7 great marketing ideas for flower shops

Growing your customer base as a florist takes the same care and creativity as you give your blooms. However, many florists struggle to come up with new ways to engage customers. Whether you’re opening a new shop or simply looking for inspiration, these seven floral marketing ideas can help give you a fresh new perspective on your flower shop advertising. 

1. Revamp your email marketing

Email is king when it comes to marketing ROI. Data from email marketing tool Constant Contact found that, on average, brands made $36 for every U.S. dollar they spent on email marketing. There are dozens of free platforms that make it easy to set up and run email campaigns. Plus, many of these tools offer templates that let you showcase your latest arrangements, in-season blooms, or photos from recent events. Revisit your marketing strategy with these tips to make sure you’re maximizing the impact of every email you send. 

2. Try SMS marketing

SMS marketing (text message marketing) has become one of the best ways to reach customers, competing with email as one of the most affordable, highest-converting marketing channels. More than 80% of consumers check their texts within five minutes of receiving a notification, and SMS open rates are as high as 98%. 

Plus, SMS marketing is about as simple as it gets. Character limits and restrictions on sending media files mean your business is limited to sending straightforward, direct messages. When used in coordination with email marketing, SMS texts can be a good way to stay top-of-mind for your customers and encourage more frequent visits. 

3. Share your expertise

Customer loyalty is the holy grail of a growing business. Fostering that loyalty requires building trust—and what better way to do that than by sharing your expertise? Share your knowledge with customers to help them boost the longevity of their blooms, plan their wedding floral arrangements with confidence, or pick the right flowers for their next occasion. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

• Write a blog post outlining the most popular blooms by season to help customers figure out which stems should go together
• Create behind-the-scenes footage for social media demonstrating how you arrange bouquets for dinner parties, corporate delivery, or wedding centerpieces
• Send an email campaign with the three steps customers should take to boost the lifespan of their bouquet at home

Make sure you consistently create content that positions you as the go-to expert for all things floral. You can also collect customer feedback to learn what topics interest them. 

4. Ask for online reviews

Speaking of customer feedback, it can also be a great resource for your next florist advertising campaign. According to Hubspot, 55% of consumers learn about products through word of mouth, and 40% make purchases based on word-of-mouth recommendations. 

Online reviews are a great way to make word-of-mouth marketing work for you. Tools like Clover Feedback offer a way to solicit reviews from existing customers, find the best ones, and use them as testimonials in your florist advertising. Consider promoting your business profile on review sites like Yelp and Google Reviews, on your business website, social media channels, and in email newsletters. You’ll be more likely to get more positive reviews from happy customers, so consider ways to capture the attention of your most satisfied customers to motivate them to spread the word about your business.

5. Become the host with the most

Flower shops actually have many options when it comes to event marketing. Host a floral arranging class, a how-to for terrarium planting, a “meet the designer” event, a self-serve flower bar, or classes in orchid care or bonsai shaping. These types of floral events are easily marketed as birthday gifts or party experiences and can produce both flower sales and independent revenue. You can even activate gift cards through Clover to make it easy for customers to give an event ticket to their friends and family. 

6. Don’t write off print advertising

Many florists are in the unique position of selling exclusively to businesses and customers within a specific delivery radius. That means there’s a higher likelihood that offline, print advertising—billboards, flyers, business cards, and direct mail—will actually be seen by your target audience. Tools like Canva offer an easy way to design your own marketing materials on a budget. Leave flyers or business cards with other local businesses to reach a new set of customers. Consider donating flowers to charity events or giving branded gifts to corporate events. Send direct mail campaigns to your delivery area offering a small discount for first-time customers. 

7. Participate in industry events

Those in the business say that, especially for wedding florist marketing, events, and trade shows can be a big boost for new customers. Going to wedding shows and other big industry events can be a shortcut for getting your florist shop in front of many people in one effort. And, with Clover Go, you’re set to accept payments or even book a gig on the go. 

Clover has tons of resources to help your business bloom. From seamless payments and portable devices to customer loyalty programs and employee management, learn how Clover’s POS software for florists can help take your business to the next level. 

Editorial Team

Marketing, Retail, Strategy

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