Seed, Seed, Seed, Sale: Tips for garden center content marketing

A young man who started a YouTube channel in 2006 taught everyone important lessons about branding and the use of social media that are still important 20 years later.

That man was Gary Vaynerchuk, and his program is Wine Library TV. His online show grew his parents’ New Jersey liquor store from a $3 million annual business to a $60 million enterprise in just five years.

It also made “Gary Vee” a marketing guru and demonstrated how the right use of social media can build businesses and brands. His premise is simple: The vast majority of your online content should provide value, be it educational or entertaining — and not be used as a form of selling.

Focusing on people instead of product and price has been known to be the key to success for decades. In “A Christmas Carol,” written by Charles Dickens in 1843, Jacob Marley’s ghost returns seven years after his death and affirms that very concept to Ebenezer Scrooge.

Yet too often, it’s easy to forget that providing appealing content to our customers is far more effective than telling them what’s being discounted or what they can come in to buy.

It’s by remembering who our customers are and what they care about, and providing content that speaks to those interests, that we develop the personal bonds that draw them into the store.

As plant and garden retailers, we know that our clients care about beauty. They want attractive surroundings, both indoors and outside. Appealing content that taps into those desires includes photos of area gardens that show what’s possible — the stuff of their dreams. Inspire them to create lovely landscapes or plant-filled interiors. Demonstrate that their dreams can come true by showing examples and then stocking the plants and products that will help customers achieve those aspirations.

To build the photo library needed to post such pictures of local landscapes, garden centers need to plan for one or more employees to take frequent visits to get those images. Contact local garden clubs and request a visit to willing members’ gardens. Offer to reward local accomplished gardeners with a small gift card to thank them for using images of their property.

In most areas, there are garden tours that raise money for local nonprofits. IGCs can use these tours to build their inspiring garden image libraries. You can also put out a request to visit gardens on your website, social channels and in your newsletter.

Having someone on staff that’s building your image library is preferable to requesting photos from the public. Although home landscapers are often willing to share pictures, these often come in too small, out-of-focus or unevenly lit to be of any use. And if someone takes the trouble to send in a picture, it’s discouraging to them if it’s not used.

It’s better to have a staff member visit local gardens early in the morning or during “golden hour” in the evenings, take pictures that are thoughtfully composed and share large files.

In addition to reminding our customers that their dreams can come true, appealing content also reminds people that what they do matters — that the choices people make in their yards and gardens are important. This is best done by celebrating the good, of course, not by shaming people for making poor decisions.

Highlight the native plants you carry and use your digital platforms to rave about the way they support wildlife while making a yard more beautiful. Joyfully highlight plants that can be used as alternatives to invasives and tell stories about customers who have successfully used organic solutions for problems.

Finally, content that lifts our customers’ hearts is always valued. People want to be happy, and those who provide plants and flowers are well-positioned to lift spirits and prompt smiles.

Gary Vaynerchuk’s first book is titled “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World.” He’s a sports fan, so it makes sense that he used a boxing metaphor. His point was that online and social media marketing requires providing more consistent value (the jabs) to build relationships before asking for a sale (the right hook).

As a promoter first for his parents’ business and later for his own marketing company, he knew that brands must deliver three times more engaging content that nurtures personal relationships before making a sales pitch.

In our business, we might think about this as “Seed, Seed, Seed, Sale.”

C.L. Fornari is a speaker, writer and radio/podcast host who has worked at Cape Cod IGC Hyannis Country Garden for 30 years.