Create compelling content

Content marketing is about developing relationships with your customers by creating and sharing relevant information and ideas. It’s a way to boost your business without specifically promoting your brand and what you’re selling.

This type of marketing is all about establishing your expertise, so that people think of you when it’s time to buy. Whether you’re writing a newsletter, blog or texts for your SMS campaign, this type of promotion begins with compelling content.

When I was on a panel at Cultivate recently, the audience was largely made up of IGC folks who were clearly interested to hear about the eight reasons that people find content appealing. These reasons have long been helpful for speakers, writers and those who are promoting a brand. They remain useful for IGCs and can easily be tied to plants and gardens. So here are eight ideas to help you tap into their appeal.

Compelling content reveals secrets

People love to be in-the-know and have insider information. It’s the reason that so many publishers put the word “secrets” in the subtitles of books. You might share some of the new plants that will be coming to garden centers in the future. Some of these can be found at the National Garden Bureau website (ngb.org/new-plants). Share the secrets to growing the most tomatoes or for keeping houseplants thriving in low-light situations.

Compelling content is aspirational

Has a customer shared some before-and-after photos of their yard with you? That’s perennially appealing content. Have frequent purchasers of houseplants created a green space in their home? Write or post about those people who have made their dream become reality.

Compelling content promotes heroes

People love David and Goliath stories. If there’s a local gardener that challenged zoning that prohibited front-yard vegetable gardens and won, your customers love hearing how someone “fought city hall” successfully. Or if a customer shares how they were able to produce lots of food on the cheap, that’s a success story that will engage audiences.

Compelling content tells a story

There’s an old saying that God made people to hear some really good stories. Your customers appreciate a good tale, as well. You might write about how your business came to be, how your garden center prevailed when the town was redoing the roads, or the time when you lost it all to a hurricane or tornado. Tell them a story about the time you ordered far too many Christmas trees, and you ended up going on the local radio to offer a tree for free to all on Christmas Eve. (True story from my garden center!) You’ve got plenty of stories that will make human-to-human connections with your customers.

Compelling content inspires action

We like to know that what we do matters. There are so many situations that we have no control over, so when people can make a difference, that’s appealing. Examples of this are how the public has embraced helping the butterflies and bees. The growing interest in native plants, pollinator support and bee lawns shows that people like to be inspired to take action for the common good. Have your marketing team remind customers about how they can support wildlife, save water, recycle or keep toxins out of the water table.

Compelling content has twists

People like to be surprised, as long as the revelations are pleasant. The plant world is filled with such stories and little-known fun facts. Start to keep a file of the astonishing ways that plants protect their own, know what time and season it is or detect gravity. Record those “against all odds” experiences you’ve had in the garden center and recount them in a video or blog post.

Compelling content is funny

We like content that is funny. Keep a file of fun graphics, jokes or stories that have made you laugh. These don’t have to be original material, but if the funny content is taken directly from a content creator, writer, artist or another website, you need to get permission to use it. Avoid the tired photos that have made the rounds on social media for years. When in doubt, show what you want to post to your employees and ask, “Have you seen this already?”

Compelling content confirms beliefs

This can get into the dangerous area of politics, because it explains why people only consume media that reinforces their political viewpoints. But IGCs can take this type of content in a positive direction that all our customers can embrace. Most people believe that flowers are beautiful, an attractive yard increases property values and gardening is good exercise, for example. Create videos, posts, newsletters and blogs that build on our confidence that plants and gardens are good for people.