April 2023 - 10

perspectives
BY ERICA HERNANDEZ
Social Media and Horticulture
Communication between businesses and
consumers in the horticulture industry is an
important topic to revisit periodically in the
face of developing technology. In the past,
mailers, newsletters and other paper-based
publications have long been an important
part of horticultural outreach, education,
and business. The Old Farmer's Almanac, for
example, is the longest running, continuously
published magazine in North America. Retail
and garden centers are businesses like any
other, sending out mailers to local customers
with coupons, event invites or seasonal
information for growers.
With the rise of social media, the ability
Erica Hernandez
is controlled
environment
agriculture GGSPro
specialist at Griffin
Greenhouse Supplies
and a member of
GPN's 40 Under
40 Class of 2022.
She can be reached
at ehernandez@
griffinmail.com.
for researchers, growers and product
manufacturers to directly reach end users
has developed so quickly that many
businesses are unsure of how to properly
take advantage of these new tools. Understanding
content type and audience is a great place to start
when trying to venture into the social media game.
THE RIGHT PLATFORM
Content type and audience radically changes
from platform to platform. Instagram, LinkedIn,
Facebook, TikTok and YouTube all have active
communities of garden hobbyists, commercial
growers, students, technical specialists, and
everyone in between. The format of each platform
strongly influences the type of content that
becomes popular and what type of audience your
content will reach, but each avenue has its place
in a strong social media plan.
Facebook remains an active social media
platform, despite its recent decline in popularity.
Individuals with gardening interests and hobbies
who are seeking out local businesses to visit, or
seeking out local discussion groups to join, are
still active. Grower-retailers can quickly and easily
share locally relevant information and programs to
homeowners and hobbyists here.
YouTube has long been an outlet for video
content creators making how-to videos and
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APRIL 2023 GPNMAG.COM
showing off plants and gardens, along with a huge
library of professional and technical content. As
the default video sharing service on the internet,
professional companies can use YouTube services
to post product-oriented videos, informational
guides, event announcements and more.
Instagram's strong focus on visual media
favors content such as infographics, pictures
of attractive plants and retail arrangements,
and short format videos. The ease of content
consumption appeals to home gardeners,
hobbyists, and growers with less time to read
and digest information. Companies can use
image-based posts to let customers know about
technical resources available on other platforms.
LinkedIn is emerging as a platform where
horticulture professionals can connect with
information- and text-heavy content. Article
publication and sharing is encouraged through
this platform, allowing for the discussion
of more technical information alongside
in-depth conversation between other growers,
manufacturers and technical advisers.
TikTok, the newest addition to this group
of social media platforms, focuses entirely on
short-form video. Bite-sized videos (seven to
15 seconds long) can be quickly consumed and
are often prioritized, aiding in brand awareness
for many businesses but not always useful to
convey news or technical information.
YOUR AUDIENCE
Understanding the type of audience you
are trying to reach can help you decide which
platform to focus on. For example, social media
holds a special place in the cannabis industry
in particular, with Instagram housing a strong
community of cannabis growers and enthusiasts.
Cannabis growers have a strong sense of
community and desire to share knowledge, which
has really taken root on the platform. Growers
share pictures of crops, products they've had
success with and even graphics from research as
it becomes available.
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2023
