Harness the Power of Digital Marketing and Technology with Welton Hong

Leverage Technology to Grow Preneed at the 2025 CANA Symposium

WHEELING, IL— Your preneed program doesn’t just give you the opportunity to support your firm, it also gives you the opportunity to connect to your community. While it’s true that people often discover potential death care services through family connections or old-fashioned word of mouth, that’s changing rapidly as we progress farther into the technological advances of the 21st century. Managing and optimizing your preneed strategy is key to your continued success, but it isn’t always easy to handle without guidance from the experts. Join Welton Hong at the Cremation Association of North America’s 2025 Cremation Symposium in Las Vegas this February 26-28 to learn how to leverage the power of technology to drive your business’s preneed growth.

Detailed audience targeting, engaging lead magnets, personalized email marketing, cost-effective pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, and monitoring and measuring the results can be overwhelming for the average funeral home. That’s why Welton Hong will share a practical example of a nurturing sequence you can implement in your own CRM. He can show you how to reach the right people at the right time and foster valuable leads by Leveraging Technology to Grow Your Preneed Program, an education session sponsored by Ring Ring Marketing. 

A leading expert in helping funeral homes and cemeteries convert leads from online directly to the phone line, Welton Hong is the author of the book Making Your Phone Ring with Internet Marketing and Founder & CEO of Ring Ring Marketing. Join us and learn how to effectively target the 65+ demographic with tailored social media content and ads, and discover how email campaigns and remarketing tools can nurture leads into long-term clients.

“As the owner of a funeral home, you have a number of potential marketing outlets available to you, but in today’s digital age, one thing is irrefutable: If you’re not promoting yourself online, you’re losing critical exposure with every month that passes,” emphasizes Welton. “No longer are only the young or especially tech-savvy looking for product or service information on their phones or tablets. Now, everyone, from a preteen to a great-grandmother can do this quickly and easily.”

Welton is joined by these other experts in sessions designed to further your success:

• Kicking off the event is Greg Grabowski, Partner at Hospice Advisors, who explores how funeral professionals can work toward Bridging Hospice and Funeral Services: A Compassionate Continuum of Care, fostering a seamless transition for families as they navigate end-of-life. Each registrant will receive a free copy of his book Engaging the Heart of Hospice, co-authored with Lacy Robinson.
• Danielle Burmeister, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Homesteaders Life Company, reveals key insights into Preneed Motivators: Cremation Edition about why families decide to prearrange.
• A panel of experts share actionable insights for Cremation Preneed Success: Strategies, Insights, and Innovation in Sales and Marketing. Discover how to communicate the value of pre-planning with Tyler Anderson, VP, Business Development at Precoa; William Bonacorda, President of Trust 100; Rob Goff, Regional Director, PreNeed Northwest, for United Heritage Life Insurance; and, Joshua Rae, CEO of Golden Considerations.
• Aftercare industry leaders continue the discussion on enhancing your relationship with families while driving business growth in an Aftercare Panel: Supporting Families and Growing Your Business. Greg Grabowski of Hospice Advisors; Jon Lefrandt, Founder and CEO of Elevia; and, Matthew Van Drimmelen, Founder of Full-Circle Aftercare offer practical strategies for crafting a successful aftercare program.
• Lindsey Ballard, Owner of Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, leads an interactive session to showcase attendees’ most effective strategies in Preneed Spotlight: Lessons and Ideas from Real-Life Success Stories.
• Wendy Russell Wiener, Managing Member of WRW Legal, PLLC, and Bill Williams, former President/CEO of Funeral Services, Inc., wrap the event with The Great Debate: Trust vs Insurance with the tools you need to determine, or confirm, which is right for your business.

Harness the power of digital marketing and technology with Welton Hong! Register for CANA’s 2025 Cremation Symposium February 26-28, 2025, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Visit cremationassociation.org/success. 

About CANA

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.