Editor ’ s note : GWA invited Lori Greene to share some of the points she made during her keynote address at the inaugural GWA NextGen summit in Philadelphia in August .
The Future of Horticulture Communications Has Arrived : Are You Ready ? BY LORI GREENE
How do you stay relevant and add value to the conversation while technology is disrupting the very idea of communication ? Keeping up can be a riveting pastime , yet it helps to discover what ’ s most important . Here are 10 crucial trends that I spoke about at GWA ’ s NextGen summit . They can help you sculpt your destiny .
PHOTO COURTESY GWA
1 . Data : The Secret to Super-Serving Your Audience Data is now everywhere and is a hot topic , but what does it mean for gardening communicators ? It ’ s about really and truly knowing your audience . This knowledge can help you with much more than just your target ’ s demographics . You can use it to find their psychographics , as well as behavioral and transactional information . Don ’ t forget , there ’ s also nothing quite like studying your audience in person to gain ethnographic insights . Once you have all of this covered , you can create audience personas or muses to help you develop the most engaging and informative content for their needs .
2 . Mobile First , Last , Always The numbers are staggering :
• Two-thirds of digital media consumption is now spent on mobile .
• There are more searches on mobile than desktop .
• Eighty-seven percent of millennials are never without their phones .
• There are now more tablet sales than TV sales in the US .
• For millennials , 73 percent would rather give up alcohol than their smartphone , 33 percent would rather give up sex , and crazy as this is , 22 percent would rather give up their toothbrush .
So , everything , and I mean everything you do , must start with mobile . Think about your headlines , your subheads , your video and your photography from a mobile mindset .
Lori Greene talked about communications and market trends at the NextGen 2016 Summit .
3 . There ’ s a Screen for That
Speaking of mobile , there is now a screen for pretty much any occasion . Your audience probably is consuming media on four different screens , so you need to develop content that works on those particular devices . Smartphones are about time and place . Tablets are more for browsing , seeing beautiful visuals and relaxing . Laptops are for working , information-gathering and viewing videos . Gaming consoles do everything , but they ’ re built for fun and games . And , let ’ s not forget that trucks , billboards , taxis and even bridges now have screens .
4 . Social Media : All Grown Up
Social media might not yet be in middle age , but most of the platforms we use every day have matured . They ’ re generating revenue , collecting data , morphing and improving daily . What that means for you is that you must change with them . Delete is no longer the default for Snapchat , Facebook has hashtags , Instagram just launched Stories , and Yik Yak is still big on college campuses . Do something different . If not , the effectiveness of your posts will decrease . Make incremental improvements , stay current on upgrades and keep refining your content .
5 . Video is Everything Right now , 100-billion video views are consumed on Snapchat daily . By next year , 74 percent of all internet traffic will be video . Mobile video viewing increases 100 percent annually . So , what should you do ? Double down on video production ; experiment with formats , lengths , and new technology ; and most importantly , learn how to tell innovative and effective stories with video .
6 . Live Streaming : You ’ re a TV Network
Tap a button and you can be live to the world in an instant . That is powerful . When Twitter ’ s Periscope came on the scene last year , it revolutionized the world of live streaming . You no longer needed expensive , specialized equipment to enable anyone to see your events and activities . If you are interviewing a high profile person , live stream it . When you ’ re doing an event , live stream it . While you ’ re planting , pruning , designing , cooking , eating , live stream it . And don ’ t forget Facebook Live with the platform ’ s audience in the billions .
7 . AR / VR : Enhanced and Alternate Realities Augmented Reality or AR has been around for years , but it caught fire a mere month ago with the launch of Pokemon Go . Suddenly , AR was the next big thing . It ’ s about using a mobile device to enhance the environment around you . This is the ideal tool for horticulture communicators , as you can explain the plants , flowers and environment that you created and
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