advertinsing funeral insurance

[mort2610]

what do you think would get the the most return on my advertising investment? print, radio or TV? direct mail? cold calling leads?

i was thinking to start with church bulletins or local news papers first then expanding depending on how well the response is...

my family funeral home in pennsylvania has expanded service options to families. i got a license to sell insurance in the state of PA through a reputable insurance provider. i can rely on foot traffic or referrals through our mortuary and wait for my phone to ring or i can be a little more aggressive and advertise in the community. not only can i sell to our families, i can sell to anybody in the state of pennsylvania... any suggestions

[guidemesingapore]

Have you thought of online advertising as well? There are some great resources available now which can target your exact location and community.

[AndyMc]

Can you provide a little more info on what exactly funeral insurance is?

[mort2610]

online advertising would be a viable option however my market is a little more specific. my family funeral home serves a low income inner city population in philadelphia. this is not an "email" crowd. many people do have internet access but im not sure the response to online marketing in this specific market. people dont even make an appointment to discuss funeral arrangements. many times i will be cleaning or doing paperwork and the doorbell rings....a family of 12 people stand before me after somebody passed away and they need to make an arrangement. we call them "walk-ups"

funeral insurance is purchasing an insurance vehicle that backs a specific funeral arrangement. many families do not have a life insurance that covers final expenses. for the most part funeral costs are covered by family funds, friends taking collections, beg, borrow....trying to come up with 7k in a week for a funeral when you are struggling to make ends meat is a difficult task. funeral insurance gives the family the ability to pay before the need arises in payments stretched out over the course of 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 years.....you can make quarterly payments or semi annual payments or one payment a year....the idea is to pre fund a funeral service so your family isnt left with the financial burden.

i sold my first policy to a lady who is 56, she selected a gorgeous casket for herself and all the bells and whistles...without the cemetery costs her service price is 5900. she doesnt have 5900 to pay me today. but she will gladly pay 50 bucks a month for several years to the coverage....

the insurance company i sell for is a reputable company thats been in business since 1890. they are backed by over 160 million in assets. i am biased because i am a funeral director and i would always like more business, however, my families in my market in my neighborhoods would benefit greatly from a service that allows them to pay for something little by little considering the reality of death. we all will pass at one point in time...sad but true

[AndyMc]

Thanks for the explanation. Now I know something new!
Regarding advertising dollars. One quick thing that comes to mind is your 'targeted' audience is the 'baby boomer' generation. Which aren’t TOO computer savvy. Though I am stereotyping them... I think you might want to consider maybe advertising in Local newspapers, community centers, senior centers, etc.?
Try to put yourself in your clients shoes and see which medium they frequent the most.