February 25-27 will call bloggers back to Atlanta for the second edition of the The Garden Bloggers Conference, and I'm thrilled. The first one, which took place in September 2013, floored me. Everything was spot on, from the quality of the speakers to the engagement of the attendees. This year's event is shaping up to be even better.
Check out the lineup, and while you're there, be sure to vote for the
Garden Bloggers Hall of Fame, which, yea, we're sponsoring! (This gal here gets to present the awards, and I've been working on perfecting the phrase, "And the winner is...")
Below are my six takeaways from the first event as they originally appeared in the October 2013 Garden Writers Newsletter. If you're interested in receiving this monthly newsletter,
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Recap: Garden Bloggers Conference
Last week’s first annual
Garden Bloggers Conference, hosted by DigitalSherpa in
Atlanta, welcomed 125 bloggers to a two-day event mixing general merriment with
quality, actionable tips from garden superstars and marketing professionals
alike. It was enthusiastic madness. The Twitter feed was going wild.
Inspiration coursed through my veins and ink through my pen. I took a dozen
pages of notes.
Now home, I can reflect upon this newfound knowledge and make sense of the
scribbles. I’ve packaged some of my favorite lessons into bite sized tidbits
for your enjoyment. For an overwhelming play-by-play, visit the Twitter feed
using
#gardenblogconf.
Tell a good story.
A good story provides suspense, drama, comedy, and surprise. These aren’t words
often associated with a typical plant profile – unless you’re New York Times'
bestselling author
Amy Stewart. She reminded us that people are the characters
that lead through the story, not the plants. In his keynote address, plantsman
Dan Hinkley used his personal history to similarly
illustrate that it’s not just about the plants, but the memories and
interactions surrounding them.
Find a new perspective.
Mark Twain’s quote that there are no new ideas is, well, nothing new, but
Rochelle Greayer of
Leaf Magazine and
Studio 'g' approached this topic with a new and
memorable perspective to make this lesson all her own: cat photos. The more you
observe, listen, and learn from those that have come before you, the more you
can create your own perspective on gardening and find your unique voice.
Create something beautiful.
…Whether it is in your garden, in a photograph, or the graphic design of your
chosen outlet. The horticulture world is one of beauty, and our work in its
communication should reflect that. One of the most tweeted comments came from
Gardenista’s editor-in-chief, Michelle Slatalla,
when she said that images are the currency of media. Felicia Feaster,
editor-in-chief of
HGTV Gardens, reiterated the importance of
aesthetics by saying that when you care about design, it shows pride in your
content.
Be intentional.
Chris Heiler from
Landscape Leadership stressed the importance of being
deliberate in each action you take in order to move toward the mission set by
your brand. Work with purpose, not just because everyone else is doing
something.
Fine Gardening editor, Steve Aitken, said that
digital media can learn from traditional print media in this regard. The
beloved magazine is constantly testing and analyzing content to guarantee that
they’re meeting the needs of their readers, which is their number one priority.
“Know who you are,” he said, “and stick to it!”
SEO is important – but not that important.
Search Engine Optimization is a term that is not going anywhere. The experts
from DigitalSherpa shared how developing keywords, properly labeling photos,
and utilizing analytics can help your website or blog raise its search engine
standings and attract new readers. A few easy clicks, and your traffic could
double… but as Robin Horton from
Urban Gardens reminded us, we need to write for
people and not robots. “Google has no sense of humor.”
Build relationships.
Social media has allowed us to connect and build a massive community of garden
enthusiasts, but every now and again, somebody forgets his or her manners.
Don’t be
that person. Respect, gratitude, and collaboration are so
important.
Seasonal Wisdom’s Teresa O’Connor noted again and
again that success is easier when you are working with others, while Amy
Flurry, author of
Recipe for Press, gave one of my favorite pieces
of advice from the conference, “Be lovely and easy to work with.” Simply and
beautifully put.
The Pantone Color of the Year for 2017 is “Greenery”. It looks lime green in color to me and was
featured prominently throughout the show in a wide variety of plants. This trend has been growing for a while as
more gardeners are looking for that extra ‘pop’ in the landscape. Two
newer introductions ‘Golden
Treasure’ Dwarf Birch Betula (pictured right) and Chardonnay
Pearls® Deutzia are prime examples of this bright
cheery green color. 
