How important is it for someone who has passed away to have an obituary in the newspaper or online?

Based on our consumer study, 40% of families said they didn't know it was important or didn't think it was important at all.

You likely tell families that obituaries are important because they share the loved one’s story and provide a place for families to share condolences online.

But they’re also important for you because they keep service details in a central place, increase traffic to your website, and more. So if you’re not writing an obituary for every family, you should be.

And there are ways to make the writing process simple and quick for everyone involved!

In this article, learn 4 tools you can implement to make writing obituaries a breeze for everyone involved.

1. Artificial intelligence (AI)

There's nothing like a good case of writer's block that will make completing the first draft of an obituary feel impossible. But with Passare's AI Obituary writer, you can remove any obstacles between you and a first draft. 💪

Passare's AI tool takes case details you've already entered to write an obituary about the loved one. With it, you can quickly complete a first draft or use it with families to give them a starting point if they want to write the obituary themselves.

If you or families you serve haven’t used an AI tool, check out these helpful articles!

2. Online proofreading tool

Writing mistakes happen. And typos in an obituary are not only embarrassing but can also appear unprofessional.

This is where an online proofreading tool can save the day! By running your draft through a proofreader tool, you can catch any misspelled words or grammatical errors. Think of it as your second set of eyes that never gets tired. 👀

The best part? Many online proofreader tools are free, so your families can benefit from them, too.

3. Online at-need technology

It's not uncommon for families to request changes or additions to an obituary. And when a family has sent you several versions of the obituary with changes, you’re left playing a guessing game to know which one is the final version.

You can reduce back-and-forth communication by using an online at-need platform to collaborate with families. For example, in Passare's Planning Center, you can work on the obituary with a family and see edits in real-time. When you all decide on a final draft, you can lock the obituary in Passare so everyone knows it's the final version.

4. Integrations

Once you have the final obituary, your job doesn’t end there. You need to add it to your website, prepare it for printing, and more.

But you shouldn’t have to do double the work.

This is where print and website integrations can help!

You can integrate Passare with your website to easily publish the obituary with just a few clicks - no need to retype anything. And if there are any last-minute changes, you can update the obituary in Passare and sync the new version to your site within seconds. It's that simple! Plus, with print integrations, you can send the final obituary to your print service with the click of a button. And if there are any last-minute changes, all you have to do is re-sync the obituary from Passare to your print service - no extra data entry required.

- Find out more about the benefits of print integrations here. >>>

Make obituary writing a breeze.

Obituaries help families share details about a loved one's service with friends, family, and community. With these 4 tools, you can simplify the writing process when things get hectic.

Plus, with an online at-need technology like Passare's Planning Center, you can increase your opportunities to collaborate with families in more ways than one.

Take a virtual tour of the Planning Center to learn more or see Passare's all-in-one case management software in a demo with our team.