Today, with over 1 billion websites on the internet and a new one added approximately every three seconds, breaking through the noise and securing a spot the highly coveted first page of Google search results is the ultimate goal for brands. But here’s the empowering part: you have the tools get there. 

Let's explore the process.

Meltwater, an online media monitoring company, recently launched a report that shared current trends in social media for 2023. 

The report offered findings from over 1,700 marketing and communications professionals globally. The short: paid and organic social media are expected to increase in 2023. Garden businesses must stay at the top of their game and adapt while also increasing their skillset. 

In the report, social media platforms were ranked by usage and popularity. Facebook is still holding the top ranking, followed by LinkedIn and Instagram. YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok remain relevant while being slightly less popular than the top three. Short-form video is hot right now on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Read on to learn more about how social media has maintained and even gained importance during the current economic development. 

You may have seen the recent posts on Instagram or YouTube from Homestead Brooklyn, but in case you haven't, we wanted to share an initiative she is sprouting called "Plant One Forward".

As we roll into our 33 year in business, we've worked with hundreds of garden brands and horticulture companies to improve marketing and growth plans. 

You know what we've noticed, many of you face similar issues. When it comes down to it, when you make three important shifts it impacts your brand beyond belief.

Read more to learn how to change your perspective in these three areas and magnify your brand's growth this year and beyond.

While Facebook still reigns queen for gardeners, Instagram is quickly overtaking the demographic. But many users - and brands - have found it difficult to build an audience on the platform.

Why is that? Well, for one, people are more selective with whom they follow on Instagram. It seems to be more personal of a platform. And two, the algorithm keeps your followers from seeing your posts. Yet, Facebook tell us 66% of the audience says Instagram is a place that enables interaction with brands. 

So how do you do it? Well, Instagram's parent company, Facebook, has just published a new report on Instagram titled: How to Connect with New Audiences on Instagram. Pretty smart, eh? So, we read it. 

Read more to learn how to win over Instagram audiences and build an engaged following.

“Brand prosperity is a lot like the root system of a tree; if you think about the root system of a tree, it is hidden beneath the earth, but it is fundamental to whether or not that tree flourishes and whether or not it bears fruit … if any of the roots are weak or not functioning well, the ability of the tree to flourish is compromised.”

—Michael Movitz, The Movitz Group

The success of a brand, according to Michael Movitz, relies on an interconnected set of factors he calls the 7 P's: Purpose, product, people, pathway, pricing, and promotion of the brand.

Read more to learn how to manage these factors and achieve brand success.

More and more, clients are asking us to increase our PR efforts digitally. The goal is to increase online visibility and enhance the brand, a tactic we've been doing since the beginning. 

The right digital placements will increase domain authority, build the brand and increase SEO. 

Since we are constantly asked how to measure PR, we decided to share how we've honed our measurement of these online sources, too. 

Fortunately, digital PR measures more precisely. When it comes to comparing digital PR and offline, there are 6 areas where digital takes the lead: domain authority, page views, traffic, back link sources, brand awareness and social engagement. 

Read on for 6 ways to measure digital PR efforts.

TrendKite just released a fantastic article with tips to secure your PR budget for the new year.

While Garden Media Group handles this on a different end, we know some of our readers need to fight for every dollar in their company's marketing budget so we wanted to share tips on being the most effective you can be.

Companies often take the money that is budgeted for PR and put it into a different area of marketing. It is up to PR professionals to fight for their budget - and hopefully an increase.

Continue reading for tips on how to secure your PR budget for next year.

Everyone gets old, if we're lucky. But getting old doesn’t mean you stop caring about your well-being, looks and insecurities, so why do businesses assume as much?

In a recent Atlantic article, “Why Businesses Misunderstand Old People,” Joseph Coughlin touches on this intriguing thought.

According to the article, 80 percent of Americans who could benefit from hearing aids aren't seeking them out. 

Is it poor marketing channels? Maybe. But according to Coughlin, traditional hearing aids make people feel old, and no one wants that. 

As influencers in the garden industry, we need to take this into account.The scale of the gardener demographics is largely tilted to an older audience, and if you are missing the mark on what they want, your message will fall flat.

Continue reading to see what businesses are doing to accommodate the older generation.

What do an abacus, a calculator and an iPhone have in common? They all represent a decline in learning everyday practices.

Less real world learning opportunities are offered in school today while more Googling anything continues to rise. The latest internet meme revolves around knowing what mitochondria are, but not how to file taxes – or even how to care for houseplants.

Generations Y and Z are all about YouTube and will look up just about anything from how to boil an egg, change a flat tire or French braid hair. In fact, no feat is too small for YouTube. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that America’s Retailers Have a New Target Customer: The 26-Year-Old Millennial. This age bracket, bigger than any other, is pushing companies to revamp marketing and products, including a lot of remedial education.

Being able to follow step-by-step instruction offers more to its user than assuming they know what to do with the product. Companies that offer how-to content are quickly climbing the ladder to the most influential brands.

REI’s loyal customer base is the leading example; they have over 500 in-depth articles and videos. In addition, they also have a LIVE chat feature and Q&A on their website.

Continue Reading to see how your brand can utilize How-To content.