Greenhouses and social media

Social media was originally created as a communications platform for teenagers and college students interested in easily updating their friends throughout the day.

To give you a timeline, Facebook was launched back on February 4, 2004 (14 years ago if you can believe that!).

Fast forward to the year 2018, and a great deal has changed regarding the ideal user of this once youth-oriented platform.

According to an iStrategyLabs’ Facebook demographics report, those over the age of 55 are Facebook’s fastest growing segment. Additionally, 56% of internet users age 65 and older, now use Facebook (up from 45% just a year before) according to a 2017 PEW Research report.

But what does this all mean for the greenhouse and nursery industries across the United States? The answer might just surprise you.

According to Greenhouse Grower’s 2017 Top 100 Growers Survey, 58% of growers now use social media for marketing directly to their customers.

Digest that number for a moment. 58% is an incredibly high number for an industry often comprised of family-owned businesses engrained in traditional and tried-and-true methods.

While much of the greenhouse and nursery operations still rely on legacy knowledge for optimum results, the reach of social media simply cannot be ignored by any industry if they want to survive in this increasingly more competitive marketplace.

While it’s no surprise that growers are using social channels to stay connected to family and friends, today they’re also utilizing it to obtain general news, trends and information surrounding the industry.

They’re watching videos on YouTube to see the latest advances in technology or the introduction of new products without ever having to leave their location. Social media is providing them with convenient information – digested at their own pace.

Here are a few takeaways:

1. If growers are starting to utilize social platforms to speak with their customers, it’s obviously an accepted platform to communicate with them.
2. If growers are utilizing social channels for education and information, that means you have an audience to communicate with. Are you taking advantage of that?

While no one is suggesting that social media will replace all other forms of communicating with growers, it’s a channel they’re involved in – and you should be too.

Remember, “Your customers are on social, there is NO doubt about that. What you need to determine is whether or not you have the time and resources to allot to this (potentially) powerful marketing tool.” – uhurunetwork.com

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