Instagram is a powerful marketing tool that helps connect brands directly with fans though the use of images. And particularly in the garden industry, Instagram is a powerful tool for sharing beauty. 

Topics: Public relations, Instagram, social media, key influencers, Social

Five years ago, Instagram was simply an app allowing users to share pictures of pets, selfies and food.

Now, people call it the best social network for brands.

If you are not promoting your business on Instagram, you are missing a golden opportunity to connect with thousands of followers, influencers and industry leaders.

The key to any successful Instagram campaign is balance, as over promotion could deter your marketing goals. Overselling your products or posting unfriendly images can leave you with little to no followers or hinder your chances of connecting with your potential buyers.

Continue reading for tips on how to promote your brand on Instagram.

Topics: Public relations, Instagram, social media, marketing, Social

2015 was a year to remember – in photos.  

Like most brands, Garden Media flocks to Instagram to tell our story and share the behind-the-scenes moments that take place in our office.

We are creative, visual people after all!

Instagram has more than 400 million monthly active users. According to Hootsuite.com, the mobile-first platform “will bring in $595 million in mobile ad revenues worldwide this year, and $2.81 billion by 2017.”

As the year winds town, we take a look back at our favorite insta-moments from 2015.

Continue reading to see Garden Media’s top Instagrams for 2015.

Topics: Digital Branding, Instagram, social media, Garden Media, Social

Everyone knows Instagram is one of the most important, useful and successful social media platforms of our time. With over 300 million active monthly users, more than 90 percent of which are under the age of 35, Instagram is especially useful in reaching millennials. And they aren’t just using it for selfies.

Through the use of hashtags on both Twitter and Instagram, social media activism is becoming a rising trend. Millennials love to be aligned with a cause and they are using hashtags to raise awareness about those causes. Businesses and celebrities are taking note and following their examples.

Continue reading for more information about why businesses should support a cause and show they care.

Topics: Public relations, branding, Digital Branding, Instagram, social media, Garden Media, Social

Instagram, an app that allows users to edit and share photos, wants to become the go-to source for information and trends.

Instagram recently updated several search features, allowing the app to become increasingly more user friendly.

The search icon now offers an expansive menu of dynamic content and trending tags. One of Instagram’s newest functions allows users to explore live updates happening around the world.

Instagram CEO, Kevin Systrom, told Wired magazine “It’s a real-time visual pulse for what is happening in the world.”

Read on for more information on how garden brands can utilize the new Instagram updates.

Topics: Digital Branding, garden business, Instagram, social media, hashtag

It's no longer good enough to publish ordinary content on the online universe - that content needs to be compelling to your audience. Compelling enough that they want to share it. 

A new study released by ShareThis explains how content is shared, what kind of content is shared and what platforms are being used to share it.

If you're not getting as many shares as you'd like on Facebook, maybe that content would be put to better use on Twitter or vice versa. Lets find out.

Read on to learn what your garden brand should be sharing and where.

Topics: Twitter, Trending Thursday, trends, Instagram, Garden Media Group, social media, facebook

This week, Garden Media joins BlogHer’s 10th anniversary #Selfiebration in San Jose, Ca. That's right, a selfiebration.

The selfie trend has continued to rise over the past year and both big and small brands are adding it to their marketing arsenals.

BlogHer makes the trend its own by utilizing selfies to acknowledge the growth of the internet and bloggers over the past 10 years and to generate internet excitement.

Check out these tips to learn how selfies can help bring exposure to your garden brand.

Topics: trade show public relations, branding, Trending Thursday, image building, Instagram, internet media, social media

Social media has become a huge part of how companies interact and engage with their customers.

Even in the gardening industry, countless businesses have found social media works when they are looking for new customers, nurturing current customers, and when they need to drive traffic and sales on their garden website.

Twitter and Instagram are both popular social platforms. Both are great ways to promote a company, product or brand, when used correctly of course.

Below are 4 best practice tips to ensure your garden business's accounts are valuable to both your shoppers and your bottom line!

Topics: lawn and garden public relations, Twitter, PR Strategy, Instagram, garden industry public relations, social media

Instagram recently rolled out a video feature.  Now Vine isn't the only platform you can take quick snappy videos.

As social media and amateur video making continue to evolve, your garden business needs to be aware of the changes and know how to embrace them!

There's a head-on battle brewing between the new Instagram Video and the already beloved Vine.

Let's take a look at both platforms, and see who wins when it comes to garden marketing in this heated feud for social video!

Topics: Instagram, internet media, social media, Vine

Your business can’t juggle every social media outlet. If you try, you’ll end up pulling all of your hair out—and see very little pay off.

To truly master the art and daily practice of social media, your garden business has to be mindful about tracking your success. Using social media tools and tracking devices, you can easily learn what social media platforms are the most successful while also discovering what posts are most popular.

Below, we’ve outlined three powerful tools to track and analyze your social media success that are simple, secure, and versatile.

Topics: Pinterest, creating content, Twitter, Digital Branding, Instagram, social media, facebook