http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com Insights from green industry social media consultant, Chris Heiler en-us webmaster@LandscapeLeadership.com Landscapeleadershiphttp://feedburner.google.com http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/456.cfm This episode of the GetSocial! Radio Show featured Chuck Bowen, editor and associate publisher at Lawn & Landscape magazine, one of the premier trade magazines for green industry professionals. You can listen to the recording or download it here Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/455.cfm The results are in: Social media is officially too huge to ignore or put off any longer where customer service is concerned. Like it or not, social media is changing the way our customers interact with us. The question is, is this changing the way we interact with our customers? Sat, 19 May 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/454.cfm This episode of the GetSocial! Radio Show featured Andrew Spiering, founder of Land8 Media and Land8Lounge, the premier social network for landscape architects. You can listen to the recording or download it here Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/451.cfm There are a zillion (seems like it anyway) social media tools out there. We've got social networks, blogging platforms, social bookmarking, mobile apps, photo sharing, video sharing, podcasting and on and on (and on...). But what is most important to us--green industry businesses? You only have so much time. So you need to know where best to spend it as it relates to social media. In my opinion, the following 11 social networks and apps are the most important and relevant to green industry businesses Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/450.cfm This article originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of Green Profit magazine--a publication from Ball Publishing for green industry growers and retailers. Learn how growers and retailers can use Pinterest to engage in a meaningful way with their customers. Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/449.cfm There has been a lot of tech babble recently about how we are moving from a social web 2.0 world to a new mobile web 3.0. Some refer to it as the post-PC world. I'm not convinced that we will completely remove ourselves from the desktop experience anytime soon, but I am most definitely seeing more and more individuals and businesses seeking more mobility in their work. After all, who wants to sit at a desk all day? In my mind, mobility means freedom. And I've spent the last five years seeking exactly this. I've learned a lot along the way and have made plenty of mistakes. I thought I'd share part of my story with you here, starting with many of the tools and apps I use to run my business from anywhere Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/448.cfm In this episode of the GetSocial! Radio Show, Chris and Katie discussed social media etiquette and their numerous social media pet peeves. You can listen to the recording or download it here Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/447.cfm This episode of the GetSocial! Radio Show featured Richard Heller, CEO of Greener by Design, a full-service landscape company in New York committed to sustainability in their work and in their business . You can listen to the recording or download it here Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/446.cfm How did you spend your day last Friday? Did you know that more than 2,600 volunteers were busy giving back to their local communities across the country? This was the Professional Landcare Network's (PLANET) 4th annual Day of Service, coinciding with Earth Day. Thousands of green industry professionals and their volunteers participated in 150 projects, including landscaping elementary schools, city parks, monuments, playgrounds, group homes, and senior citizen homes as well as educating school children on the benefits of the green industry. It's estimated that $675,000 in time and services was donated during this year's Day of Service. Check out my Day of Service with Yardapes in Connecticut Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/445.cfm We're living in an era which will be viewed as a more historic period than even the industrial revolution when blood, sweat and tears fueled American dreams. When only the strong survived. Survival of the fittest? Today--and tomorrow--it's survival of the nimblest. "Nimble" is the new buzzword. There has been more innovation the past three years than the 30 years previous. Rapid innovation like this blows up traditional models, systems, organizations, lifestyles...everything! Rapid innovation means change. Learn what this change means to your business Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/444.cfm |image1Tumblr is a popular micro-blogging platform that has experienced tremendous growth over the past two years. Here are eight reasons why I think you should consider using Tumblr as part of your social media strategy Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/443.cfm This episode of the GetSocial! Radio Show featured Susan Cohan, landscape designer and cofounder/editor of Leaf Magazine, a digital publication featuring the hottest in outdoor style . You can listen to the recording or download it here Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/441.cfm In a previous episode of the GetSocial! Radio Show, our special guest, Matt Clark, from TweetPages.com discussed his "Top 5 Social Media Branding Mistakes". These social media branding mistakes are outlined in this post, so read on to learn what you may be doing wrong Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/439.cfm Why is it important that your green industry business have a strong web presence? It's not only to attract more customers. Read on to learn how your company's online presence impacts your ability to attract and hire top talent Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/438.cfm This episode of the GetSocial! Radio Show featured Matt Clark of TweetPages.com, who creates social media designs that help brand you and your business on social networks like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. We discussed Matt's "Top 5 Social Media Branding Mistakes". You can listen to the recording or download it here Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/410.cfm This first episode of the GetSocial! Radio Show featured Suzi McCoy of Garden Media Group, a public relations firm representing some of the biggest brands in the green industry. We discussed Garden Media Group's annual Garden Trends Report among numerous other random topics. You can listen to the recording or download it here Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/437.cfm I just wanted to take a minute this morning to share with all of my readers something I'm really proud of and excited about. At the urging of a few green industry friends and with the support of LandscapingNetwork.com, tonight I'm launching a brand new LIVE Internet radio show. The GetSocial! Radio Show kicks off at 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST TONIGHT! Read on for all the details Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/436.cfm The recent update to Facebook Pages is rolling out to all Pages on Friday, March 30th. Watch this webinar replay to catch up on all of the changes. Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/435.cfm Facebook Pages automatically switch over to the new Timeline format on Friday, March 30th. These new Page covers give businesses in highly-visual industries like ours a great opportunity to make a really strong first impression on visitors. This post discusses what you need to know about the new Facebook covers and showcases some great covers from green industry companies Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/434.cfm In this rocky economy, more landscape companies are selling on price. In turn, price expectations are being pushed downward. To become a landscape sales superstar and succeed against the low-ballers and shoppers, you'll need to arm yourself with new and improved landscape sales skills. Here are a few strategies from business consultant, author and speaker Jeffrey Scott that will boost your landscape sales success Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/433.cfm LinkedIn seems to be the most misunderstood social network. It certainly lacks the flash and buzz that constantly surrounds Facebook and Twitter (and Pinterest now). As a green industry professional you can get a lot out of LinkedIn--if you understand the best ways to use it. In Part 1 of this series I discussed exactly what not to do on LinkedIn. Be sure to read that post! In this follow up post I discuss LinkedIn best practices Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/432.cfm I took the adjacent photo at Fins Grill & Icehouse in Port Aransas, Texas. The small sticker on the bill cover says "Like us on Facebook". I've been seeing businesses implementing this "Like us on Facebook", or "Find us on Twitter", strategy more and more. And each time they fall a little short. Read why, and what you can do differently, in this post Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/430.cfm Using social media to effectively market your green industry business is not easy. It's a lot of work--especially content creation. It takes a lot of time. Time that we don't have much of to begin with. This is why I suggest "repurposing" and "cross-pollinating" your content. Learn more about this approach in this post Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/417.cfm If you're still one of those people saying, "Why should I spend time on social media? Nobody cares what I had for breakfast!" you could be missing out on a serious opportunity. Social media is not only a great way to find potential new customers and nurture your relationship with current customers, but it's also a great way to recruit new employees and show them that you're a company they want to work for. Here are a few ways you can put social media to work for you - and, in time, put great people to work for you, too Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/428.cfm I like to joke around in my presentations that, as a single dad, if I want to meet a single woman I probably shouldn't hang out at my boy's day care or the McDonalds play zone. I need to go where single women are likely to be. It's the same for your green industry business online. Let's explore where your business should be hanging out Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/427.cfm hold_ tease c Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/426.cfm It often comes as a surprise to many of the audiences I speak to when I mention that not all of your Facebook page updates are seen by your fans. The majority simply don't appear in your fan's news feeds. A recent study suggested, on average, only 10-30% of page updates actually appear in the news feed. Facebook's Edgerank algorithm dictates what appears in your followers news feeds. In the future, businesses may have more control over this, read on to learn why Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/425.cfm First, I write blog posts here on LandscapeLeadership.com for readers, not the search engines. In other words, I want to share my insights in a way that delivers value to you, the readers. I don't concern myself with where the blog post will rank on Google. But, SEO is critically important for drawing in new visitors to my website. So here is how I approach search engine optimization on my site Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/418.cfm Your customers and prospects don't care what you did five years ago. They only care about what you did five days ago. Or five minutes ago. Jaw-dropping projects. Ego-boosting awards. Publicity. Your degree (yup, I said that). And on and on. What matters most is right now! Real time. The more your business participates in real time, the more relevant your business is in the eyes of your prospects. Social media gives you a platform to participate in real time Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/416.cfm Should you and your business care about Facebook? Spend 30 seconds reading this post and you'll have a pretty clear answer for yourself Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/420.cfm What is Redbox? Well, literally, a really big red box parked at your local grocer, Walgreens, and McDonalds from which you can rent $1 movies (including new releases). Wow, that sounds like a pretty good business model doesn't it? Quite a niche in a highly competitive space. But it sounds like they will soon be diversifying...and you know how I feel about diversification. Your green industry business can learn a lot from Redbox. Read why Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/419.cfm Starting a Facebook page for your business? Develop a Facebook page content plan and editorial calendar first. Creating a Facebook page for your business can be a valuable complement to your company website--leading to a strong and balanced presence for your company on the Web. But you need a plan. You can download my Facebook page content plan here Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/415.cfm I use the term "professional" loosely. I get paid to speak. Do I do it well? I'm okay. I'm not as polished in the delivery as my peers like Jeff Korhan, Jeffrey Scott, or Marty Grunder. But I'll get better. Have you thought about becoming a speaker? Public speaking is a terrific platform for showcasing your expertise. And it can help generate new leads for your business. If you do want to jump into the speaking arena, learn from my mistakes. I've made a bunch Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/414.cfm First off, I was blown away by Scott Stratten's keynote this morning. Damn, that guy can deliver the goods! He's a great one to emulate as a professional speaker--he's funny, passionate and authentic. His core message: Your business doesn't have to be fully immersed in social media, but you at least have to have a broad understanding of why it is important and how it is being used (along with other new technologies like QR codes, etc.). Here are some other random thoughts from the ANLA Clinic Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/412.cfm Recently, I've taken to writing more press releases, primarily for one reason: To provide green industry publishers with unbiased, timely insights into current news and events that I think are relevant to professionals in the green industry. My hope in writing these is that the publishers find value in them and ultimately share them with their audiences. In this post I talk about the service I've been using to create my press releases Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/413.cfm It's that time of year again. Yup...time to get your education on! And one of the best places and events to do that is at ANLA's annual Management Clinic in Louisville, Kentucky. I'm giving you a chance to "feed your mind" for FREE by giving away a couple of Clinic registrations, complements of my friends at ANLA. Get the details here Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/411.cfm To be successful with social media now, people must trust you enough to invite you into their networks and, really, their lives - and that means being a consistent, constant presence. That presence doesn't have to be huge, and it shouldn't be disruptive. But it should be noticeable, and it should be enriching. Because you're not just pushing advertising and marketing copy to customers now, there's a different set of rules that apply to timing your social media, too Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/407.cfm To say I've had a challenging past 12 months would be an understatement. My divorce was finalized in early spring. We sold our home at a huge financial loss (all mine, lucky me) in early summer. I sold practically everything I owned two weeks later, said goodbye to my friends and family in Michigan, then hopped a plane to Texas to be with my son. Then 70 days of 100+ degree temperatures followed (it was the hottest three months ever!). Along with those challenges I managed to pick up some insight along the way. I'd like to share this with you here Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/405.cfm LinkedIn seems to be the most misunderstood social network. It certainly lacks the flash and buzz that constantly surrounds Facebook and Twitter. But everyone seems to be on it. It was the first social network I joined, and I would bet the same is true for many of you. Estimates put the LinkedIn user number around 135 million (and they're adding about 1 million users per week). As a green industry professional you can get a lot out of LinkedIn--if you understand the best ways to use it as well as its limitations Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/401.cfm I recently had the privilege to speak with Suzi McCoy, founder and president of Garden Media Group, the leading public relations and social media firm in the "green" outdoor living industry. Garden Media Group works with big name clients such as Ball Horticulture, Costa Farms, Hines Growers, Campania International and the Conard-Pyle Co. The PR agency also helped introduce The Knock Out Roses and Endless Summer Hydrangeas. There are some great take aways in this interview with Suzi, so give it a listen! Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/400.cfm Apps, apps, apps...I'm a big fan of apps. I go through apps on my Android smartphone like...well, I'll spare you the dirty Walt Chamberlain reference. I've been through a lot of them. Narrowing my list of top social media mobile apps down to just five wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. These are the five that I use most for "business" Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/399.cfm Did you know that Facebook is the world's largest photo sharing site? More photos are uploaded to Facebook than even Photobucket, Flickr and Picasa--each of which is solely a photo sharing site. Did you know that consumers absolutely love looking at pictures of the creative work we do? Notice all the home and garden magazines? HGTV? In our line of work we have an endless amount of creative imagery we can share. And Facebook has proven to be the absolute best place to share it. Here's how four companies in the landscape industry are sharing images on their Facebook Pages Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/398.cfm Every single one of you reading this has extensive experience and knowledge of our industry. If you can learn how to package your expertise you can boost your credibility and grow your business exponentially. We are now our own publishers and PR agents. We control our message. This is a huge opportunity that requires you to create a lot of content on a regular basis. Read more to learn exactly how to do this Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/397.cfm We can learn a lot by watching what other companies in our industry are doing on Facebook. Case in point: Landform Design Group in Salt Lake City, Utah. I've been following the company's Facebook Page for over a year now and continue to be impressed with how they share images of their landscape work with their Facebook fans. Learn how they "tell a story" through pictures and engage their fans over an extended period of time Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/396.cfm I've always been a big believer in using yard signs on landscape projects. It's an easy way to "brand" a project site and create buzz before and during the landscape construction process. Now there is an easy way to combine this traditional marketing strategy with mobile technology that will allow you to give project passerby an interactive and memorable experience right from their cell phones. Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/395.cfm LandscapingNetwork.com is the website I wish I had created. It was launched only recently but I have been super-impressed by what the team in California has been doing thus far. They have created a truly valuable resource for both landscape professionals and homeowners. First and foremost, LandscapingNetwork.com can be a tremendous source of leads for your business. Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/394.cfm This Quick Start Guide will help you create a Facebook Page for your business the right way, according to Facebook policy. It will also enable you to quickly build momentum for your Page and, just as important, sustain your momentum. I see many companies hot to start a Facebook Page only to see it fizzle out within three months. Follow the steps outlined in this guide and that won't happen to your Page. Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/393.cfm There is no shortage of online tools, apps, and services to help you market and manage your business online. I've tried so many of these things I can't keep track of what I've signed up for anymore. In this article I introduce my 10 favorite online tools that I regularly use in my business and also for my clients. Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/391.cfm A member of LandscapeLeadership recently asked me, as it relates to social media and her business, "How can I avoid getting swamped and overwhelmed?" In this article I'll give you five tips to avoid this stress. Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 -08 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/390.cfm How do you collect inspiring ideas that fuel your creative process? As a landscape designer I used to rip and tear, scan, snap, file, pin...you name it, anything to capture a cool idea I could draw on later for inspiration. The problem I've had personally is finding and organizing relevant, high quality images from other people online that can assist me in my design process. Consider this problem solved Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -08