Hey Florists!!! Let’s get a whiff of how to digitally promote your business

(P.C.- Unsplash, @ellicia_)

Undoubtedly, the flower business has grown by leaps and bounds, not only in the States but worldwide. Gone are the days, when flowers were a mere accompaniment with the main gift, but today they have taken the center-stage, with beautiful flower arrangements and decors being readily available for different occasions, not only are they aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but carry the emotions of the giver in an effective manner.

Florist business is expected to reach revenues of nearly $16bn by 2023, definitely, COVID-19 has had a negative impact, but it shall pick up for sure, because of the variety, safety and cost-effectiveness they offer. With online flower purchasing going up every year and many competitors entering the fray, it becomes a heavily competitive area and all the more imperative for your business to stand apart from the rest. Let’s see some ways, as o how can you promote your business via different modes:

1. Having a beautiful, easily navigable and a precise website- For any business, existence of a good website is imperative, especially in today’s times where people are using and opting for services which are online centric and if you aren’t there yet, undoubtedly that shall create one too many hurdles for your business. But, fret not because it’s never too late to start, and we at Zivanta Analytics can help you precisely do that. Your website acts as a focal point of attraction for your customers, not only it acts as a representation of your physical store, if any, but also spreads your business on to a wider area and covers wider audience, so a well designed website is of utmost importance in today’s times, because a poorly designed website won’t only convey a negative image about your business but also drive away customers and most importantly wouldn’t rank higher on any search website based on organic search.

        A good website would attract customers to your store and if you offer online delivery services, then it’s best to mention which area and what all related services do you offer, clarity on this shall give your business the desired impetus and a higher search engine ranking. There are certain points which should be kept in mind, prior to designing and launching any website, i.e. the ease of use and navigation, how convenient is the site layout, presence of all important contact details, presence of all other service and business related information, loading speed, aesthetics of the website and most importantly, does it resonate with your business story.

2. Ad listing on Google- Google is one such platform where you can easily generate local ad listings, because for local florists’ location and apt contact details are the whole and soul for your business. It’s a pre-requisite to have a Google My Business account, and the information mentioned here is up-to date, because your business can suffer on many accounts if certain vital information pertaining to your business is missing then this shall impact your Google rankings, negatively.

        One way to boost your rankings in an organic way is to have many reviews posted by your users, and the more they are positive the better, because, in today’s times, new customers prefer taking stock of honest opinions prior to approaching any business, as they are worried about every penny they spent and there is a genuine trust on past buyers, who post their experiences because a business house can’t manipulate all the reviews. Therefore, if your business has plenty of good reviews, then your rankings will definitely rise up and in case, there are any complaints, then solve them as soon as possible; this shall reflect a prompt, attentive and diligent customer service as well as create a positive image of your business.

3. Apt use of Social Media- Social media is where you can use multiple platforms and different market your content and business, as per the demands of the audience and thus target a wider range of people. For instance, you can promote your content with posts and suitable pictures on Facebook, post pictures of your different flower arrangements on Instagram with catchy slogans and bouquet of pictures on Pinterest, the latter two options being on your primary list, because your products are related to visual merchandising and these two platforms solely cater to that aspect, as well as they help you target the demography you are aiming for, i.e. more of teens, youngsters and women because they are the ones who make the most of such purchases and this is the demographic having a higher and responsive presence on both these platforms.

    For instance these are some ideas which you can channelize to boost up your Social Media presence and engagement:

• Posting business info online
• DIY tips on a regular basis
• Tips to beautify your home with the help of flowers
• Flower gifting ideas every month
• Customer reviews and feedback
• Offers, discounts, and promotions on a regular basis

4. Using data analytics – With the continuous increase in the volume of sales via online mode, the door of opportunities for the business won’t ever close for you, and here is when you can use the inputs generated via business analytics to your advantage. Many companies across different sectors, track consumer behavior to predict the trends and earn higher revenues, by targeting their next move and anticipated preferences. For instance, tracking an incomplete purchase on your website or monitoring the past purchases of your customers, can help you remind them of the placing an order, the same time next year or by keeping them in the loop with various promotional activities from your end, so as to maintain your customer base.
5. Creating attractive blog content – With you being in a business where visual effects carry immense importance, you can re-post and re-share your posts posted on Instagram and photos shared on Pinterest with an attractive article on your website. A well researched and a well-written article, with proper research done for boosting SEO performance, shall definitely create wonders for you. Not only shall this increase the consumer traffic on your website and make it more popular, but also posting worthwhile content regularly, for instance on topics like designing ideas, home décor trends related to your business, gifting ideas, etc. shall create a loyal customer-brand relationship, if they find these blogs engaging and productive.

These were just some of the ideas to get you started for promoting your business online, if not already there and if you are already having an online presence, then you can use these ideas to further leverage and gain traction.