http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com LandscapeLeadership | Green Industry Social Media Consultant, Speaker, and Expert en-us webmaster@LandscapeLeadership.com http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/415.cfm 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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/414.cfm 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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/412.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/413.cfm 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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/411.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/407.cfm 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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/405.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/public/401.cfm 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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/400.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/399.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/398.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/397.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/396.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/395.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/394.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/393.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/391.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/390.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/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 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/389.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/389.cfm Creating a Facebook Page for your green industry business is easy. The next step--getting the right people to "Like" your Page--can be a little more difficult. Fear not, my friends! I've got 15 proven ways to get more qualified folks to like your Facebook Page. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/388.cfm http://www.LandscapeLeadership.com/members/388.cfm What one thing sets you apart from your competition? This differentiator is what should shape your social media efforts. So, what makes you so unique? Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0800