2013 NFDA International Convention & Expo Winning More Calls – with Google Robin Heppell, CFSP

2013 NFDA International Convention & Expowww.nfda.org/austin2013

Winning More Calls – with Google

Robin Heppell, CFSP


Winning More Calls – with Google

Robin Heppell, CFSP


About Robin Heppell, CFSP• Childhood aspirations of being a

NHL Goalie• Went to Ontario to play hockey,

lived at the family funeral home• “If you can eat & sleep, you can

work!”• Came back to Victoria & my Dad got

me an interview with McCall’s• Took my apprenticeship and earned

my Funeral Director’s Licence


Journey into Funeral Marketing

• Created multi-million dollar pre-need program

• 25 years experience, over $50,000 of education, over 100 websites

• Created the Funeral Futuristbrand by applying all of these strategies

• Presented at over 40 funeral conferences and over 100 webinars

• Consult for UVic’s Faculty of Business about integrating offline and online marketing


Why Is Winning Calls ImportantFor you to get a call, two things have to happen…

1. Someone has to die

2. Your marketing has to work to a point and you have to be on the short list

If you lose the call – it’s lost forever… and so is that revenue!


What Happens Before Your Phone Rings?

• What are they thinking?• Who are they talking to?• What research are they doing?• How are they making their decision?


Google’s Zero Moment Of Truth

Source: Google - zeromomentoftruth.com


Google’s Advice on How To Win1. Put Someone in Charge

2. Find Your Zero Moments

3. Answer the Questions People Are Asking

4. Optimize for ZMOT

5. Be Fast

6. Don’t Forget Video

7. Jump In! Source: Google - zeromomentoftruth.com


Put Someone in Charge...

YOU


Find Your Zero Moments of Truth• What are people searching

for about funeral homes?• Check the related searches

at the bottom of the Google results page

• Use the free Google Keyword Tool


Answer Questions People Are AskingWhen they don’t know what to ask, they ask how much will it cost ...• How much does a cremation cost in

Austin?• What is the best funeral home in Austin?


Robert Collier says…

“You always

want to enter

the conversation already happening

in someone’s mind.”


Optimize For ZMOT• Paid:

– AdWords

• Earned: – Reviews– Reputation

• Owned: – Website

SEO


Be Fast“Speed beats perfection”

• Don’t wait to get all of your ducks in a row

• Many of these strategies can be started today

How many people will die before your marketing is perfect?


Don’t Forget Video• Best rapport building modality• Video in Google’s organic results• YouTube 2nd most popular search engine

Funeral Home ideas...• Create welcome videos• FAQ & QSA videos• Take advantage of Tribute Videos


Create, Record & Post in 10 mins


The Results...


Jump In...

“Showing up is 80% of life.”

Woody Allen

You showed up, so let’s get started...


Workshop is in session...• Conduct Keyword Research• Google AdWords 101 + Advanced• Funeral Home SEO• Videos that Help Win Calls• Building Your Online Reputation• Putting Your Online Obits to Work• Putting Your Tribute Videos to Work• Bonus: Using Email to Win the Call


Conduct Keyword Research


Google AdWords 101• Write the ad in their words - not yours• Have a specific landing page that

continues the conversation from the ad• Have a Call to Action on the landing page• Have an off-line plan to win the

call


Don’t Send To Home Page


8 to 10 or More Conversations…


Congruency: Keeping the Scent

Cremation Costs

ShopperSearch

Cremation Costs

YourAd

Cremation Costs

LandingPage


Campaigns1. Local | 2. National

Ad Groups:

Funeral Homes | Funeral Costs | Cremation Costs

Keywords

Ad 1 Ad 2

Keywords

Ad 1 Ad 2

Keywords

Ad 1 Ad 2

Setting Up Google AdWords


Negative Keywords• Don’t pay for traffic that you don’t want!

• Negative Keywords: • Pet, Pets, Dog, Dogs, Cat, Cats, • Obit, Obits, Obituary, Obituaries, Death

Notice, Death Notices, Directions, Hours• Be Aware of Sister Cities and Terms


Advanced AdWords: Remarketing



Remarketing for Funeral Homes• Generally, it is very hard to message to

people who have visited your site to read obituaries

• If you have been following my obit strategies you will be getting 10,000s+ visitors to your website every month

• Retarget these visitors with the right message to compel them to pre-arrange


Remarketing for PreneedHomesteaders Survey of recent policy holders: 49% had attended a funeral in the past 6 months



• Site Structure• Online Obits• Backlinks• Online Videos• Press Releases• Page Load Speed• Mobile Friendly

• RSS Links & Directories• Content Marketing• Social Media Engagement

Funeral Home SEO



Mobile Responsive Web Design


• Plan / Script 5 Videos– [City] Funeral Costs– [City] Cremation Costs– [City] Funeral Homes– [City] Funeral Cremation– [City] Cremation Services

• Record Videos– Screen Capture– Talking Head

• Edit For Web– Web Friendly Format– Title file with Keywords

• Upload Video– Follow Worksheet– YouTube first (primary)

• Promote Video– Have 5 friends view entire

video (rate & comment)– Embed in Website– Promote with Facebook /

Twitter– Tag it with Social

Bookmarking Sites– Link to YouTube URL from

other sites if possible

Videos that Help Win Calls


Online Video Marketing Fast Start1. Create YouTube account

2. Get Snagit by TechSmith http://snagit.com (only $49.95)

3. Complete “Online Video Strategies Worksheet”

4. Download PPT Template, Choose Design & Edit for your Funeral Home

5. Download Script & Edit for your Funeral Home

6. Record “Funeral Costs” video with Jing Snagit

7. Upload Video to YouTube (from Jing Snagit)

8. In YouTube edit Title, Description, Tags, set Location re: “Online Video Strategies Worksheet”

9. Email YouTube link to 5 friends and ask them that they watch it to the end (comments, likes a bonus

10. Repeat steps 3 – 9 for “Cremation Costs” video


Building Your Online Reputation• Facebook Page (in Firm’s Name)• LinkedIn Corporate Profile• Local Directory Listings• Citation Websites• Cultivating Positive Reviews


Put Your Online Obits to Work

1 Email Family

2 Email Groups

3 Share on Their Facebook


Put Your Tribute Videos to Work


Bonus: Use Email to Win the Call• Build rapport by writing to them on their

level• Before you hit SEND, ask yourself:

“Did I answer their specific questions?”• Use your cell phone number today• Send response within 45 minutes• Send follow up by end of day


Include Smiling Photo + Cell #


Workshop Recap...• Conduct Keyword Research• Google AdWords 101 + Advanced• Funeral Home SEO• Videos that Help Win Calls• Building Your Online Reputation• Putting Your Online Obits to Work• Putting Your Tribute Videos to Work• Bonus: Using Email to Win the Call


Thanks for attending today…If you need any marketing services,

all you need to do is…

Documents

2013 NFDA International Convention & Expo Winning More Calls – with Google Robin Heppell, CFSP