Nicole Vullo
on
We recently had an internal conversation at Foresight about social media in the funeral and cemetery profession. Not about hashtags. Not about algorithms. Not about chasing engagement. About management.
Because the issue isn’t whether a funeral home is “good at social media.” The issue is whether its digital presence reflects how the business is actually run. That distinction matters.
Digital Presence Is Now Operational
Families research before they call. Adult children compare options online before speaking to a director. Buyers review digital presence during diligence. Lenders look at executive visibility and market positioning. Recruits assess culture and professionalism through social channels long before submitting an application.
Digital presence has moved out of the marketing department. It now sits squarely in the realm of operational perception. And perception influences value. A dormant Facebook page doesn’t just suggest “we’re busy.” It suggests disengagement. Outdated photography doesn’t just look old. It quietly contradicts claims of premium positioning and modern facilities. Unanswered reviews don’t just sit there. They communicate a tolerance for reputational risk. Inconsistent messaging doesn’t just look messy. It signals a lack of oversight. None of that is about marketing. It’s about standards.
What We’re Really Evaluating
Internally, we framed this through a simple lens: digital presence is a signal.
It signals:
- How seriously leadership takes visibility
- Whether the business understands modern consumer behavior
- If systems exist to maintain consistency
- Whether management sees reputation as an asset
- How aligned the organization is between what it says and what it demonstrates
When we evaluate a business, we look at margins, revenue mix, staffing structure, overhead, call volume, preneed penetration, and market share. Digital presence doesn’t replace those fundamentals. But it reinforces or undermines them. You don’t have to post every day. You don’t need to “build a brand.”
But you cannot ignore the fact that digital silence now communicates something. And what it communicates may not align with the narrative a business wants to tell, especially if growth, succession, or a transaction is on the horizon.
The 2026 Reality
Transparency expectations continue to rise. Families expect to find information quickly. They expect clarity around options. They expect responsiveness. Short-form video builds familiarity faster than static text because it shows the people behind the operation. In a profession built on trust, familiarity matters. AI is lowering the barrier to content production. The operators who adopt it responsibly will maintain consistency with less strain on internal teams. The ones who resist entirely risk falling further behind.
At the same time, buyers and consolidators are becoming more disciplined in how they evaluate risk and opportunity. A strong digital footprint reinforces professionalism, operational maturity, and relevance in the community. A neglected one introduces friction. Friction during diligence. Friction in recruitment. Friction in positioning. And friction affects leverage.
Why This Belongs in Business Conversations
If digital perception contributes to value, positively or negatively, it belongs in your assessment of your business. Not as a marketing critique. As a management indicator. Because digital presence is not about aesthetics. It is about alignment.
Alignment between:
- Claimed standards and visible execution
- Community reputation and online reinforcement
- Operational discipline and public communication
A funeral reflects the systems behind it. A digital reputation does the same. Both show how a business is run. And in a profession built on trust, that visibility is no longer optional.