3 Times Social Memorials Took Healing To The Next Level
May 5th, 2016Our world is more connected today than we’ve ever been before, thanks to the internet and social media.
In fact, there seems to be a social media app for just about everything these days that helps instantly connect us with friends and family all over the world. While just 15 years ago it may have been difficult to share even our most important life events with far-away relatives, now we are privy to their every thought throughout the day. (Think about it… we all have that friend who can’t go out to eat without Tweeting about it, checking in on Facebook, posting a photo on Instagram, and then leaving an in-depth review on Yelp!)
But while some of these social media posts may seem like an over bombardment of sharing, many of these tools are a wealth of healing and support for those who have just lost a loved one.
Students at Warner Robins HS lost their principal, Steve Monday earlier today. Please pray for the community. #RIP 🙏 pic.twitter.com/6rbMxtBfEe
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) April 26, 2016
A Georgia community honors the life of one of their local High School principals, by memorializing him on their Twitter page.
The Viral Impact of Social Sharing
You’ve probably heard us talk time and time again about the importance of sharing obituaries on your funeral home’s Facebook page. But the reason why we promote this tip so much is about a lot more than simply promoting your business…
Every time you upload service information or a social memorial page on your funeral home’s Facebook page, you aren’t just pushing it out to your own group of followers, but potentially any of Facebook’s millions of users. So not only are close family and friends of the loved one now informed about this important event that is coming up, but so are potentially hundreds of others who may not have even known that their friend or family member had passed away.
Think of it like a web… even if only one of your Facebook followers shares the obituary page you posted on Facebook, they are still exposing it to all of their friends and people who follow them who may not have seen it otherwise. Then maybe two of their friends will reshare the same post, and then two of their friends will send it again… so on and so forth.
Just look at the obituary above, which was posted on Pray Funeral Home’s page this week. Not only did this obituary receive several interactions and comments right on the funeral home’s Facebook page, but it was also shared on 11 other people’s Facebook timelines. Now the details of this funeral service have been spread to an entire web of important friends and family members who can come to the service, show their support to the family, and offer up memories and stories that will help contribute to the healing process.
How Social Sharing Leads To Healing
Another reason why social sharing and online obituaries can be so helpful during a time of loss is because the more people that are informed of a loved one’s passing, the more potential there is for stories and memories to be shared.
Every single person that is impacted by a loved one’s passing has their own unique story or anecdote to tell about that person. Maybe they shared hilarious moments together in college, or they bonded over the work that they did together in the office… no matter how small or large the memory they have, it adds up to a big part of the healing process for those affected by the loss.
However, if those people are not able to come to the funeral service themselves and share these stories with those who knew the loved one, then their memories (and their potential for healing) will never be heard… unless they share them online.
E.J. Funeral Home and Cremation Services’ Facebook page has seen the power of social sharing first hand with the obituary above. Not only did the Facebook post go viral with nearly 100 shares, but it also received a number of beautiful comments where family and friend told their own stories and memories of the loved one. People also left comments for the family to share any helpful support that they could offer. All of a sudden, this simple Facebook post became a beacon of healing for family and friends to come to whenever they need to read about how their loved one had impacted the lives of others, or when they just needed a little extra support to get through a rough day.
Getting Started With Social Memorials
If your funeral home is not utilizing the amazing healing power and viral impact that comes with social memorial pages and obituaries, you are missing out… not only on a way to deliver an even better healing experience for your families, but also the change to drive thousands of new visitors to your funeral home’s website.
And because funeralOne knows the power of social memorials better than anyone, we have built our f1Connect websites with these insights in mind. Not only can families easily share their loved one’s f1Connect social memorial page through an easy-to use social sharing button featured right on the obituary page, but they can even log in right through their own Facebook account to leave a comment on the page, share a memory, upload a photo, and even send a Sympathy Gift right to the funeral service or the family’s home. We have made it easier than ever for yourself and your families to enjoy the benefits that come with social sharing.
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