Cultivate, AmericanHort’s yearly conference, promises to offer industry insiders a sneak peek into what’s trending in horticulture for 2015 and beyond.

Garden Media plans to add to that buzz when President Susan McCoy previews the firm’s 2016 Garden Trends Report at Cultivate ’15.

“Syncing with Nature” identifies seven new garden trends that will shake up the industry in the coming year.

The 2016 report concludes that consumers are “rewilding” themselves and gaining a newfound appreciation for both the earth’s precious resources and nature centers found in their own backyards.

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.

I recently sat down with Brooke Bates from Garden Center Magazine to talk about my social media presentation at Cultivate '15 in Columbus, Ohio next week.

Below is a snippet of our conversation. Read the full post here. And, come see the presentation in full on Monday, July 14 at 4:00 P.M. in Ballroom One.  

Q: What can attendees expect from your session at Cultivate?

A: I hope people learn new tips and tactics for the platforms they already have, to drive people back to their website, which in turn drives people into their store or toward their product. I like to use examples that are industry-specific, not just how anyone can do social media.

What began as a virtual scrapbook experience has evolved into a one stop shop for all tech-savvy shoppers.

Pinterest is sweeping out the middle man and letting users browse and purchase items straight from its mobile site with the new “Buyable Pins” option, rolling out to users as we speak.

With this upgrade, Pinterest has the ability to launch into the number one spot for e-commerce. As of now, they are right behind Facebook in terms of online sales generated from social media.

According to Shopify, Pinterest brings in an average sale of $50, which is higher than any other social media platform.

93 percent of users plan out their purchases by using Pinterest, and orders on Pinterest from mobile devices have increased by 140 percent in the past two years.

Continue reading to find out how Pinterest’s Buy It Now button can help Garden businesses boom.

It’s no secret that Pinterest is conquering the business world. Today, brands use this virtual inspiration board as a search engine, sales tool and influencer watch list. 

It may seem silly to think a business could make mistakes on Pinterest, but brands that avoid simple mistakes will see an increase in followers and meet their goals. There are three key factors that can improve a published pin.

Continue reading for more information on how garden businesses can improve their Pinterest Page.

Gardening takes work. But once you've started, and have success, the reward far outweighs the hours of hard work you've put in planting, weeding and watering. Then, you're hooked.

PR is like that, too. Hard work for a big reward.

Here are a few things we’ve learned from our time in the garden that have translated into our PR activities. 

Continue reading to find out why PR is like gardening.

Have you heard about tumblr?

While it may seem like a new form of social media for many businesses, the website has been sharing photos since 2007.

This platform has been on the rise recently with consumers, and businesses are starting to use it to their advantage. 

Continue reading to learn more about this up and coming social media platform.

Maintaining the title “Queen of Local News” is no small feat, but Betsy Price makes it look easy.

As the features editor for The Wilmington News Journal, Betsy writes, edits and manages a handful of the paper’s sections. Her passion is to provide her readers with interesting and important local content.  

She cut her teeth in Alabama, spending her undergraduate years at Auburn University, and then moved onto the Birmingham News as both staff writer and eventually editor. She moved to Delaware in 2005.

Betsy visited Garden Media for the firm’s monthly Lunch with a Pro series to discuss the industry landscape.

Read on to continue learning about Betsy and her visit with Garden Media.  

As the number of public relations professionals continue to rise across the country, landing a PR internship is crucial to be competitive in this growing industry.

An internship in your field (or a few) is crucial when looking for a job post-graduation. Now is the time. 

It’s important for those searching for internships in the public relations industry to have an open mind. While the process can be slow, candidates can learn a lot about themselves along the way.

Continue reading for more information about how to find and land a PR internship.

Father’s Day is Sunday! It’s time to start shopping for the men in your life.

Now more than ever, garden brands and local independent garden centers should capitalize on this holiday because men, especially young men, are the new consumers in the gardening and home industry for 2015.

Here is a list of ways you can spruce up your home and garden center to attract dads, or those shopping for him.  

Continue reading for more information on how garden brands can capitalize on Father’s Day.