A CASE STUDY
In October 2022, Serenity Ridge Natural Burial Cemetery and Arboretum, Maryland’s only natural burial cemetery, partnered with Silesky Marketing to effectively promote their unique and important natural burial services. Setting the stage for achieving success with cross-channel marketing, Silesky Marketing developed a strategic plan to reach Serenity Ridge’s target audiences. The plan outlined specific goals and objects: to increase brand awareness, educate Marylander’s about Natural Burial, and promote “life” rather than “death” on the Ridge through community events. The multichannel strategy included print advertising in local publications, direct mail to target-specific zip codes, billboards placed in zip codes specifically near the direct mail zip codes, digital banner ads, on-page SEO, email marketing and community-sponsored events. Although the brand started with no social media following and limited brand awareness, Silesky Marketing established the goals from the beginning and aimed to build a strong online and offline presence that would resonate with Serenity’s diverse audience.
Unique Opportunities
From the beginning, there were unique opportunities and challenges to the plan. As the only natural burial cemetery in Maryland, Serenity Ridge needed to educate the public about the benefits of natural burial and highlight its distinctive value proposition; protecting the environment for generations to come. In addition, the marketing message needed to address the religious diversity of the community with their unique customs, and how Serenity Ridge intended to overcome those objections and challenges.
Overcoming Misconceptions
Many people are unfamiliar with the concept of natural burial and may have concerns about the legality, safety, or appropriateness of natural burials. Educating the community involved providing clear, factual information to dispel myths and build trust in the natural burial process.
Highlighting Environmental Benefits
By emphasizing the environmental benefits of natural burials, such as reduced carbon footprints, the avoidance of harmful chemicals, and the promotion of sustainable land use, helped to educate the community. By educating the community on how natural burials contribute to preserving ecosystems and supporting biodiversity, Serenity Ridge attracted environmentally conscious individuals, families and groups very quickly.
Creating Personal and Emotional Connections
Educating the community about natural burial provided an opportunity to connect with the people of Maryland on a personal and emotional level. The concept of returning to the earth in a natural way can resonate deeply with those who value simplicity and a connection to nature. Sharing personal stories and testimonials from families who chose natural burial at Serenity Ridge helped us to illustrate these meaningful experiences and foster a sense of community.
Engaging Diverse Cultural Perspectives
The religious and cultural diversity within the community presented both a challenge and an opportunity. Educating the public about natural burial meant addressing various cultural beliefs and practices surrounding death and burial. Serenity Ridge needed to be sensitive to these differences and offer solutions that respects and accommodates various customs, making natural burial an inclusive option for everyone.
Demonstrating Cost-Effectiveness and Simplicity
For many people, the cost and complexity of traditional funerals are significant concerns. By providing transparent pricing and explaining the straightforward process, Serenity Ridge appealed to those seeking a less complicated and more affordable burial option.
Collaborating with Local Organizations and Thought Leaders
Educating the community also involved partnering with local environmental organizations, religious leaders, and community groups. These collaborations helped the marketing efforts by spreading awareness about the benefits of natural burial and lending credibility to the message.
Utilizing Innovative Marketing Techniques
Finally, Silesky Marketing incorporated innovative marketing techniques to educate the community about natural burial. By leveraging digital tools and creative content, Serenity Ridge effectively reached a wider audience subsequently achieving success with cross-channel marketing,
All of these challenges and opportunities underscored the need for a marketing strategy that was both comprehensive and sensitive to the educational aspect of promoting a natural burial cemetery.
Marketing Strategies & Outcomes
Social Media Advertising: The Foundation of Success — Social media advertising played a crucial role, creating engaging content and fostering a growing online presence. In fact, the strategy began with a targeted social media advertising campaign, well ahead of Serenity Ridge’s grand opening. This effort aimed to build brand awareness from the ground up by creating engaging content that resonated with the target audience. The campaign included educational posts, facts about green burial, testimonials from early adopters, and community stories that highlighted the value of natural burials.
- Key Outcomes
- Exponential Growth in Engagement: By Spring 2023, Serenity Ridge experienced significant increases in social media engagement, gaining more followers and shares. And by Spring 2024, the numbers tripled in growth.
- Sustained Online Presence: Continuous growth in social media interactions throughout 2023 and 2024 established a strong online foundation that supported the broader multichannel campaign.
- Key Outcomes
Print and Direct Mail Advertising: Reaching the Right Audience — Recognizing the need to connect with less digitally active audiences, the plan expanded Serenity Ridge’s strategy to include print and direct mail advertising. Launched in late 2023, these efforts effectively reached older demographics in zip codes earmarked for specific cross-channel engagement.
- Highlights
- Fox45 News Feature: Howard Berg MD, owner of Serenity Ridge discussed Serenity Ridge with the news channel.
- Direct Mail Campaign: Targeting 15,000 households across key Maryland zip codes, this campaign introduced Serenity Ridge to a broader audience and reinforced its brand identity.
- Highlights
Billboards: Amplifying Brand Awareness Across Maryland — To further enhance brand visibility, Silesky Marketing initiated a billboard campaign in October 2023, strategically placing billboards in high-traffic areas across Maryland counties to maximize exposure.
- Impact:
- Widespread Brand Exposure: The billboards reached thousands of residents daily, effectively reinforcing Serenity Ridge’s identity as Maryland’s premier natural burial cemetery.
- Visual Impact: The imagery and messaging resonated with Serenity Ridge’s core values, creating a strong connection with the community.
- Impact:
On-Page SEO and Blogging: Building Long-Term Digital Presence — As the multichannel campaign progressed, on-page SEO and blogging became integral to Serenity Ridge’s digital strategy. Starting in December 2023, Silesky Marketing leveraged Google Analytics to track the effectiveness of these efforts.
- Results
- Increase in Organic Traffic: Throughout 2024, organic traffic consistently accounted for over 50% of search traffic, driven by optimized keywords, informative landing pages, and regular blog posts.
- Enhanced Search Visibility: The SEO strategy focused on high-performing keywords and backlink strategies, boosting Serenity Ridge’s visibility in search engine results.
- Results
Email Marketing: Engaging a Growing Subscriber Base — As Serenity Ridge’s multichannel marketing campaign gained momentum, email marketing emerged as a powerful tool to maintain engagement with the growing audience. By August 2024, Serenity Ridge had built an email subscriber base of 1,077 individuals.
- Key Elements
- High Engagement Rates: Serenity Ridge’s email campaigns achieved impressive open rates of 50-70%, effectively engaging subscribers and encouraging further interaction with the brand.
- Tailored Content: Emails provided valuable insights into natural burials and updates on Serenity Ridge’s offerings, addressing the specific interests and needs of subscribers.
- Key Elements
Measuring Success
The comprehensive multichannel marketing campaign delivered outstanding results for Serenity Ridge. By leveraging a diverse mix of tools, Serenity Ridge achieved significant growth in brand awareness, customer engagement, and conversions.
- Key Results:
- Over 200 Burials by the End of 2023: The campaign’s success was evident in the number of burials Serenity Ridge facilitated, highlighting the effectiveness of the multichannel approach in driving tangible business outcomes.
- Consistent Growth in Engagement: Across all channels, Serenity Ridge experienced sustained and organic growth, reinforcing the brand’s position in the market.
- Enhanced Community Recognition: The combined impact of digital and traditional marketing efforts ensured that Serenity Ridge became a well-recognized and trusted brand within the Maryland community.
Conclusion
We’ve demonstrated the transformative power of a well-executed multichannel marketing strategy. By integrating various channels—social media, print, direct mail, billboards, on-page SEO, and email marketing—Serenity Ridge successfully overcame initial challenges and achieved remarkable growth in under one year. Achieving success with cross-channel marketing is a testament to the effectiveness of a cohesive and impactful brand experience. Businesses seeking similar outcomes can draw valuable lessons from Serenity Ridge’s journey, applying these insights to enhance their marketing efforts and achieve long-term success.
