How Landscapers Can Leverage Social Media Marketing During Cornavirus

Many of my clients have asked me recently what my recommendations are for posting on social media this week and in the coming days. 

• What are some topics we can post about? 
• Is it appropriate to ask clients for sales still? 
• Should we jump on the Coronavirus bandwagon and tell everyone what we’re up to? 
• Should we continue to spend money on social media promotions? 

According to Deloitte, studies show that we primarily rate brands based on personal feelings and experiences—not information. And when a positive emotional connection is created with a company, 92% of us are more likely to stay loyal, 88% are more likely to spend more, and 91% are willing to advocate on behalf of the brand.

Not only that, people are spending a significant more amount of time on social media as they’re quarantined to the house and working from home. 

My good friend Jason Cupp noted that many employees are laid off or furloughed and they may not have access to their work email addresses. If you don't have their personal email, you can surely catch them on social media. 

Developing a clear strategy for how you’ll build loyalty is critical right now. 

One of my social media marketing clients is Lotus Gardenscapes in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Working together, we’ve adopted a new slogan “Keep Calm and Garden On” during this time of uncertainty. We know that spring is on the way and just like the seasons turn, the times will turn too. Lotus is promoting words like calm, peace, serene, breathe and love to our target clients which are high end homeowners. 

Feature your PEOPLE. Showcase new team members, show pictures of people smiling and working hard. Mention your vendors and TAG them in your posts. It’s our duty as entrepreneurs and business owners to continue our commitment to serve our employees, clients and partners.

And please share. If local companies are putting out great content and you support their business - show it. Show it in real life, show it with real dollars, show it in digital life. 

When you’re posting for your clients, I encourage you to let them know that you care about them. I’ve seen so many great email responses that landscaping companies have sent to their clients. Utilize these same bullet points and create them visually.  

• Show your employees wiping down equipment with sanitary products. 
• Show how your account managers are doing video site visits instead of meeting with clients. 
• Show your staggered start times and how you're only staying 6' from each other.

Telling them in an email is one thing - SHOWING them with photos and video makes it real. 

Convey to your clients that you’re still doing business as usual. We all are seeking a sense of normalcy in the world right now and if they can rely on you for keeping their outdoor living space. People can literally get JOY out of their outdoor living spaces and your company can help put smiles on their faces. 

For budget reasons, you may need to make changes to your social media marketing strategy, but do not neglect it. Here are a few tips to optimize your time. 

• Focus on posts that live on forever rather than stories that disappear in 24 hours.
• Disperse the load internally. Ask team members to contribute one quote or photo per week. 
• Pick one platform and do it well. Don’t try to master them all when you’re operating lean. 
• Utilize free posting tools to schedule out in advance. Instead of “Netflix and Chill” this weekend, create engaging content for the next work week.  

On Tuesday March 17, Facebook announced in a blog post “We know that your business may be experiencing disruptions resulting from the global outbreak of COVID-19. We’ve heard that a little financial support can go a long way, so we are offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits to help during this challenging time.”

Facebook said the grants will be available for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries. That would be an average of $3,333 per business. Keep your eyes and ears open as this news develops. 

In the green industry, we are a very visual business! Platforms like Instagram and Facebook help us show off the beautiful projects we create.

That said, it doesn’t have to be perfect. You can resume professional photography and videography at a later date. 

Continue making content, but make it for less. An iPhone or other smartphones take crystal clear photos! Just remember to clean off the lens.

What would you add as you develop your Covid-19 social media responses? Drop your thoughts in the comments! 

Hang on. We’re in this together. 

Hugs 💜 Kelly