With over 500 Million people on Facebook and an estimated 280 million with Twitter accounts, there is no doubt that social media is a huge and impressive marketing tool for your marketing arsenal.
The significance of social media for businesses is not to be taken lightly. Expanding your brand’s potential reach via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more, has become the holy grail of marketing. According to a recent Exact Target study, 69% of all Facebook users are a fan of one or more company Pages, leaving little room for argument that social media marketing can have significant impact on your business and ultimately, sales. In fact, a whopping 92% of marketers are already using Facebook today, according to a study from Social Media Examiner, with 75% of them planning on increasing their activity in the future.
But how are small businesses using social media, let’s look at two real business case studies. Flowers Made Easy is a small florist shop in Dublin, Ireland and daFlores.com is a family-owned florist based in Florida, USA. Along with other marketing practices, they both use social media.
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daFlores.com provides Spanish and English telephone and online customer service. In April 2010, daFlores released Portuguese, Italian, French and Dutch versions of its sites. The company operates through a network of experienced local florists who must pass strict quality checks. They have been using social media before it was fashionable to do so. This video is an an interview with Franscisco Bustos, the CEO of the florist business.
oretta
Extracted from Flowerona blog
Summer Wedding Flowers Event at New Covent Garden Flower Market
The buzz words for the event yesterday were blogging and tweeting. And Alison [Alison Lovett Style Editor at Wedding Flowers Magazine] recommended that, if they didn’t already have one, that florists should start a blog to showcase their work, as blogging has really taken off in a big way.
Blogging and tweeting were mentioned again. And Simon [Simon Nickell] highlighted how important it is for florists to embrace social media. Euphoric Flowers themselves are on Twitter and also have a blog.
oretta
Social Media Marketing Ideas
More ideas for florists:
*Facebook Business Page (Fan Page) | *QR Codes |*Facebook App |*SMS Messaging |*Twitter Page | *Mobile Advertising | *Blog |*You Tube Channel | *Facebook Places Page | mobile enabled website|QR Codes
A QR code (short for Quick Response) is a 2D matrix barcode. The information encoded can be url links, geo coordinates, text, videos or websites.
Users with a smartphone equipped with a QR code reader can scan the QR code to display information.
As well as being used online the code can be printed for offline use. For example on your business cards, the back of your message cards or wrapping paper. Giving customers instant access to your information.
You could allow customers to record personalised greetings or videos and create a QR code that is then delivered with their flowers.
Combine your QR Code with your mobile website
IMAGINE THIS SCENARIO
A rushed commuter is dashing to catch their early early morning train to work. As they are rushing past a florist they spot a poster with a special offer for a dozen red roses. It reminds them that it’s their partner’s birthday or maybe it’s Valentines Day. They spot the QR code on the poster so they whip out their smart phone and scan the code and rush on to catch the train.
Now aboard the train they take out their mobile and navigate to the QR code details. With one click they are taken to the florist’s mobile optimised website where there is a simple option to purchase the dozen red roses. The transaction is completed using their credit card or PayPal. The customer is happy because of the easy purchase and the florist is happy because they raised their brand awareness and made a sale all whilst they were closed, win win all round.
Facebook Applications (apps)
A Facebook app is much the same as a mobile phone app. They come in all different shapes and sizes (metaphorically speaking) and allow the user to do all manner of things.
Many florists have created Facebook apps. Here’s a few we found:
Social Flowers
Social Flowers lets you buy and send real, fresh flowers to another Facebook member in the United States and Canada. Flowers are delivered by a local florist in a network of over 30,000 florists.
Flowers For Fun
This app was created by Areana Flowers and allows you to send virtual flowers to your Facebook friends. The app could be monitised by offering discounts to its users when they purchase real flowers.
daFlores
daFlores developed a gifting application. In addition to providing a utility to send virtual or real flower arrangements to friends on Facebook, the application allows you to schedule your gifts, send real gifts instead of virtual ones, post your arrangements to your wall, send gifts directly from your wall. Also there are greeting card options, a mini wall version of the app and a widget that displays featured floral arrangements by DaFlores.
The app was an instant fan favorite, attracting more than 50,000 users in its first week of launch.
oretta
Facebook Social Media For Florist Discussion Page
To interact on this page click here.
A few Tweets re: Florists
@Roselover24 it’s expensive, tho. That’s the bummer. Wish it was easier to contact local florists to support local businesses
@BarbieGab Fairytale flowers so cute http://lockerz.com/s/99861629
@girl600show @gillespiefloris My ProFlowers Crappy Mothers Day experience twitpic.com/4ushki
@YvonnePhoto @suzselectVA @MaryB_Design we definately should – liking the florists coffee shop at the bottom of barnet hill… (cont) http://deck.ly/~Vv6oD
@primaldefense @907jw yeah, florists always seem to do that. I usually go with Proflowers if I want it done perfect and on time….
@LilMissFickle Thank gawd for online florists (queue spambots) nearly forgot my Grandma’s birthday #Mallyfailaverted 
@marrymesomersetWe’re looking for fabulous Devon Florists with flair to join http://tinyurl.com/6fvlnrf Contact us for Membership info
@HR_KatherineWedding hiccup one was the florists forgetting to deliver the pedestals for the flower displays (they went back and got them!)
@AngiesMomma florists suck… they rip you off when you order from out of state. #rayhunter florist in Southgate Michigan scams you – don’t use them.
@whatadoweddings Claire Arnot at Claire De Lune #florists thanks soo much for all your help!!
@floranext @newmediatwee Sorry to hear about your MDay! Better to go to local florists directly next year, not national chains! http://bit.ly/lb0w9G
Flowers Made Easy video script: eBusiness Live daFlores video Script: PRWeb
I have been using Social Media marketing for years first with a blog and then with the top 3 – Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.
Blogging is one of my favorites because it has gotten our shop national attention with several floral magazines. We have been written about for our blog in Flowers &, and Florist magazine.
I wrote a post about Ethnic weddings and our shop ended up in a two page spread in Flowers & magazine AND we got a customer from the blog post who booked her wedding because she read the article online.
Facebook allows us to share specials with our fans as well as remind them of upcoming holidays and why flowers play such an important role.
Thanks for the great article. We have been toying with the idea of creating an app. guess we better get busy!
Regards,
Heidi Richards Mooney, President
Eden Florist & Gift Basktes
Thanks Heidi for your great comment. It’s wonderful to hear that you have been having such great success with your social media endeavours. Your comment totally sums up why I wrote the blog in the first place. Done properly, social media is a very effective marketing tool. If you haven’t already, you should consider a mobile website. The figures are staggering for the amount of people that use their mobile to access online media. Thanks again ;0)
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Oretta
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This may not be the best place to ask this, but, I want a good Fresno flowershop and I have not idea where to look do you have any info on this a flowershop in Fresno? Its located in Fresno, near my office I can’t find reviews on them — Fresno Flowers, 3101 East Washington Ave., Fresno, CA 93701 – (559) 940-6227
Hi Bradshaw
Unfortunately I don’t. I live in the UK and if it were me I would first go to my nearest business advisor or local council that kind of thing. I would also do a search on the Internet for ‘Flower shop Fresno for sale’. I did a quick search on Google for you and I came up with this link: http://bit.ly/w83zvP. I’m sure if you took more time, you could find something to start your research with.
I wish you the best of luck and let me know how you get on.
Oretta