By Joe Weigel of Weigel Strategic Marketing.
Thought leadership marketing is the latest tool being used by a number of companies in the funeral profession. In addition to positioning your company as a leader in funeral service, thought leadership can attract new customers, gain the attention of funeral service media, and create business development opportunities, not to mention attract employees to your company.
However, just what is thought leadership marketing? It takes a variety of forms, including bylined articles in trade publications (like this piece), blogs, white papers, case studies, newsletters, and presentation at funeral conventions. No matter which form your thought leadership takes, the goal is to present expert and original solutions in an engaging and informative format. Below are four areas in which thought leadership marketing can drive business success:
Awareness: Thought leadership efforts are critical for establishing and maintaining visibility and credibility for your company and its leaders in the funeral industry. By consistently publishing engaging content that offers real value to your customers and your prospects, your company and your leaders can be top of mind when the time comes to make a buying decision.
Engagement: There’s no better way to develop relationships with potential customers than to provide them with something of value. Thought leadership marketing gives you and your sales team something to demonstrate how your company is leading the industry and how its leaders can provide solutions in today’s challenging funeral industry.
Publicity: When you and your company are seen as a leader in the funeral industry, editors at the various trade magazines and newsletters will look to your company for comments and insights on news stories, trends, issues, and other opportunities that will lead to free exposure in print and online.
Online Visibility: Thanks to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), companies have the opportunity to be rewarded for publishing quality content. When you publish thought leadership pieces, especially bylined articles, Google, Yahoo, Bing, and the other search engines “connect the dots” between your media coverage and your company when your customers and prospects are searching the web.
Thought leadership is more than a published article or an occasional presentation at a funeral convention. It’s a commitment to be a leader in thought and serve as a resource to the funeral industry.
In a perfect world, a company is the best resource to handle its thought leadership program. However, most companies in the funeral space don’t have the time or expertise to do this. In many situations, they choose to engage a marketing company to assist them in these efforts. If you would like discuss assistance in implementing an effective thought leadership program, contact Weigel Strategic Marketing.
Joe Weigel is the owner of Weigel Strategic Marketing, a communications firm focused on the funeral profession that delivers expertise and results across three interrelated marketing disciplines: strategy, branding, and communications. You can visit his website at weigelstrategicmarketing.webs.com. He also can be reached at 317-608-8914 or joseph.weigel@gmail.com.