How do I advertise my flower business?

There are so many ways to advertise your flower business and as a Digital Marketer, it's my duty to define what advertising really means. Business owners tend to confuse advertising with marketing but those are two different concepts. Marketing is making the world aware of your business and advertising is promoting your offers. In simple words, advertising is part of a marketing campaign.

I'm pretty sure you're looking for help on how to "promote" your flower business, so I'm going to teach you how to do it from an online marketer perspective. You won't be disappointed. Let's start!

Table of contents

1. Online advertisement and paid campaigns: how to do it the right way

2. How to market yourself as a florist

3. How to increase your sales as a florist

1/Online advertisement and paid campaigns: how to do it the right way

One of the best ways to increase your visibility is to invest in Google or Social Media ads and that's just for online advertising. But here's my biggest advice when it comes to ads: do not spend a cent on ads if you're struggling to get organic sales. The rule is to get regular inquiries, customers and sales BEFORE running ads. I made that mistake as a small business owner a few years ago and I've lost thousands with Meta Ads. Speaking from experience here, please make sure you're able to generate revenue through word of mouth or any other means before setting aside a budget for online advertisement.

Because I love you, here are the best platforms you can run ads on to grow your flower business' exposure.

Instagram: Who doesn't love Instagram nowadays? Try selling your arrangements there and do your best to do it organically in the beginning.

TikTok: TikTok is no longer for gen Z only. You'll likely find customers and brides-to-be on that channel. Be creative and/or follow the trends to maximise your chance of going viral.

Pinterest: Did you know that Pinterest is a search engine? It's not a social media channel, flower friend. Create a profile on Pinterest and optimise its SEO. Share all your past works if you're a wedding florist, show off your custom arrangements if you're freelancing and watch your monthly views grow! I've been using Pinterest for years and I'm now able to gain free traffic everyday. There are plenty of videos about Pinterest SEO on YouTube, take time to binge them when you're free.

Please don't forget what I've shared earlier. Make sales, get booked first BEFORE using ads to generate more revenue.

And if you're at a stage where you're already established then hire an expert of the platform of your choice to guide you. Yes it'll be slightly more expensive but trying to run your campaigns by yourself with 0 knowledge and experience will inevitably lead to frustration. Online advertisement is a game of numbers: the more you pay the better the results. But you have to know how to do it. Book a call with a consultant and expert and get feedback from them. Avoid spending thousands on ads on your own. It's not as easy as you think it is.

And know that you can now read my article on how to promote flowers on social media. I’ve covered the best practices to sell flowers on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and even Pinterest! Read that article and make more impact online. We both know that your business craves it and you deserve it. You need more recognition and the best way to do so is to leverage social media.

2/How to market yourself as a florist

Leverage your social media following if you have one. Engage with your followers. Be active in your community and partner with like-minded people. Not sure why many small business owners neglect this basic principle of social media. Talk to your audience, ask them questions. Word of mouth is still powerful despite what other marketers may say about it. One or two satisfied customers can refer you to their friends and family. You may not see this tip as a "real" promotion tool but it is! Promoting your flower business online starts with simple daily actionable steps.

Run giveaways to grow your audience for free. A trick to get more attention for your giveaway: ask the participants to tag as many friends as they can in the comments. Creativity and originality are essential to effectively promote and market your floral business.

You can also partner with businesses in your niche. e.g. If you're a wedding florist, make friends with wedding photographers, ask them to refer you when a couple books them. And you can do the same thing for them!

Work with professionals in your industry like wedding rentals businesses, makeup artists, hair stylists, etc

And for those who are only offering daily bouquets or flower subscriptions, share your availability with others.

e.g. When graduating season approaches, get in touch with teachers to sell your graduation bouquets. Be nice. Don't force the conversation, build and nurture the relationship overtime. It's not manipulation, it's marketing.

Another great example is to give your business cards when it's relevant to do so. Bring your business card next time you go to the hairdresser. Tell them that you're now offering flower subscriptions and let word of mouth do its work.

3/How to increase your sales as a florist

This one will trigger more than 1 florist but I have to say it. Friend, you need to get out of your comfort zone. I want you to know that there's no "perfect" way to promote your flower business online or in real life. Your mindset and willingness to put yourself out there will dictate your success. Conquer your fears, be bold and don't hold back.

How does it look like when you're selling online?

It looks like talking to the camera in your Instagram Story. It's sharing your story and being vulnerable. You'd be surprised to find out that many people are secretly rooting for you!

Leave comments when you feel like it. No it's not a waste of time. It's a way of saying "hey I like what you shared and I want you to know it" It doesn't make you look desperate at all. You're not begging them to buy from you or notice you. Don't listen to that negative voice in your head saying otherwise.

Participate in local events and/or set up your flower stand during weekends. Yes you want to wake up at 9 on Saturday but your floral business won't promote itself (unless you have some sort of automation running behind the scenes.) I know for a fact that many florists feel like selling this way doesn't align with their brand image. The good news is: you choose where you're selling.

You don't have to do it at the farmer's market if you're specialising in luxury flowers. In this case, set up your stand when the event matches your services. The idea is the same though. Do something you wouldn't normally do because of limiting beliefs or self-imposed rules.

I don't want this article to be too long so let's conclude.

Promoting and advertising your flower business is a matter of choice. Ultimately you'll choose what's making sense to you. You'll put yourself out there based on your personality and your ability to stretch yourself to achieve more. You'll do whatever it takes when it's really important to you. My final suggestion is to write down all the tips you find online and separate them in 2 columns:

1. what you know you can do because it's easy and you don't mind doing it

2. what you think is not necessary at all but you like the idea of it

Next, craft a plan with all the easy tasks & actions and execute. Self-discipline is crucial when it comes to marketing your flower business.

Last step, think of alternatives to adapt the ideas in the 2nd column and again, execute.

Need help? Your table could look like this.

What you know you can do, what's easy for you	What you think is not necessary but you like the idea of it
Running ads on Instagram	Hiring an expert to run ads on Instagram
Actively engage with your followers - talk with them	Build genuine relationships and leverage word of mouth power - give them your business cards
Run giveways on Intsagram & TikTok	Go live on Intsagram
Partner with wedding rentals businesses, makeup artists, hair stylists, wedding photographers	Share your story
Participate in local events	Show support - leave comments
Set up a flower stand and sell

Now, all of this is interesting and deep but what if you’re still unsure if floristry is for you or not?

Can anyone become a florist after all? I wrote an article about that subject and you should give it a read if you have doubts about becoming a florist. 

And if you’re struggling to make the ends meet and be profitable in your flower business, then consider reading my tips on how to make money selling flowers online. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain knowledge. Do it for your future self.

That's a wrap! Let me know in the comments if you need further guidance on how to advertise your flower business.

Hope you like today's read. See you in my next post.

Take care x