By John Heald, Chief Growth Officer, Legacy.com
When I talk to funeral directors across the country, one thing is clear: the profession is evolving faster than ever. Families are changing, marketing has gone digital, and competition is coming from every direction — from corporate consolidators to brand-new cremation startups. The question I hear most often?
“How do I keep up — and how do I grow?”
At Legacy, we’ve spent the last two decades focused on helping funeral homes answer exactly that. And one of the most powerful tools we’ve built to help answer that question is MarketIQ, a key feature of our Legacy Pro platform.
Obituaries Are More Than Tributes — They’re Market Signals
Every obituary published is more than just a meaningful tribute — it’s also a signal. It represents a family’s decision on who they trusted with their loved one’s care. And if you step back far enough, those individual decisions create a picture of your market:
- Who’s growing?
- Who’s declining?
- What’s your real market share — and how is it trending?
That’s the insight MarketIQ delivers. Each month, we automatically track obituary counts from your competitors, showing how you stack up — not just overall, but down to the zip code. You get a clear picture of your market without lifting a finger.
It’s like having a competitive analyst on staff, except it’s all done for you.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Historically, funeral homes relied on word of mouth, location, and reputation to drive calls. But today, those traditional advantages aren’t enough on their own. You need data to guide your strategy — and that’s where MarketIQ comes in.
We’ve seen funeral homes use this tool to:
- Identify growth opportunities in specific neighborhoods.
- Track threats from new market entrants.
- Spot seasonal trends and adapt staffing accordingly.
- Set realistic business goals backed by market intelligence.
In some cases, the data even helps funeral homes justify their value to families — showing why they’re trusted more than any competitor in town.
Built for Funeral Professionals, Not Data Scientists
We know you’re busy. That’s why MarketIQ is designed to be effortless. Each month, we send a clean, easy-to-read report straight to your inbox. No logging in, no dashboards to navigate. Just useful insights you can act on.
And because it’s part of Legacy Pro, you also get a full suite of marketing tools — including backlinks that boost your SEO, referral traffic from the millions of visitors to Legacy.com, and a branded directory page you control.
Growth Starts with Clarity
Legacy Pro with MarketIQ gives you the clearest window into your market — and the power to make smarter decisions.
Because when you know what’s really happening around you, you don’t just react. You lead.
If you haven’t taken a look at your market through MarketIQ yet, now’s the time. We’re proud to offer Legacy Pro as the next generation of tools for funeral homes — built to help you compete, grow, and stay one step ahead.
Want to see how Legacy Pro can help you grow smarter and reach more families?
We’d love to partner with you. To learn more, visit www.legacy.com/legacypro/marketiq or reach out to our team directly at legacypro@legacy.com.
Let’s build a stronger future for your funeral home — together.
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