millennials are more comfortable planning online than other generations. So, how can you make it easy for them? With Passare’s Planning Center, you can:

• Allow them to work on the obituary online from home.

• Provide an easy way to upload photos for the service - just like Google Drive, email, or Dropbox, but easier!

• Centralize communication with your funeral home in one platform.

Learn more about how you can use Passare to make the planning process simple online and in person here. →

#3: Gain their trust

To connect with Millennials, trust is non-negotiable. In fact, a recent Forbes report found that 50% of Millennials rank “brand reputation” as the top factor when starting a relationship with a brand.

Social media and other marketing efforts can help you create a trustworthy brand, but trust goes deeper. Research from McKee Wallwork + Co. shows younger generations are less trusting of funeral homes:

• 39% of Resolute Rookies trust funeral directors

• 46% of Future Funerals trust funeral directors

This lack of trust could be due to lower exposure to funerals or even misconceptions Millennials might have. Either way, you can increase their trust in your funeral home by involving them as much as possible and being transparent.

Barcode tracking is a great way to do that! When families choose to do business with your funeral home, they trust you with personal belongings, valuable heirlooms, and most importantly, their loved one. Give them 100% confidence in the security and safety of items at your funeral home with real-time, accurate updates with Barcode Tracking.

Learn more about how Barcode Tracking in Passare works here. >>>

Start connecting with Millennials

Millennials will be the next ones to step into the primary planner role. By engaging with them on social media, offering convenient online options, and building trust through transparency, your funeral home can meet their expectations now to create lasting connections.

With Passare, you can provide Millennials with online at-need planning while improving your communication and backend processes. But these tools don’t just benefit Millennials; they benefit your team, your vendors, and your families!

Learn more in a demo with one of our team members.