Join our e-Book Club TODAY

At Garden Media we know that without a good reputation, you’re sunk. As experts in creating brand leaders within the garden industry, we know a lot about the power of a good reputation, and we’re excited to share some of our insider secrets with you!

Each month we have decided to release a new e-book featuring a case study that illustrates a specific public relations strategy, along with tips on building your reputation and strengthening your brand.

“Branding The Knock Out® Rose”, the first case study in the series, outlines the public relations strategies used to help launch The Knock Out® Rose, now one of the best-selling shrubs in America.

But the most exciting part of the case study series is our new monthly eBook club.  At the end of each month, I’ll host a On Air Hangout on Garden Media’s Google + page.  Just sign up for our virtual book club to receive the eBook of the month, discussion topics and an invitation to the On Air Hangout.  During the Hangout we will dig deeper into the case study and answer all your questions.

Additionally, we’ll have four new blog posts a month with corresponding content right here on this blog to help you better understand the topic and spark discussion topics. 

Our goal is to propagate more business successes within the garden industry by sharing our expertise, PR tips and secrets, and we hope you’ll join us!

If you would like to receive a new e-book each month and be part of the conversation – sign up here!

Discover 2013 Public Relations Trends

Garden Media Group is the premier green gardening PR firm, and it's our job to spot the hottest upcoming trends while keeping our eye on this year's trends - both in PR and gardening.
Recently, I stumbled across a stellar infographic from Monaghan and InkHouse, which details the trends of the public relations world in 2013.

You know the drill: I'll layout the 2013 public relations trends in depth, and then, you can peruse the infographic yourself!

 

Reign of the Bloggers

Up until a few years ago traditional media sources: journalists, newspapers, and magazines had ALL the power - but not anymore.

In 2013 and beyond, our crystal ball is showing that bloggers are gaining more and more traction. In 2011, there were roughly 164 million blogs worldwide, with numbers still ticking upwards. All of these blogs have a very specific, niche audience, which is perfect for your specific, niche product.

Gaining the full attention of your target market is far more important than a second of attention from the masses. Blogs allow you to pinpoint and influence your direct consumer easily, and there are a plethora of well written and well-read blogs to choose from.

 

Death of the Press Conference

Press conferences simply don't make sense in 2013; these conferences are expensive, time-consuming, and irrelevant.

With social media and web tools it's easier than ever to talk to multiple audiences at once. In fact, your garden business has multiple choices of platforms that will work best for your particular business and market. When announcing big news, try engaging your audience via a Twitter Chat, or better yet, invite a Q & A session on Reddit like Obama did!

 

People Have the Power

Long ago, focus groups, customer surveys, and 800-number hotlines were the best ways to get customer feedback, but those days are long gone.

Today, your customers have the power with social media. If a customer has an insight or question about your product, you can be sure they'll be checking your Twitter feed or leaving a comment on your Facebook page. Social media allows brands and businesses to engage their customers in a myriad of ways including receiving feedback, which can be both glorious and terrifying for many businesses!

What public relations trends have you noticed thus far in 2013? Or, what do you see on the horizon for 2014? Let us know in the comments section!

As promised here's the full infographic, which outlines the full array of 2013 public relations trends

Don't Forget to Brush Up On Your 2013 Garden Trends, Too! The Trends Whitepaper Is Below!

Snaps for TechCrunch for the innovative, crystal ball photo!

~Katie

www.gardenmediagroup.com

New eBook Reveals Insider Public Relations Tips

Our latest guide for mastering public relations strategies is out!

Growing Your Business with Public Relations explains the differences between advertising and PR, offers tips on creating public relations media plans and how to write a mission statement. It also includes a guide on writing a modern day press release.

Public relations is a powerful tool more businesses should be using to grow their bottom line. With public relations, you can fast track a product, build a credible reputation and drive demand. Our new eBook covers PR 101: how to get started.

We broke down the things we do on a daily basis and chose what were the most important to include in the eBook. Our insider tips will help businesses understand how to incorporate PR into daily marketing operations.

Growing Your Business with Public Relations offers a range of information that benefits businesses new to PR as well as those with established marketing departments. The tips can be used as a tool for orchestrating an entire PR campaign for small businesses or simply provide checks and balances for those looking to jump start their reputation.

PR is more than writing a press release. Creating lasting relationships, knowing how to find the golden nugget and having impeccable timing are all big components of PR. But, when you get it and implement it into your companies marketing strategy, you will gain wider exposure and produce better results.

“Growing Your Business with Public Relations” is available for download today:

~Katie

6 Tips to Add Social Media to Your PR

I read this article by Bill Miltenberg, in PR News about 6 Tips for Optimizing News Releases.

I thought I'd share them with you:

Here's what Bill had to say in his opening: "While the press release is not dead by any means, a plain-text version is quickly becoming an anachronism in the digital age.

"A well-written release packed with punchy quotes is still a fundamental way to tell your brand's story to the media, but it's when PR pros optimize their releases (and online media centers, too) for social media and search that they can really maximize their reach. Sally Falkow, social media strategist at Meritus Media and a speaker at the upcoming Social Media Summit/Taste of Tech event on June 21-22 in New York City, says it’s essential to integrate social media within press releases.

According to Bill, Sally says, “You want to make sure that you have sharing buttons on every piece of your content—videos, infographics, press releases, articles.”

It is all news content and should be treated as such. Below, Sally provides six tips for optimizing a news release for social media.

1.Include Photos: "Adding images and video increases views on your news content by as much as 77%, according to a PR Newswire study," says Falkow. However, this might not be the place to insert your brand's latest Instagram photos. Opt for more professional, high-resolution and standard format (typically JPEG) photos.

2.Provide Options: "Add more than one image, so that there is a choice for bloggers and journalists," says Falkow. This allows them to choose an image that fits their take on the story. Supply source codes and URLs for all images. Also consider including charts, slide decks, PDFs and infographics. If you're including an executive's take in the release—especially if they're quotes that Steve Jobs would be proud of—include their photo and add links to their bios and social profiles.

3.Keep Things Pinteresting: "Pin all images to a Pinterest board and link back to the press release in your newsroom," says Falkow. Pinterest is a great visual medium, an effective touch point for influencers, a valuable information aggregator and a perfect platform for sharing. (Not on Pinterest yet? Consider these 5 tips for kick-starting your efforts today.)

4.Add a short video: "85% of all media Web sites now use video, and many of them are looking for completed videos from an outside source," says Falkow. Supply the embed code for the video so that they can immediately embed it on their Web site or blog, and pin the video to the Pinterest board.

5.Highlight Keywords: "Tag all the content with the keywords that will make it easy to find in search or social sites to boost your SEO efforts," says Falkow. "Use words you think a journalist might use to search for when writing story on a topic."

6.Include Icons: Add icons that connect to all social content from the company and provide social sharing links so others can like your news on Facebook, tweet it right from your news release, post it to a host of other social sites or e-mail it to friendr.

Follow Bill Miltenberg: @bmiltenberg

Attend PR News’ two-day Social Media Summit/Taste of Tech event June 21-22 in New York City and learn more from digital leaders like Sally Falkow.

GMG Monday Espresso: Celebrate the 'Little Victories' in Social Media ROI

PR News interviewed Danielle Brigida, social media manager for the National Wildlife Federation, about measuring the ROI of social media.

Danielle says it can be a complicated process—but it doesn't have to be. She is not only a believer in the absolute importance of gaining expertise in PR measurement. She claims, instead, that the process itself is about having fun and being social.

Here is the interview:

PR News: What are the first few steps PR pros can take in tying social media metrics to outcomes?

Danielle Brigida: Pick both quantitative and qualitative key performance indicators to measure. Stick with a few of the most important metrics and pay attention to the outcomes both in real time and over time. Some people like the view from above and others want to get incredibly specific. I think creating a consistent report is helpful because you then stick to it.

PR News: What advice can you share with other nonprofits or small businesses about proving ROI to senior management?


Brigida: Increasing the communication is key. Document little victories and make sure the expectations of your leaders are realistic. My experience with social media leads me to believe that what you invest in social media is what you get out of it.


PR News: What should be taken under consideration when choosing social media measurement tools?


Brigida: The biggest question you should ask yourself is what capacity you have to manage the tools. Also, if you stick to the rule that you’re spending about 15-20% of your time measuring, you can identify what will make things easy for you. Budget is also incredibly important. There is a huge price range for social media measurement tools—balancing your budget with free tools and paid tools can be a good solution.

Brigida promises those who attend her talk at the PR Measurement Conference next Wednesday, April 18 in DC will learn to have fun measuring social media!

Suzi
Garden Media Group

GMG Monday Espresso: Let's Throw a Special Event.

7 Tips to Hold a Spectacular Special Event.

With the 2nd Annual Costa Farms Social Summit this week, it made me think about the importance of hosting a special event.

Special events can be just about anything, from special sales meetings to media tours to unveilings. It just takes a little imagination and some PR buzz to get more bang for your budget.

But before you do anything, ask yourself why? Why are you thinking about a special event? What do you want to accomplish? Why spend $5,000 to $150,000?

Three reasons to hold a special event: 1) Your best customers and prospects tend to come; 2) They generate free media coverage; 3) They build customer relationships and loyalty.

Add to the festivities a free "commemorative" gift, refreshments, and entertainment--clowns, mimes, school bands, local theater groups, local celebrities, politicians, etc.-- and you've got the perfect ingredients to create a memorable experience, and capture a little "share of heart" with your customers, employees and your community.

Two events a year is a good target, if you have the planning, people power and right reason for the event. Events take time to plan, often months, even years in advance.

HERE'S HOW:
1. SET A GOAL What do you want to achieve? What's the purpose? Customer appreciation? Boost sales? Employee appreciation? Giving something to a local cause is a key component. Who do you want to benefit?

2. HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO SPEND? Are you serving hot dogs and soda or shrimp and champagne? What you spend must relate to what you want to achieve. How much do you want to donate?

3. MAKE A BUDGET Now that you know how much you want to spend, determine just what is essential, like food and beverages. What is left over is for entertainment and maybe event advertising.

4. PLAN AROUND A THEME A theme ties everything together and gives you a polished look. The theme could be "Bodacious Birthday Bash," "A Star is Born, or "An Evening in Paris." Check the newspaper supplements for ideas.

5. GO FIRST CLASS First class is not expensive. It simply means the best event within your budget. Don't skimp. Eliminate something else instead. Balloons, without a doubt, are the most cost effective decorations. They make a great impact in very large bunches, but too few look inadequate.

6. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL If it's too much for you, hire an event planner to handle all the details. They'll take care of a theme, a budget, the planning and all the details so you can enjoy yourself and tend to your clients.

7. SPREAD THE WORD. Invite people on Facebook, Twitter and on your blog and website. Send invitations to the media to come out early and take pictures. Invite special people personally. Send an email blast to customers. Send a press release. Tell your mother.

Have fun.

Suzi

GardenMediaGroup.com

GMG Monday Espresso: Social Media Engagement Tactics Shared at PR News' Digital PR Summit

Steve Goldstein, of PR News, recently attended the PR News' Digital PR Summit in San Francisco on Feb. 16.

Afterwards, he reports that “there's no silver bullet for proving the value of social media—it all comes down to the business goals.”

He says the recurring theme of the PR Summit was digital PR tactics and tools that best measure success.

“There is one commonality—a silver bullet, if you will—that all communicators should invest in,” he says. “Engagement on both massive and intimate scales, and engagement comes down to sharing passions, interests and content.”

He says that the 250 attendees at the Digital PR Summit were reminded time and again that the total number of followers or likes can be an empty, meaningless metric, and misses the point of social media.

"Don’t focus on increasing likes, focus on building relationships," said Chris Lagan, chief of social media, U.S. Coast Guard. "10,000 brand ambassadors is better than a million likes."

Another tip shared by several presenters: Stay attuned to key trends and connect with those subjects and topics that already resonate with people. In other words, request an invitation to join Pinterest today.

For the full story and more insights click here. Follow Steve Goldstein: @SGoldsteinAI

Suzi
GardenMediaGroup.com

7 Tips to Write Twitter Headlines to Give Online Press Releases a Boost

I'm always looking for new tricks to add to our PR bag, and I found these tips from PRWeb on how to write Twitter headlines to boost search results for online press releases.

They were looking over the results of the PR Grant awards last week and had an epiphany: Many Tweeters "scrape" headlines automatically to create tweets.

WOW! From this revelation, they learned how to craft a news release headline for Twitter in 120 characters or less to leave room for the shortened URL link to the article.

Check out these examples of headlines on Twitter that caused PRWeb to take a second look:

1. Play duck…duck…@DACRONBrand this Tues. 10/18 in Union Square NYC.
Okay, we’re in. Dacron piqued our interest into their contest with this clever play on a saying everybody remembers from childhood.

TAKEAWAY – Tap into phrases, words and memes that inhabit our collective memory for instant connection.

2. Is it the end of the hotel? The unhotel @onefinestay announces 150 homes across London

Good question. The answer intrigues us. Unhotel? We’ll take a look at this release just to find out how London homes trump traditional hotels. And for the benefit of our friends who travel frequently to that lovely city, we’ll retweet the press release.

TAKEAWAY – Ask a provocative question and you’ll press a nerve. Headlines with questions are often irresistible – just make sure your answer is just as compelling.

3. Transparency. Health care. Learn how a rural hospital mixes oil & water
This juxtaposition of elements is perfectly framed with a visual metaphor. We can’t resist wanting to know more.

TAKEAWAY – Use compelling conceits to help us understand the gist of your story.

4. Sandi Krakowski Ignites Moral & Ethical Business Debate
Where there’s smoke there must be fire. We love debates.

TAKEAWAY – One of the keys to a successful headline is the ability to compel. Use gripping, emotional language to draw us in.

5. Survey: Moms’ #1 Back-To-School Worry is Drinking & Drugs
We’ve been brought up on “Survey Says!” Just the mention motivates us to read on.

TAKEAWAY – Surveys and polls are effective ways to communicate the news-worthiness of your topic.

6. New online service SaveOnBrew.com serves up “Beer On The Cheap” via 50,000+ retailers across the US.
Ah, now you’re talking. Who wouldn’t want to find out where to save money?

TAKEAWAY – Appeal to everyone’s innate desire to have more for less. Hint – it doesn’t always have to be about money. Does your product or service solve problems better than your competitors’? Give readers the feeling of being on the inside track.

7. The #GrainsofChange tour is asking Americans which oatmeal they prefer, @Better_Oats or the incumbent
Everyone loves to share their opinion. We want to be part of the crowd so we’ll keep reading for details.

TAKEAWAY – Ask your audience for their opinions, advice and suggestions and you’ll automatically create a higher level of engagement.
The limitation of 140 characters doesn’t have to be daunting. It can be a stepping stone to reboot your creativity.

One thing to remember, while Tweets can be 140 characters, online press release headlines should typically run less than 70. So create a killer headline that’s short and sweet and then add a little frosting on it – 70 characters’ worth – when you release it on Twitter.

Remember hash tags & even the tiniest URLs take up characters.

Suzi
Garden Media Group

Gift Idea # 1 for Your Favorite Gardener

On Friday we released the Top 10 gifts for Gardeners Under $25.

Gift idea #1 is small enough for a table-top display or large enough to be the dramatic focal point of any room. The Norfolk Island Pines tuck nicely into tight spaces in apartments, dorm rooms, patios or cozy corners. And, they come in a variety of sizes from 14 to 44 inches tall for a nice floor plant. 

“These living trees are affordable, eco-friendly ways to decorate and provide years of pleasure,” says Jose Smith, chief executive officer of Costa Farms, one of the nation’s leading nurseries. 

After the holidays, you can place the tree in a pretty pot to beautify your spaces and naturally refresh your indoor air. 

Read about other creative gift ideas and decorating tips with Costa Farms Norfolk Island Pine. (www.costafarms.com)

Top 10 Gifts for Gardeners under $25

Stumped on what to get your favorite gardener for the holidays? 

We've got ideas that are ALL under $25! Check them out here.

GARDEN MEDIA GROUP HIRES NYC FASHION PR PROFESSIONAL

For years, one of our goals here at Garden Media Group has been to make gardening en vogue. We've gotten out clients in hip media like In-Style, Elle Decor and Apartment Therapy.

Today we are excited to let you in on our latest development to help take our clients and gardening to the next level.

We have expanded by strategically hiring New York City PR fashionista Katie Dubow, who most recently was marketing manager of Monet jewelry, a division of Liz Claiborne in Manhattan, where she was a member of the Liz Social Media Council.

And secondly, we’re adding a typical Gen X consumer who will guide our seasoned PR staff to better understand, tap into and converse with this growing consumer segment. She is our "new consumer". She and her husband are “apartment gardeners” and enjoy growing herbs, vegetables and flowers in containers on their “front steps”.

Katie has contacts with style influencers at People Magazine, O Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, Real Simple, and Lucky, to name just a few, and has interfaced with several New York fashion PR firms.

Prior to joining the Liz Claiborne organization, she worked at CBS Television in New York and The Boston Celtics organization in Boston. Katie has her degree in communications from Northeastern University, where she was a member of its Division I Crew Team. She is an avid runner, traveler and reader.

With her New York public relations experience, energy and youthfulness, Katie is ready to help grow our clients, gardening and our famous GMG Garden Trends Report© to new heights in 2012.

Suzi
Garden Media Group

GMG looking for PR Interns

Are you a social media butterfly? Do you love to connect on Facebook? Addicted to Twitter? Do you read blogs and follow social media conversations?

Garden Media Group is looking for a Social Media/Web Intern to boost our client's online presence, produce original video content, post to our blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts, upload news to Digg, de-li-cious, etc and keep us socially nimble.

Are you a high energy, enthusiastic, self-motivated & fearless person who can bring fresh ideas and creative writing to our boutigue PR and marketing agency, you are the one for us.

We're looking for someone who can blend our traditional communications strategies online, can produce and distribute videos, cross-post news, optimize press releases, and make Google Analytics sing.

Of course, you need to be a whiz with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, & Outlook. If you love the Mac, iMovie, and other Apple applications, even better.

We have a fun team and great clients we work with on a national level.

Interested, contact: susan@gardenmediagroup.com. We look forward to hearing from you and knocking our socks off.