GROW! Marketing and Public Relations Tips

For years, garden businesses measured their social media presence by how many “likes” they acquired. Particularly on the platform that first introduced “likes” — Facebook.

Facebook has undergone numerous changes over the past decade. Just a few years ago, you needed to have more page likes to have your content served to people — it wasn’t even an option for people to comment on a brand’s post unless they liked the page. As Facebook grew, a larger number of page likes meant that more people would see your content and possibly engage with it.

Social media marketing continues to evolve as newer platforms like Instagram and Snapchat bring new features. Metrics that were once relevant, have lost their luster in light of news feed changes and competition for finite amounts of news feed space.

Having social influence online and in-person is still necessary for brands to thrive. Users look to one another to validate brands and what they have to offer, however there are more relevant ways to measure your garden brand’s impact on social media than page likes and followers.

Read more to learn why...

Those familiar with HBO know that there are no commercials during their shows.

It’s also less than likely a modern product will show up in an episode, especially in Game of Thrones. But this past Sunday, somebody left a coffee cup in a major scene. And it did NOT go unnoticed.

If this was a normal product placement deal, Starbucks would pay for the ad and then pay more to promote the ad.

But since HBO does not pay for product placement or ads during their show, this is now considered earned media. Lucky for them.

Read more to learn what the value of this accidental mention is to Starbucks in terms of PR.

Kelli Rodda's in-depth article in Garden Center magazine about marketing to under -served audiences, Hispanics and particularly Hispanic females, was much needed information for the garden industry.

While it's no secret that the face of the garden industry is largely white and male, the consumer and so often the workers look very different.

In fact, the United States looks different. Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority group in the US. According to Simmons Research, 17.4 percent of Americans 6+ identified as Hispanic or Latino. 

And with a buying power totaling $1.4 trillion, the Hispanic consumer carries significant economic clout.

Read more about how to make your garden marketing more multicultural.

The world today is one of instant gratification. We want results, and we want them quickly.

The web gives us access to more information than our predecessors could have ever predicted, and because we can get results quickly, we make decisions quickly too. And that makes public relations measurement more important than ever.

The ROI of money invested in gardening public relations should be easy to see, but many question it. Analytics can be an important component of the work we do as PR professionals.

Read more to learn how to leverage analytics tools to serve our needs power of Google Analytics and how it can serve PR professionals.

Our office has been hit by the KonMari Method, the tiding-up craze inspired by Marie Kondo.

Kondo is the successful author of the New York Times’ bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and star of her own Netflix series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” She applies the act of mindfulness to possessions in your home, and teaches how to keep your space tidy with only things that ‘spark joy’.

Suzi attended a workshop on the KonMari method and was inspired not only to practice this in her home, but at the office as well. And the method doesn’t just apply to stuff, Marie says you can cleanse your life of bad relationships, as well.

What would Marie Kondo say if she looked under the hood of your business? What sparks joy for you? What is the clutter? What isn’t working that you keep doing over again? And what are the important things you’re just not getting to?

Today we are exploring how to KonMari your job, team, office, clients and media.

Read more to learn how to get rid of the things that aren’t serving you, and free up more time for the important things.

We work year-round to source trends for our Garden Trend Reports. And this year, we couldn't wait a day past April 1 to share some of the biggest trends we’re predicting for 2020.

Grow a Garden on Your... Face

First it was garden crowns, and then it was garden beards, but the newest trend in flowers in your... garden brows. The trend features whimsical garden-themed accents fit for a fairy, including tiny flowers and butterfly stickers intricately placed on and around the brows, as well as a lush-green base that imparts a grassy effect. 

GreenBiz just released their 12th State of Green Business report, which takes a hard look at where corporate sustainability practices stand worldwide, as well as outlining a number of trends to watch for in 2019.

Thank you to Jen White for bringing this report to our attention!Her newsletter, GreenTalks, is one of my must-reads. 

In 2017, 85% of S&P 500 companies published a sustainability report, up 20% from 2013. This is good news and much like our 2019 Garden Trends Report, this State of the Green Business report looks positive. 

Read more to see what the top 10 top trends in green business are.

If you run or manage a garden business, you want to be continuously thinking of new ideas and staying competitive. So, we believe it is imperative to stay on top of trends most relevant to you.

It’s ideal to find trends in their beginning stages before they reach the mainstream news and the general public. As soon as the mainstream public starts calling something a trend, it may be too late.

The key to effectively jumping on trend is preparation. You might not know exactly what is going to happen, but you need to have the tools in place so that you can recognize opportunity when it arises. 

The perfect, enduring example of this is Oreo’s dunk in the dark moment.

When you capitalize early on emerging trends, you put yourself at the front of the line to receive the monetary benefits from the burgeoning market that a new trend could bring. 

Read more to learn how to be prepared to capitalize on trends.

While Facebook still reigns queen for gardeners, Instagram is quickly overtaking the demographic. But many users - and brands - have found it difficult to build an audience on the platform.

Why is that? Well, for one, people are more selective with whom they follow on Instagram. It seems to be more personal of a platform. And two, the algorithm keeps your followers from seeing your posts. Yet, Facebook tell us 66% of the audience says Instagram is a place that enables interaction with brands. 

So how do you do it? Well, Instagram's parent company, Facebook, has just published a new report on Instagram titled: How to Connect with New Audiences on Instagram. Pretty smart, eh? So, we read it. 

Read more to learn how to win over Instagram audiences and build an engaged following.

In a recent interview for Oregon Association of Nurseries magazine I was asked about influence. Who has it, why is it important and how do you get it. The interview got me thinking about the future of social media influencers.

And then I read a New York Times story about the rise of the nano-influencer and Ellen Wells' Buzz in which she pointed out a great article about the future of social media marketing.

"Influencers will need to prove more value as brands question inflated vanity metrics driven by bots and sophisticated click networks." - Susan Beebe thought leader with a background in technology, project management, and corporate communications.

It seems I'm not the only one questioning the model.

Here at Garden Media we love working with influencers. Our clients have partnered on a tremendous amount of video and blog content, co-hosted and sponsored events and worked with influencers to simply grow brand awareness.

While not abandoning our favorite influencers, we also have to look to the future. Where are we going and what are the best ways to acquire new customers?

Read on for alternatives to influencer marketing that will help grow your brand in 2019.