Yes, you should

Joe Jancsurak
Editor

At last month’s Cultivate’14, several growers asked me if they need to be active in social media and if so, why.

My answer to the first question was yes. As for the why, social media helps keep you connected with your retailers and consumers alike. Here’s the thing, growers have a lot of information about disease and pest management, plant nutrition, and the latest and greatest new varieties – the list is amazingly long. But when it comes to communicating that know-how, well, the industry typically talks amongst itself and not the outside world.

Here’s where social media can play a key role. Before addressing the social media topic, television host, author, and Culitvate’14 keynote speaker P. Allen Smith said of our industry, “We do so much to bring so much joy to so many people.” But are we effectively communicating that to consumers?

Using social media, you can help make that happen. Skeptical? Consider these Academy Awards ceremony factoids:

Oscars tweets this year were posted by more than 5 million people and more than 37 million people viewed those tweets; that’s nearly as many of the 43.7 million U.S. TV viewers who watched the telecast. That’s not only entertainment, that’s engagement.

The point is, today’s consumers – especially millennials – want to be part of the process – and they clearly are. In fact, Smith says research shows that seven out of 10 millennials believe they’re responsible for sharing feedback on products with the online community. And the more they know about your business, the more they can share.

So engage them, Smith said. Give them information on containers, on how to grow ornamentals and edibles, show them beautiful lantana, or hydrangeas grown in pots. You can post images, blogs, and videos.

“If you have an iPhone, you can take videos,” Smith said. “Use your imagination and have some fun with it. You don’t have to be a perfectionist. People like real.”

And you don’t have to jump into all of the social media platforms. Smith advises focusing on two; for example, Facebook and Pinterest. And if you need help with website design or posting videos, simply “Google” your needs and you’ll receive information on where to go and the steps to follow.

Once you have the content, you can share it with your retail customers on their site. They’ll welcome that, for sure.

Should you? Yes, you should.

Joe Jancsurak, Editor | jjancsurak@gie.net
216-236-5960 | Twitter: @Greenhousemag