What is newsworthy and what is not?

I recently came across a generic snippet of info on the Internet stating there are various events or items worthy of publicity. The listing included the following

• Anything new
• Items of interest to local people
• Trends, issues or big events
• Information about the future
• Tidbits about famous or well-known people
• Anything unusual, weird or funny

Look around your business and overall operations and I guarantee most of you have at least one of these events either taking place right now or know of an event coming up in the near future. Maybe you are noticing a trend with your families. Maybe you just restructured your aftercare services. Or perhaps you are about to embark on new development project for your cemetery or memorial grounds.

Looking at the generic snippet, I can see that we can tie each one of the listed items into scenarios relevant to death care and memorialization. Here are some ideas:

Anything new

• Stanford Hills’ Newly Constructed Cremation Garden Inspires Reflection and Meditation

Items of interest to local people

• Bates Funeral Home Funeral Director Wins Local Hot Dog Eating Contest

Trends, issues or big events

• Statistics Show Increasing Number of Deceased Being Buried with Cell Phones

Information about the future

• More than 52% of Midwestern Families to Choose Home Burials by 2050

Tidbits about famous or well-known people

• Renowned Manhattan Funeral Home Frank E. Campbell Arranges Heath Ledger’s Funeral

Anything unusual, weird or funny

• Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Launches Historic Tours in Period Costumes

I bet you are now getting some ideas! And I hope those wheels are churning with new publicity possibilities. Talk to your staff. Sometimes they are aware of important stories. They have direct contact with families and can share vital information on what they have learned and seen. Be observant and play close attention. Become active in your community. If you look closely enough, you’ll find yourself surrounded by more PR possibilities than you had ever hoped for!