This post has drug on for days. We have a blockage in the garden.

Jetpacks put up a thought-provoking post regarding corporate blogging. The great social media experiment yields questions in my simple mind. Lately, I’ve been struggling with using this forum as a marketing vehicle for my urn business.

It’s likely I’ll use a blog to promote my next non-funeral related project, but I’m not completely sold on it for the urngarden site. Perhaps I’ve lost my focus. True, I’ve strayed off topic (”se*y-time Pakistan”) and personally find it difficult to focus on funeral related posts on a consistent basis. And the time, lordy! The time.

So now a whole industry springs up and frankly, who buys this stuff? Somebody is….sucka!

That would be me.

Example:

Mr. Lileks is a testament. I read this dude’s “blog” before the term was coined, it wasn’t a corporate blog, but in a way it was; resulting in book deals and now he blogs professionally at the Minneapolis Star.

I’ve totally bought into Post Secret. The art project that has produced three (or is it four?) books and a huge following.

So even when we have a block, and get all fussy about it, the good news is this social experiment has resulted in professional contacts being made, positive feedback from families we’ve served and buying trends based on posts, oh and people all over the world looking for information on souped up jazzy chairs. Is it a coincidence? Somehow it feels like part of the plan and we’ll see what develops.

We’ve joked about pay-for-post opps before, (Note to P&G, your Irish Spring product is being used for squirrel repellent as well). This pitch for writers from the Pay-for-Post site made me cringe:

We are not your average corporate office. Each month we celebrate birthdays with ceremonial cakeplows. We ring new initiates in with tequila shots. We play football together and hang out on the weekends. If you enjoy the corporate world, if you are easily offended or think it is wrong to wear flip flops to work, this probably isn’t the right place for you.

Sounds like dangerous work! What is a cakeplow? Tequila. Football. Co-workers on the weekend? Somebody’s gonna get hurt.

The struggle is marketing the product that NO ONE wants to buy. I understand why funeral directors are reluctant to “put it out there”.

So I ask:

Is it kind?

Is it true?

Is it necessary?

When your clothes have cobwebs on them, you might consider cleaning out the closet. And so it goes.

Cull it down to the minimum. If it requires a foundation undergarment to smooth the surface….lose it. I’ve been hanging on to the past and since I don’t dress for success anymore, I’m chucking the old office wardrobe.

Breakthrough:

I’ve found freedom in my new unflattering khaki slacks and slippers. Embrace the full figure. At least that struggle has subsided.

Let’s burn fat!

Speaking of “embracing”: shout out to Final Embrace for bringing a breath of fresh air to the funeral world with interesting correspondents. “Next generation” observations of the industry are fun to read. It’s about time.

Snap Judgment:
The marketing department earmarked this ad a while back for today’s review:

Powerful image. I should have cropped the verbiage. Because the words don’t matter.

Although, I’ve only studied the industry for the last few years, I don’t recall seeing a female “call to action” in the trade mags. This ad got my attention.

At the risk of embarrassing myself: Who is this lady looking all satisfied in her conservative blue bidnez suit? Should I know her?

Or is it subliminal:

Woman Strong. Vault strong.

For What It’s Worth:

Too many words.

Dial down the copy, you love that logo, so brand and develop the female heavy metal angle.

Rock on!