Authors: Nicole Kruse, Dr. Lauri M. Baker, Iyonna Campbell, Scott Stebner, Dr. Cheryl R. Boyer, Dr. Hikaru Peterson
Study Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to quantify the use of social media as a marketing tool for garden centers across the United States
Conclusions:
Results of this research indicate that while garden centers in the U.S. are using Facebook, they may lack understanding of the important elements in social-media marketing. The most common forms of business information filled out on Facebook pages were the physical address and the web page. This information is usually part of the set-up process for a page and the easiest to complete. However, almost half of the sample did not include the hours of operation or a way to contact the store offline. While these are still basic aspects of setting up a Facebook page, there appears to be a knowledge gap regarding Facebook pages and the essential information that needs to be included. The vast majority of garden centers in the sample had a Facebook page which gives further evidence that Facebook marketing has reached a point of maturity in the green industry.
Recommendations:
- Practitioners should make every effort to fill out all relevant data on Facebook, including hours of operation, web pages, contact information, and a physical address.
- Further research may be done to take a deeper look into the understanding of marketing for garden centers.
- The vast majority of garden centers are online and using Facebook. It is not enough to have a Facebook page in this digital era. It is imperative that garden centers seek to differentiate their Facebook pages from the competition with meaningful and engaging content that resonates with a defined target audience.
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