Generation Z, born between 1997-present, are not the new Millennial. People often believe this cohort closely resembles Gen Y, however, this is merely a misconception.

These dynamic young consumers control $44 billion in spending power and are already cultural disruptors in their own right.

To engage Gen Zs, marketers need to address the characteristics, priorities, and ideals that are driving their decision-making, and will continue to throughout their lives.

Brands must update their practices to better accommodate Zs’ distinct generational traits, habits, and lifestyles in order to be market leaders today—and remain relevant tomorrow.

Keep reading to learn more about this powerful generation and how to reach them.

I recently read a fantastic article from Hubspot about crafting the Perfect Blog Post.

While we follow a number of these suggestions, being reminded of each step from start to finish is so helpful. So bookmark this page and get writing.

1. Start with the Perfect Headline

A headline grabs the reader's attention and compels them to click. People have short attention spans -- 8 seconds -- and the headline is one of the first elements that help readers decide if they want to click. In fact, 60% of readers don't read past the headline, which presents a big opportunity.

Here's how to write a great headline:

Garden Media has been awarded a 2017 Media Awards Silver Medal from GWA: The Association of Garden Communicators for the redesign of our website.

This special designation recognizes the top talent in more than 60 competition categories.

The new website is a direct reflection of the beautiful horticultural market we represent. It’s colorful, fun and easy to use.

Yes, Millennials are the largest generation to date and make up a huge share of the U.S. workforce.

But is the obsession over marketing to Millennial consumers warranted?

With shifting paradigms surrounding adulthood, Millennials are defining maturity differently. According to a recent survey by Nationwide Current Accounts, Millennials in the U.K. don't consider themselves ‘grown up’ until age 27. Over half feel like entrance to adulthood depends on particular milestones rather than age. One in five believe they’re mature when they have children, when they move out of their parent’s home and when they start paying bills.

Continue reading to learn when Millennials will "grow up" and when garden brands need to start paying attention. 

Millennials are the buzz word of the decade. Everyone wants them, no one clearly knows how to get them. But we're not here to talk about Millennials. There's a new generation to obsess over.

Generation Z.

We’ve learned there are similarities and differences between Gen Z and Millennials, such as they both prioritize individuality and uniqueness, and are both resistant to traditional labels. But there are differences as well.

The 2015 Census Bureau data showed 51% of those under 15-years-old (Gen Z) are white, and children under five are 51% minority. This generation is not only more diverse than Millennials; Gen Z will mark the first time that the minority will become the majority.

Continue reading to dive deeper into this next generation and learn a few tricks to get them in the garden.

This is an excerpt taken from an article by Elizabeth Petersen on Millennials in the garden in the December issue of Digger Magazine. Katie enjoyed sharing trends and insights about Millennials with Elizabeth for this insightful piece. 

As Baby Boomers have retired and downsized, their long-standing financial support of the nursery industry has fallen off.

But a new generation of gardeners called Millennials is poised to pick up where Boomers left off — grabbing their shovels, growing their own food, decorating their spaces with plants and re-invigorating the nursery industry.

The holiday season is here – which means goal setting and planning for 2017, lots of holiday parties and, for many, giving back to others.

In fact, the holidays are the most popular time for companies to harness the spirit of giving. Nearly 34 percent of all charitable giving is done in the last three months of the year, 18 percent in December alone.

It's for this reason that #GivingTuesday was created, a global day dedicated to giving back. This year it fell on Nov. 29. Next year it falls on Nov. 28. 

Here at Garden Media, we celebrate the holiday spirit by giving back at our annual Christmas Wrap. This year we had the pleasure of working with Oxford Church of the Nazarene and the Lighthouse Youth Center, a para-church organization that gives back to youth ages 9-18.

We gather as a team to sing Christmas songs, eat cookies and wrap our gifts. It’s a time of year when thinking about others is easy, fun and makes us feel good.

But enough about us. Let's take a look at what some of our favorite companies do for others:

The increase of back-to-school sale emails and the smell of pumpkin spice lattes in the air indicates summer is winding down and Labor Day is here!

While this long weekend is usually celebrated near water, with family, and friends, it doesn’t mean your marketing efforts should be put on hold.

Read on to learn how to create opportunities that keep your garden business on top.

I gave this to talk an energetic and really smart group of PRSSA members at West Chester University. I had a great time and they asked a lot of great questions. It was an honor to share these tips with them in the hopes that they nail their next interview! I wanted to share my talk with you as well:

Sure, interviews can be stressful. You are subject to examination under a microscope, and you've got a small chunk of time to convince someone why hiring you would be a fantastic business decision.

With a little forethought, a bit of practice and the right attitude, you can walk away from that office expecting a good news phone call in the near future.

Continue reading to learn how to ace any interview.  

For today's Thanksgiving post, we want to take the time to express our gratitude. At Garden Media, our greatest strength is our hardworking, creative team. I am thankful for them. This year, we celebrated our 27th Thanksgiving as a company. And that makes me thankful for Suzi, her dedication to this company, our clients and the industry amazes me everyday. And finally, we’re thankful for you, our readers and friends, who find our content valuable, interesting and newsworthy. We couldn’t have done it without you.

In addition to homoring our team and YOU... we're combining two of the best things on the internet: food and infographics.

Remember, when crafting content for your blog, you have to think about topics that will not only educate and inspire your audience, but also encourage social sharing - all while maintaining your own, unique voice.

So while yes, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, spending time with family and remembering our roots, it's also about food. So, let's pay homage to what we're all truly excited for... 

The New York Times published 'The United States of Thanksgiving,' a list of recipes that represent the 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico! The dishes range from traditional cranberry sauce to creative twists on favorites such as Pennsylvania's glazed bacon. 

Keep reading to check out the map for your state and dish: