7 out of 10 customers in the garden industry trust online reviews just as much as word of mouth recommendations.

Online reviews now need to be part of a comprehensive marketing plan.

One way to garner online reviews is by creating sampling programs and sending them to key influencers in different mediums.  

Below, the correlation between online reviews and profitability will be examined, and garden businesses will get insider tips to make their next online review stellar.

Public Relations, you know your garden business needs it, but you're not 100% sure why.

Yes, stories will inevitably result from public relations. And, if your business is ever in a crunch, they're there to help you work through a crisis. But, what about the other 95% of the time?

In a nutshell, a public relations firm spends their time building your brand to make your customers fall in love with your company and become loyal consumers who ask for your product by name.

Each Wednesday in August the GROW! Blog will be delving into all your garden business needs to know before hiring a PR firm.

To see if your business is truly ready for a public relations firm, first see what the function of a PR firm is in your business plan--and learn a bit more about the services offered, which go far beyond securing stories.

Real time marketing is springing up all over the world.

Two weeks ago, it was the heat wave that dominated social media. This week, the royal baby was all anyone was talking about.

Brands across the globe tried to capitalize on the birth of Will and Kate's baby by posting on social media. Some worked, and others were a tragic flop.

Below, we've taken the best and worst real-time marketing stunts. We'll detail what real time marketing is while also focusing on the do's and don'ts of real time marketing using images and posts from brands on the #royalbaby.

While Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and the like all fall under the umbrella of social media, using each platform requires an individualized set of tricks and tips.

A new study recently found the most effective tips and guidelines for posting on different social media outlets.

Implementing these tips will allow your garden business to see a higher number of likes, retweets, views, and most importantly, engagement.

For these secrets to have a larger impact, your social media manager has to closely analyze your analytics. Facebook's new insights will help break down who your audience is and what type of posts have been most effective.

Below, we're dishing on universal tips for creating alluring, yet highly effective posts on all the social media platforms.

Garden Media Group has launched a multitude of products over the years.

To help streamline the process, we created a 3 year plan that ensures success. 

During Year 3 of a product launch, your garden business finally gets to run full speed ahead.

Year 3 allows you to hone in on mass media, and reap the benefits of success. 

When launching a product in the garden industry, year three has a dichotomy unlike any other: you're reaping mass media success for your current product, but you have to begin to switch the spotlight to a new, exciting product as well to maintain momentum.

When fine-tuning a garden business, you've got to make sure all the pieces are in place: sales, product development, customer service, marketing and public relations.

Public relations is a process that many businesses know they need, but they don't fully understand what it is.

PR isn't just about securing media placements--especially in the heyday of content marketing. And, for the public relations process to truly work, the business partner has to understand it fully.

If your garden business is thinking about signing on with a public relations firm, see if you're really ready for the full public relations experience with these five checkpoints.

92% of garden consumers trust friends, family and word- of-mouth above all forms of advertising.

That's right. Public relations trumps advertising yet again!

One of the best ways to reach and influence consumers of ALL ages is social media. Look at the stats to your right if you're not convinced.

Plus, a new study proved what we in the marketing industry have known for a long time: positive interactions on social media (especially two-way conversations) ignite the buzz for your garden business.

Specifically, 90% of customers would recommend a brand after interacting with them on social media.

As far as social media ROI goes, four out of five consumers are more inclined to buy a brand more after being exposed to their social media.

To have the most impact when connecting with consumers and influencers alike, your garden business has to know who they are first!

Below we have a profile on the three most prevalent social media personalities--and the best ways to make a meaningful connection.

Launching a product is about far more than simply getting your garden product on to the shelves.

The process is, instead, about building buzz when it comes to your new product.

During year one, focus on trade and key influencers.

Now that the ball is rolling, keep capitalizing! This time though align your attention to more consumer media, a digital presence, and become a leader in trade shows this year.

Below are Garden Media's insider tips on how to succeed during Year Two of a product launch. Implement these tips from Rescue©'s Stink Bug Trap launch, and you'll have individuals asking for your product by name in a snap!

Buy local, live local, web local?

Yes, the local movement lives on, but this time it's translating to the digital world!

New York City just got its very own domain name. Say au revoir to the .com!

NYC is embracing the new domain name: .nyc.

The catch? You have to be a New York resident through and through. By the year's end, people, businesses, and organizations who can prove their New York roots can obtain the soon-to-be coveted .nyc.

Top-shelf domain names, like .nyc, will begin making the .com archaic. Learn why .com is dead, and personalized domain names will soon be the new standard.

Facebook debuted Graph Search after a long holiday weekend to millions of U.S. users.

By now, you've probably heard of Graph Search since Facebook started a soft launch of the new product in January.

Facebook's Graph Search is going to allow users to search through old posts, mentions, and photographs. Basically, Graph Search is like a Bing search on Facebook--and they've even partnered with Bing to allow Web results to emerge.

Here are the ways your garden business needs to modify your Facebook page to optimize for the new Graph Search.