Why Social Media?

Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30 years old

96% of them have joined a social network.

These are your future customers!

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Zanesville, Ohio - Ryan Thogmartin, founder of Connecting Directors (www.connectingdirectors.com) is excited to be bringing full-blown social networking to the funeral industry, with the launch of CDSocial (www.cdsocial.com). “We’ve literally made history here; ours is the first industry-specific social networking site on the Internet,” and Ryan added, “it’s just one more example of my personal commitment to keep Connecting Directors on the leading edge of funeral service. There’s nothing like it out there, I guarantee it.”

Members can create informative profile pages, and easily upload photos or videos. “It really works just like Facebook,” shared Ryan, “you’ll be able to ‘friend’ others, and truly stay ‘connected’ with your peers and leaders in the industry. Honestly, it’s what I’ve been working toward since the very beginning.”

“Web sites evolve,” declared Ryan, “and we’re no exception. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized there needed to be some separation between the social media side of things, and the industry news side. With CDSocial, our companion site, Connecting Directors is living up to my original vision: an interactive space where funeral service professionals can stay both informed and connected.”

But, Ryan was clear that it’s more than that. “Our social networking site reflects my desire to educate members on using social media in promoting their businesses. Now they can come somewhere familiar to get used to this relatively-new platform. Members can learn how to do all the things they want to do in the wider world with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and they can learn as they go – without pressure.”

It’s pretty obvious to many funeral home owners that social media offers a new way to promote their businesses. In a very recent MLive.com (www.mlive.com) article, Saginaw area funeral homes use Facebook, Twitter to connect with community, journalist Lindsay Knake wrote of the social media success of Wakeman Funeral Home.

“He knows that social media is having a big impact for his firm,” shared Ryan. And this is something every funeral home or cremation provider can do. I want Connecting Directors to be a place for funeral home owners and operators to learn the power of social media – first hand.”

If you’re one of those skeptics about the potential of social media, Ryan posted a copy of the MLive.com article on Connecting Directors (www.connectingdirectors.com) for your review. “I want members to learn by example – I know I can talk for hours, but when they read of another firm’s social media success, most funeral directors are persuaded to try it.

“Log-in to your account to read the full article,” requested Ryan. “If you’re not a member, join. It’s free, and takes just a couple of minutes,” assured Ryan. “Then, come join CDSocial. You’ll get access to all our social networking features; to connect with others who are using social media, as well as those interested in learning how to harness the worldwide social media giants to promote their businesses.”

“I want you to know, if you’re interested in Social Media Coaching, we’ve put together a great program just for funeral service professionals,” shared Ryan. “You can learn more about it, and sign up for one-on-one coaching, on the CDSocial site.”

If you’re looking to really get connected with others in funeral service, be sure to come join us at CDSocial. Just like Connecting Directors, it’s free. And it’s the place to be.

About Connecting Directors

Connecting Directors is the premier progressive online publication for funeral professionals. Launched in October 2007, Connecting Directors is now a thriving global membership base of the most elite and forward-thinking professionals in the industry.

It’s official – social media is now the #1 activity on the Internet. In fact, popularity of social media sites is growing so fast, it’s almost impossible to have accurate statistics to share. But you’ve got to admit the available numbers are staggering: as of January, 2010, Facebook claims that at least 175 million users visit the site every day; Twitter has 75 million user accounts, and the average number of tweets per hour was around 1.3 million. In a May, 2010 study, it was found that YouTube boasts over 2 billion views a day, with an average visit lasting 15 minutes.

“What these numbers mean to funeral homes is simple,” shared Ryan Thogmartin, of Connecting Directors, “if you’re not using social media in your marketing, you’re simply out-of-step; you’re falling behind, and every day you get further behind.”

“In my opinion, an effective funeral home marketing plan must have a social media component,” declared Ryan. “After all, social media is free – and there’s something it can do that your yellow page ad can’t: foster and build strong relationships.”

But where do you begin?

That’s the question which prompted Connecting Directors to launch a Social Media Coaching program. “We want funeral home owners to embrace social media, and our team will help them do that,” shared Ryan. “They don’t have to worry about finding the time to learn what they need to know on their own. Our team will set up their accounts, and then help the funeral home to oversee and manage these accounts effectively. We can even help them to launch a blog if they want to; many funeral home websites have a blog to be an effective way to promote their expertise.”

“Social media marketing programs create content that attracts attention, generate online conversations, and encourage readers to share it with their social networks,” commented Ryan.

“And that’s where most funeral directors roll their eyes. They don’t have the time, energy – or often the desire – to create the content they need. That’s where we come in; we’ll help them establish a clear marketing message, generate related content if they need us to, and post that content consistently.”

But, they don’t necessary want to do it all for you. “My goal is to educate members on using social media in promoting their businesses. That’s why we’re focusing on coaching. To give them real, actionable information, tools, and strategies to fit with the way they work. To facilitate, support, encourage, ensure competency, and help them evaluate the outcomes of their social media marketing efforts – in an on-going process of education and skill development.”

It’s easy to see that it’s no longer a question of “if” you should be using social media; it’s now a question of “when.” The CD Social Media Coaching team will help you discover the “how” of social media – and then apply what you’ve learned –successfully.

If you’re interested, call Ryan Thogmartin directly, at 740-617-0599, or send him an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it