Picture this: A small horticulture business, once struggling to gain local attention, now has a bustling garden center and a thriving online store.
Their secret? Consistently sharing simple gardening tips and beautiful plant photos on social media. This transformation showcases the power of content marketing.
Now, this local success story doesn’t happen overnight. Content marketing is a long-term, holistic strategy that must be baked into broader business operations. It can’t function like an afterthought or like busywork for the summer interns.
But it’s very important. All businesses can achieve certain goals with a real content marketing effort. The first step is just getting started.
Surely you’ve had this conversation with a marketing director recently. Many small horticulture businesses recognize the potential of content marketing but feel overwhelmed by the thought of where to begin. They worry about creating the perfect strategy and end up doing nothing. This paralysis by analysis is common, but it’s something we all need to overcome.
While having a strategy is essential, the key is to start now and refine the process as you go.
In this article, we’ll show you how to take those first steps and manage your content marketing effectively.
The Importance of Content Marketing
Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage your target audience.
For horticulture businesses, this could mean blog posts about plant care, social media updates showcasing your latest arrivals, or videos demonstrating gardening techniques.
The benefits will touch all corners of your business’s sales strategy and audience engagement. Remember that this is not traditional advertising; this is audience development and the creation of owned assets that your business can use as you please.
- Increased Visibility: Regularly publishing content helps your business get noticed by search engines, leading to more organic traffic. Imagine someone searching for “best plants for shade gardens” and finding your expert blog post.
- Customer Engagement: Engaging content builds a relationship with your audience, encouraging them to interact with your brand. A well-timed Instagram post about a rare plant can spark conversations and drive foot traffic to your store.
- Brand Loyalty: Providing valuable information helps establish your business as a trusted authority, fostering customer loyalty. When people rely on your expertise, they’re more likely to become repeat customers.
Common Misconceptions and Roadblocks
Misconception: You need to have a perfect strategy before starting.
Reality: It’s more important to start creating content and learn what works as you go. Waiting for the perfect plan can result in missed opportunities. Start with something simple, like weekly tips on watering schedules for different plants.
Misconception: Content marketing is too expensive or time-consuming.
Reality: You don’t need a big budget or a lot of time to get started. Simple, consistent efforts can yield significant results over time. Use free tools like Canva for designing social media graphics or your smartphone for recording short how-to videos.
Misconception: You need to be an expert in writing or digital marketing.
Reality: While expertise helps, you can learn and improve along the way. There are plenty of tools and resources to assist you. Focus on sharing your horticultural knowledge—people love learning from passionate experts. For pure, practical writing advice, we can’t recommend Roy Peter Clark’s books highly enough. Start with Writing Tools.
Just Start: The Key to Overcoming Paralysis
The most crucial step is simply to begin.
Whether it’s writing a short blog post or posting a helpful tip on social media, taking action is what matters. Start with what you know—share your expertise in a friendly, approachable manner.
Let’s consider a few examples of what this might look like:
- A local garden center started posting photos of their seasonal plants on Instagram. They added tips on how to care for these plants, and within months, their follower count grew, and they saw a noticeable increase in foot traffic.
- A small landscape design business began writing weekly blog posts about garden design trends and maintenance tips. This content attracted new clients and established them as experts in their field.
Basic Steps to Get Started
Define who your target audience is. Consider their interests, pain points, and what kind of content they would find valuable. For example, if your business specializes in native plants, target eco-conscious gardeners who want to create sustainable landscapes.
Start with achievable goals. Instead of aiming to post daily, commit to a blog post once a week or a social media update twice a week. As you get more comfortable, you can increase your output.
Select the platforms where your audience is most active. If you run a nursery, Instagram and Facebook might be ideal for visually appealing content. If you’re a landscape architect, showcasing projects on Pinterest could be more effective.
Planning content in advance helps you stay organized. For example, you might decide that Mondays are for blog posts, Wednesdays for social media updates, and Fridays for email newsletters. This structure keeps you on track and ensures a steady flow of content.
Then: Ship your work. The important thing is that you get your creative work off your desk and into the hands and minds of your audience. They’re looking for your insights! Do not deprive them of your expertise.
Consider using Seth Godin’s well known “Shipit” Journal. “The Shipit Journal works for a simple reason,” he writes. “It’s difficult to write things down. Difficult to break a project into small pieces and take ownership over each one. Mostly, it’s difficult to announce to yourself and to your team that you’re actually on the hook to do great work.
Manage and Adjust Along the Way
Use basic metrics to track your progress. Look at engagement rates, website traffic, and conversions. Tools like Google Analytics and social media insights can provide valuable data. For instance, track which plant care tips get the most likes or shares.
Don’t be afraid to tweak your strategy based on what’s working and what’s not. If your audience responds more to videos than blog posts, adjust your content accordingly. Try posting a short video on repotting plants and see how it performs.
As you go along, ask your audience for feedback. This could be through comments, surveys, or direct messages. Understanding what they find valuable will help you create better content. For example, run a poll on Instagram to see which topics your followers are most interested in.
Tools and Resources
Free Tools:
- Content Creation: Canva for graphics, Grammarly for writing assistance. Canva is great for creating visually appealing posts about plant tips or garden layouts.
- Scheduling: Buffer or Hootsuite for social media posts. These tools help you schedule posts in advance, ensuring consistent engagement with your audience.
- Analytics: Google Analytics for website traffic, social media platform insights. Use these tools to understand which content resonates most with your audience.
Learning Resources:
- Online Courses: Coursera and Udemy offer courses on content marketing. These can help you learn the basics and advanced strategies at your own pace.
- Blogs: Follow industry blogs like HubSpot and Content Marketing Institute for tips and trends. These sources provide valuable insights into effective content marketing strategies.
- Communities: Join forums and groups on LinkedIn and Reddit to connect with other small business owners and marketers. Networking with peers can provide support, ideas, and encouragement.
Conclusion
Starting is the hardest part, but it’s also the most crucial. Don’t let the fear of imperfection hold you back. The more you create, the better you’ll get. Remember, your expertise in horticulture is valuable—share it with the world.
Take your first step today. Write that blog post, create that social media profile, or share a valuable tip with your audience. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Your audience is waiting to hear from you.