We talk a LOT about choosing the right PR firm for your business on. this. blog. But recently I read an article about the difference between publicity and PR from Spin Sucks by Gini Dietrich.

She says, "publicity or earned media or media relations is all about getting your organization covered in the news. It’s great for the ego, it’s great for building awareness, and it’s great for credibility. It’s not great, however, for making the phone ring or for increasing sales."

Gini goes on to explain that publicity, when combined with PR, can be a powerful tool in building your reputation and growing sales.

Congratulations! Since you have outlined your three branding words, you're on the way to creating a stellar brand.  You know who you want to be, and now, you've just got to figure out how to get there.

It's time to describe who your brand is in more detail.

The easiest way to define your brand is by answering the 4 W's of your garden brand.

Ah, the sweet smell of spring! We've endured the April showers, and now, it's finally time for May flowers! But, that's not all that's blooming...

Throughout the month of May, Garden Media Group will hone in on one of our favorite concepts: branding!

Each and every Wednesday throughout the month of May, our Grow blog will be examining a new aspect of branding.

Stick with us, and by the end of the month, your flowers will be in full bloom--and so will your garden business's brand!

To begin the journey, we're discussing one of the most important and initial steps of branding a business: defining your brand personality and product.

Branding is a compilation of the choices your business makes. There's no magic formula to crafting an impeccable brand.

In order to build your business's brand, you've first got to establish three words that really encapsulates who your brand is. How are you different than the million of other garden businesses out there?

Once you've established a solid, branding foundation, then it's time to build your brand!

Best way to build your green, garden brand? Read and use these tips below to make your brand UNFORGETTABLE. 

Working with professional public relations consultants reflects a significant increase in the communications of any organization. In today’s media rich environment, more and more companies are turning to public relations firms for assistance in building their company’s reputation, increasing brand recognition, and creating and promoting various marketing projects.

People today are finding PR is the tried and true method for establishing credible exposure for your company, brand, and product.

As a business, of course, you need to sell your product. But, being a business means far more than just your net profit.

Let's face it, if that's all your focused on, you're going to miss a trillion little steps that will get you to that point.

When it comes right down to it, the people who buy your product run your business. Scary, right? But, it doesn't have to be!

Follow our tips below to make sure you and your garden business are fostering a lifetime of customer l-o-v-e. If your customers love your product, then you'll be in a prosperous business forever!

Our latest guide for mastering public relations strategies is out!

Growing Your Business with Public Relations explains the differences between advertising and PR, offers tips on creating public relations media plans and how to write a mission statement. It also includes a guide on writing a modern day press release.

Public relations is a powerful tool more businesses should be using to grow their bottom line. With public relations, you can fast track a product, build a credible reputation and drive demand. Our new eBook covers PR 101: how to get started.

We broke down the things we do on a daily basis and chose what were the most important to include in the eBook. Our insider tips will help businesses understand how to incorporate PR into daily marketing operations.

As new flowers are blooming, Facebook is attempting to stay fresh as well. The social media platform never stops evolving.

This time around the site is making a few BIG changes that will begin hitting the web in just a few weeks.

As Facebook continues to transform, how your brand utilizes the site will change as well.

To ensure your garden business keeps up with the changes, we're going to outline the upcoming Facebook changes while also looking at how they'll affect your brand's presence on the social media site. 

A week (and two days!) has already rolled by in 2013. Time for a checkpoint: how are your New Year’s resolutions going?

No, not the ones where you vow to go to the gym more and eat healthier… the resolutions for your garden business!

A New Year means a new fiscal year. Round up the entire company, and create a new vision together.

The battle between social media frontrunners, Twitter and Facebook, continues! While Facebook certainly has more sheer users than Twitter (over 1 billion vs. 140 million), both networks have advantages in the world of plant public relations. 

Enough is enough! Let’s end this battle once and for all! Once we deem a social media champion, your garden business can focus more time and energy there.