Garden Gizmos

Have you ever tried to remove a branch with a saw made for fine carpentry, or dig a hole in clay with a flat end spade? If so, you know that using the wrong tool makes a job more time-consuming and strenuous. Having the right tool for the job makes a task so much easier. It’s essential we convey this to our customers.

Good tools can be marketed in several ways, but in all marketing, it’s smart to start with who your customers are and what they care about. By making lists of the tools most appropriate to certain groups of people, you make it easier for them to shop — and for your staff to assist them. Such lists will also create content you can use on your website and social media.

Gadgets for Older Gardeners

Although older homeowners and gardeners may already have tools in their shed, they will want to know about products that make their landscaping easier. Shovels such as the Spear Head Spade were specifically designed to make digging easier, even in rocky soils or when used by folks who have artificial hips and knees.

Kneeling stools assist those who have trouble getting up from and down to ground level. And garden carts and carryalls that are lightweight are especially helpful for shoppers that can no longer manage the larger, heavier equipment.

Put together a group of such tools, along with those that are most comfortable for those with arthritis in their hands. Be sure to mention that a new, top-quality pair of bypass pruners with sharp blades makes pruning go faster and be more pain-free. List these on your website as products that make gardening easier, and post “Did You Know?” pictures on social media that link to the complete list.

New Homeowner Essentials

A second list can be created for new homeowners. Which tools do your employees and experienced gardeners in your area value the most? These might be grouped as home-landscaper basics or staff picks in a special display or listed online. Be sure to use the name of your region in such a list on your website, such as “Best Garden Tools for New Indianapolis Homeowners.”

You might consider contacting area real estate agents and ask if they would like to include your list of tools in any “welcome” materials they provide their clients. If there’s a local real estate show on local talk radio, contact the host or producer to see if they would like someone from your IGC to do a segment on essential tools for first-time homeowners.

Family Effects

Do you sell child-sized tools? If so, consider a post or display that matches the equipment made for youngsters with your recommended adult version. And since parents of young children have great demands on their time, suggest the products that can help them accomplish their landscape activities more quickly.

Keeping Employees In-The-Know

Make sure all of your staff members are aware of which tools you recommend highly. Your customers may decide to purchase the inexpensive anvil pruners, but your employees should be ready to advise them about better alternatives should those shoppers ask.

Seeking Input

The more engagement your posts on social media receive, the more the algorithms of those platforms will show your material to others. And since people love to share their opinions, asking your audience to share which tools they love is not only informative for you, but it can help increase engagement on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Make such posts seasonally appropriate: “What’s your favorite tool for spring planting?” “What’s your go-to tool for pruning?” or “Do you prefer to deadhead with snips, pruners or scissors?” After several people have weighed in, provide a link to your list of favorites that you’ve posted on your website. Along with that page that contains your recommendations, consider including a PDF that can be downloaded and either saved on a smartphone or printed out as a shopping list.

The right tool for the job makes any task go more smoothly, which makes gardening easier and more successful for our customers. It’s time to get the right tools in their hands.