Whether you're a brick and mortar store or exclusively online, content marketing matters to your business.

When used to its fullest potential, content marketing is how you get more new customers for your garden business.

Every Wednesday in the month of February, Garden Media will be dishing on how to navigate the world of content marketing while increasing your bottom line, too.

Whether you're familiar with content marketing or you've never heard the term before, read on to learn all about Garden Media's insider secrets to master the art of content marketing.

As we all know, the way we get our information has changed drastically over the last decade.

The world of print newspapers and magazines has struggled while the ever-changing digital world has dominated.

In short, the newspaper is out, and the Twitter feed is in. According to Garden Media's 2014 Trends Report, the internet is becoming our new friend and trusted neighbor for gardening advice.

Read on to discover more about how and where gardeners are getting their gardening advice in 2014-- and how your garden business can take hold of this trend.

The short, snappy title you type off right before you post your blog, tweet, or story is the reason for your downfall.

Even though headlines seem like the last step in publishing, they're the most important by far.

If you have a ho-hum headline, no one will click on it to discover the golden editorial waiting for them.

Instead, you need to really focus on crafting headlines that inspire and intrigue your audience enough to click through!

Below are the top 4 ways to write headlines that your readers can't help but click!

Automated, generalized messages don't have the impact they used to.

People change channels when commercials appear, no one answers a call from a telemarketer, and automated emails don't get opened.

The old way of marketing is out, and personalized, compelling content in context is in, in a big way. 

Over the next year, this marketing trend is going to continue to grow.

Here are the top 4 content marketing trends that will emerge and thrive in 2014.

Content marketing is the future of the industry.

Instead of telling you what to do and what to know, content marketing inspires you to listen by providing your target audience with information they're craving in an arary of formats.

Content marketing connects instead of isolating. Typical advertising and marketing can actually have an adverse effect on your target audience. By bombarding them with irrelevant information, you isolate them from your brand while content marketing connects by answering key questions on their own time.

Below discover why content marketing, also known as inbound marketing, is the future of the industry as we know it. 

In the gardening world, the print catalog has always been a standby.

But, they're expensive and often sent to a broad list of people, who frankly throw it in the trash. 

Instead for your garden brand to gain true, meaningful traction, you need to provide interesting content to the people who crave it.

Enter the new digital, social catalog of 2013--and beyond. Read on to discover how you can create your own innovative, green catalog.

This week, I'm at Hubspot's Inbound Marketing Conference in Boston and am loving every second of it! Don't worry, I'll share more knowledge and content marketing wisdom when I return.

But, I could not wait to share Seth Godin's insights on how "we are all inbound now." As you probably guessed, seeing and hearing "America's Greatest Marketer" was absolutely amazing!

So amazing in fact that I could not wait to run back and blog about it--in typical content marketing fashion!

Read on to discover Seth Godin's tips and tricks for navigating the world of marketing that he shared at Inbound 2013!

Content marketing, brand journalism, inbound marketing, blogging. Call it what you will, but the concept is all the same. Creating content by your garden business about relevant topics for your target audience.

No longer are you reliant on traditional media sources to tell your garden brand's story. With content marketing, the power is in your hands.

Creating your own content is one of the best ways to connect with your audience, increase engagement, and improve SEO.

When investing your time in your content marketing plan, make sure you're doing it as best as you can. Creating killer content takes time, so be smart about your execution and promotion.

Read on to discover 5 ways to improve your content marketing in less than 10 minutes.

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.

Are you an app addict? Always downloading new apps on your smartphone?

Well then it may come as a surprise to you that people use their smartphones most for emails, not apps, not internet, not actual phone calls, but E-MAIL.

A study found 79% of smartphone users use their phone to check email. And, after checking their personal email, emails from brands - or even better emails from your garden business are their second priority in terms of importance.

And a whopping 70% said direct emails from businesses influence their buying behavior -- a great ROI! That's why mobile email marketing is definitely a worthwhile investment.

With these stats in mind, your garden business needs to take a second look at your email marketing and use these simple but powerful tips for an email makeover.