Marketing your garden center or nursery is an ongoing initiative which requires commitment and little know-how. By following the four marketing tips outlined below, you can be assured that your continuous efforts will reap profitable rewards.
Understand your customers first
Businesses which make assumptions about what their customers want and need usually are not very successful. As customers become more educated and trends continue to evolve rapidly, wants and needs can often fluctuate from one growing season to the next. Therefore, it’s imperative that you engage with your customers at the start, middle and end of the season for cumulative data which will help identifying inventory needs later on.
Take a survey at the counter, conduct a poll to you email database or social media channels or even just have an associate walk around your location asking one or two questions of customers.
Host educational classes
While YouTube videos provide information for DIYers on a variety of topics, there’s nothing like face-to-face demonstrations which allow customers to ask questions and engage. According to the National Gardening Association’s 2019 National Gardening Survey, Americans spent more than $52 billion dollars on the lawn and garden industry, and many of them turned to the internet for information. Why not turn to your garden center or nursery instead?
On-site classes provide an invaluable resource to customers, while subliminally touting your staff as the industry experts. By educating your customers, you’ll increase their trust in your business and guarantee they’ll return time and time again whenever they have questions relating to their lawn and garden needs. Classes can be posted on local community boards, through your email database and on social media channels.
Target new residents
New homeowners represent perhaps your greatest opportunity for new business. For starters, they’ll need a resource to help understand their new landscape (unfamiliar plants and trees; growing conditions if moving from another state; watering requirements, etc.). There are many resources available to help you specifically target new homeowners in your area. Some include Every Door Direct from the US Post Office, WelcomeMat Services, HomeAdvisor and many more. Community publications may also offer opportunities for marketing your garden center or nursery to new homeowners and partnering with a local, prominent realtor could also be a valuable business arrangement.
Finding customers where they are looking
Today, regardless of age, many people turn to the internet when looking for home and garden businesses around their area. Have you created a Google Business Page with contact information, business hours and directions? Are you active on social media channels that make sense for your business and actively engaging with users? If you have a website, are you practicing SEO to make sure that you show up on the first page of Google search results? It can all be a little overwhelming, no doubt, but many of these digital marketing practices will help ensure you’re at the top of gardener’s lists.
No one approach for marketing your garden center or nursery is the answer for every business. You need to take into account geographic location, income levels, competitors and budget. What’s truly important is that you start making marketing a consistent part of your business model.
For more information:
The HC Companies
www.hc-companies.com