Advertising for your flower shop business can be a daunting task.

Like it or not the cold hard truth is that sex sells and attracts consumers more than any other form of advertising. Finding a sexual cleverness is the answer to making your floral marketing responsive for your flower shop business, remember to always add a touch of humor. In this blog, we will show you options for increasing the sexiness in your floral business while keeping it tasteful.

Courtesy Of www.jamieaston.com

Sexy Floral Website

This is your weapon to reach a large consumer demographic, so why not play on the fact the SEX SELLS and in this case SEX SELLS FLOWERS TOO! Many florists are already doing this – It’s Brilliant and it works!

• Sexy flower specials
• Seductive web banners
• Sensual Flower Arrangement Images

Photo via Pinterest via listal.com

Fact: Sex in advertising is the most effective selling tool. Sex and marketing is a winning combination for any business – knowing how to be tasteful is the key ingredient!

Photo via Pinterest via trendhunter.com

Send Alluring Mail and Florist Email Flyers

Be creative! Romance does not only happen on Valentine’s Day, it happens every day. With the up-rise on social media dating sites, a good idea is to play on the humorous marketing associated with these ever so popular sites. Create sultry flower advertisements and add them to your floral website, social media, and send them out in the mail or part of your floral shop’s email marketing campaign.

Photo of Woman via Pinterest

Great Tip: Make some flyers up and drop them off at your local barber shop, pub/bar, gym, or popular hangouts, the more attractive and humorous and they are, the more responses you will get.

photo via Pinterest

Florists Future in Sexy Advertising  

Florists, sex is here to stay and with each passing year, it is getting more and more blatant. With the internet explosion, sex and advertisement is everywhere and you should expect to see more of it as time passes. Keep your floral ads sexy, tasteful with a touch of humor.

Fellow florists, if you are currently using sex in your floral marketing, please share your ideas and feedback with our readers.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Do you know your Florist SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) for flower shops is a way of increasing traffic to your online store by placing your website on the first-page of search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc).

Having an organic search result of 3, 2 or 1 will guarantee you more clicks and orders, considering your floral website is user-friendly and appealing. Here are some common myths and facts about florist website SEO!

Myth or Fact #1 – Companies can guarantee my floral shop placement on Google

Myth! No company has an in with Google or any other search engine, and no company can place you first – SEO takes time and work. Companies will often tell you that for a small fee and my floral shop can list number 1 in my organic search results on the first page. There is absolutely no way to guarantee your placement. 

Myth or Fact #2 – Florist search results are composed of Organic, Local, and PPC 

FACT! What does this mean? 

• Pay Per Click (PPC) – Are ads that you pay for. Once someone clicks on your ad, you will be charged the agree amount. 
• Local Results – derived from your Google My Business profile
• Organic Results  – Is the natural placement listed on a search engine results – methods such as keywords, back linking and writing high-quality content can all improve a site’s ranking.

Myth or Fact #3 – Local Results are another type of search 

Fact!  Local search results are super important – you have seen the map on Google . Local search narrows down searches to a particular geographic area. These results are above the page and take a lot of space and are super appealing to the consumers as it shows them what they need in their area. Get on this map if you are not currently on it https://www.google.com/business/

Myth or Fact #4 – My flower shop ranks first on Google

Myth and may be Fact! OK this may be a trick answer but more often customers think they are first when in reality they are not. What, you may ask?

Well, it’s an easy secret revealed that many do not want you to know. On Google look over to your top right right:

• Personal Results – the person icon is selected by default – this will show you personalized results
• World/Global Results – the globe icon will give you the results that most of the rest of the world sees

Myth or Fact #5 – Content on my florist website is not important

Myth! Content which means text is super important, search engines indexes words and you want them to pick up on your keywords. Be a writer and add text! Search engines love to see wordy About Us pages and full descriptions of all your wedding and sympathy work, pages for the towns you deliver to, florist tips, and more.

Myth or Fact #6 – My florist website is cute and popular, so it lists higher

Myth! A cute website does not make sales, some customers list number 1 and still have poor ordering traffic on their website, consumers like simple and easy. 

Myth or Fact#7 – My floral mobile site is not really that important

Myth! Consumers use their mobile device more than any other device for online shopping. Websites that are suitable for mobile versions have priority on Google. Please make sure your floral website provider is equipped for all mobile and tablets devices.

There are many facets of SEO, however knowing these general basics will give you a upperhand on understanding how it works. It is good to have your website provider help answer any other questions you may have. Remembering that SEO takes time and requires patience however you will get there.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

With summer quickly approaching it is great to have a good grasp on fresh summer floral arrangements.

Get top dollar for your innovated creativity and unique designs. 

Great Tip:  During slower summer days, make sample arrangements of these ideas and post on your Florist Website.

image via google.com

image via google.com

Summer Flowers and Food

Flower and food arrangements  have been around for a long time – however, this is the hottest latest trend for summer. Incorporate beautiful fruits and vegetables in your floral arrangements for all occasions. Good to point out this is not limited to events or corporate , make  summer flower  fruit, or vegetable arrangements  for all your  customers  this season,  we guarantee you  will be the talk of the town.

image via google.com

Try a New Summer Floral Vessel

Vases and baskets are a must in a flower shop – however good to play on adding these arrangements to new vessels. Customers love to see something different and perhaps something they can keep and use after- it’s the arrangement that keeps on giving.

Great Tip:  Go to your local home decor store,  dollar store or flea market – look for unique interesting  vessels. Remember anything you can add flowers too is fair game so get your search on.

image google.com

image via google.com

Create Summer Flower Themes 

Flower themes are the latest and greatest! Customers love a one stop shopping and  love unique ideas- what better way to do this than to give them flowers and theme all in one.  You will have to provide customers all they need with each theme and a beautiful hand written note, that expresses the theme they were sent. All items are displayed beautifully in a basket or container according to flower theme.

Perfect for anniversary’s, birthdays, engagements , love and romance , and much more. Create a few themes post them on your Florist Website and watch the orders roll in.

Summer Must-Have Themes

These are a few ideas, however, be creative, put your themes together and sell for a huge profit.

• Floral Picnic Theme
• Floral Tea Party  Theme
• Floral  Glamping (A fusion of glamour and camping)

image via google.com

Sell Summer-y Floral Window Boxes

We know you are a florist – windows boxes require soil you have no soil think of these as your standard dish garden. Go buy some soil start making window boxes for  delivery or pickup -this is quickly becoming the most sot after item for gift giving and personal use this summer.

Have standard size for window boxes and two simple designs to choose from –  Modern Design and Garden Design – add samples to your website and watch then go.

image via google.com

Try a Summ-azing Floral Curtain

Draping fabric has run its course – now the hottest thing is floral curtains. This a great step  forward  for florists so please sell these for your events, they are a huge money maker and have a huge impact very easy to execute .

We hope you enjoyed these fun summer flower arrangements – if you have a great summer arrangement idea, please share it with us below in the comments.

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

 Floranext Mother’s Day 2016 Survey Results

Thank you to all the Flower Shops that participated – your feedback is valuable in helping other florists and new upcoming florists.

Overall the results were good – an up year for many florist! But many were closed on Mother’s Day and didn’t advertise?! Hope your flower shop was one of the many that had a booming Mother’s Day. 

Areas Surveyed

U.S. & Canada-Florist-Locations

Compared to Mother’s Day 2015, were your sales higher or lower?

[table],Higher,Same,Lower 
All Shops,59%,17%,24%[/table]

What category of Mother’s Day 2016 orders was most successful for you?

[table],Phone,Walk-In,Website
All Shops,47%,22%,29%[/table]

Which category of Mother’s Day 2016 orders was the least successful

[table]
,Walk-In,Phone,Website
All Shops,49%,34%,17%[/table]

Did you rent/use extra vehicles this Mother’s Day?

[table]
,Yes,No,
All Shops,55%,45%[/table]

How many unsatisfied customers did you have this Mother’s Day (if any)?

[table],1-3,None,3-5,5+
All Shops,52%,39%,6%,2%[/table]

How many extra employees did you hire for this Mother’s Day?

[table]
,None,3-4,1-2,5+
All Shops,52%,17%,16%,15%[/table]

Were you open on Mother’s Day Sunday?

[table]
,Yes,No,
All Shops,62%,38%[/table]

What were your main advertising methods for Mother’s Day?

[table]
,Online,Email,None,Other,Local News,Coupons
All Shops,29%,22%,21%,17%,13%,1%[/table]

Was the weather a factor in Sales this Mother’s Day?

[table]
,No ,Yes - it Helped,Yes - it Hurt
All Shops,63%,26%,9%[/table]

If you could give ONE Mother’s Day tip to another florist what would it be?

(Write in choice – Top 7)

1. “Plan ahead work ahead.”

2. “Narrow selections- make it easier for customers to choose.”

3. “Make sure you have enough staff to handle all the orders & deliveries.”

4. “Create Mother’s Day Specials add-ons.”

5. “Be friendly.”

6. “Advertise and promote for Mother’s Day.”

7. “Train your staff – everyone should know their job.”

We hope you have enjoyed these results – If you see a tip we have left out that is important, please share it below.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

New to Floral Design? Few Basic Tips to get you started. 

Basic 101 in Floral Design

The number one question we get asked by far is – I want to open a flower shop, how do I design flowers? Although having a knack for creativity is important, there are some Floral Design 101 basic tips to help allow your creativity to come through in all your flower arranging. These are a few tips to get you started.

Florist Design – Tools

Supplies/Tools

We won’t go into too much detail on Supplies,  however  having the right supplies and tools is essential and will be a lifelong investment in your floral career.   Buy quality!

Tip: Best Florist Buy – Rose Stripper, do not remove the thrones completely this will allow air to get in the stem. 

Florist Design – Know your flowers!

Know Your Flowers

• Know the flowers that are available in your area  and of course all the flowers you will be selling at your shop.
• Every florist knows that greens and fillers are important. We can not stress this enough, study your greens/fillers, it is what  blurs the lines in your arrangements and makes all arrangements extraordinary.

Prep Your Flowers

• Your flowers need to last in order to ensure repeat customers,  Proper prepping will give longevity to flowers.
• Flowers love water hydrate them well immediately.
• Cut those stems and repeat every three days if possible.
• Feed your flowers with flower food.
• Buy Crowning glory a flower shop must have – this  will seal the surface of the flower and keep them hydrated.

Tip: Submerge the whole flower bunch in water first, yes the whole flower bunch in a sink. 

Three Categories of Flowers

These flower categories can be used by themselves or in any combination.

Florist Design – Big Mass Flower

1. Big Flower /Mass: This flower will be the center of attention in your design your eyes will gravitate to these flowers and tend to be typically round.

Florist Design- Line Flower

2. Line Flower: Tall flowers will be use for line flowers and will determine the shape of the arrangement, it may be easier to place this flower first in the arrangement .

Florist Design – Filler Flower

3. Filler Flower: This is a flower to fill empty spaces – however do not under estimate the power of the filler flower.

Tip:  Using hydrangeas? Dip them in Alum Powder they will last a long time. 🙂  

Arrangement Essentials in Floral Design

Essentials in Flower Design

Balance:

• Flower  arrangements that are symmetrical  including but not limited to vases and baskets. Imagine a line make sure each side carry’s the same amount of weight and this goes for all sides.
• If you do not want a symmetrical  arrangement keep in mind it still needs to be balanced to be appealing to the eye

Harmony:

• Color in the flowers, are they complimentary?   Your arrangement should have harmony as a whole each flower complements the other.

Proportion:

• This is very important if you are arranging mixed flowers you need great proportion as each flower will relate to the other in size – visualize your arrangement before you begin and make sure your proportion is on par.

Movement:

• One of our favorites is movement. Flower arrangements with movement are the hottest trend right now. This is a airy feel, great way to keep all your floral arrangements fresh and modern.

Unity:

• All flowers must complement each other and its vessel.

Tip: Take pictures from all angles of all your early designs within time you will be a pro – practice makes progress. 

101 Floral Design

Following these basic steps will get you on your way to flower designing, We do recommended interning at flower shop, Things that may seem simple like adding flowers to a vase does require a certain amount of technique, practice and creativity.  Florists please share your wisdom on basic flower design with new and upcoming florists they will be grateful.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Whether you are applying these trends daily at your shop or researching, it’s important to stay ahead of the flower industry. Which trends appeal to you?

Image via google.com

Flower Trend #1 – Luxurious

Luxurious is an airy garden style with texture, beautiful shapes and patterns. A romantic whimsical look and feel with garden elements. This trend is popular with this season’s weddings.

Flowers:

• Artisan Roses/Garden Roses
• Dahlias, 
• Cushion Gerberas 
• Miniature Gerberas, 
• Hydrangeas 
• Miniature Callas 
• Phalaenopsis Orchids 
• Leucospemum (Pin Cushions) 
• Dianthus,
• Green Trick/Green Ball 
• Hypericum 
• Bupleurum 
• Boxwood

Colors:  Citrus and berry colors like reds, pinks, oranges, salmon, and coral are a focal point in these arrangements. Orange is set to be the prominent color.

Accent Colors: Vibrant greens, violets, white, and gold help accent the arrangement.

Image via google.com

Flower Trend #2 – Urban Bright

Urban Bright is a new urban dynamic with bright colors that has a bohemian 1960-70’s retro look. Great for modern spaces to add a pop of color. These arrangements tend to have a organic look with loosely gathered groupings.

Flowers:

• Gerberas
• Zinnias
• Sunflowers
• Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis Orchids
• Stock
• Hydrangeas
• Lisianthuses
• Hybrid Tea Roses
• Miniature Callas
• Craspedia (Billy Buttons)
• Succulents
• Delphinium
• Celosia
• Chrysanthemum

Colors: Rich saturated reds, purples, teals, and black as the neutral color

Accents Colors: Oranges, yellow, and greens help finish this trend off.

image via https://www.amandajameson.com/

Flower Trend #3 – Industrial Chic

A new take on your traditional elegant flowers. A rich combination of metallic sheen and sparkle for the modern customer. Arrangements are elegant, formal, and with metal textures.

Flowers:

• Calla Lily
• Ranunculus
• Roses
• Tulip
• Carnation
• Stock
• Spray roses
• Roses

Color: Solid Whites and Ivory are the main focal point of this trend.

Accent Colors: Black, Silver, Copper, Gold, Bronze, Brass, & Rose Gold.

image via google.com

Flower Trend #4 – Vintage Soft

Vintage soft is influenced by soft pastel hues, prints, patterns, and textures. This trend maintains the mono-chromatic look with soft hues for a complementary addition to any atmosphere.

Flowers:

•  Hybrid tea, Spray and Garden roses
•  Hybrid Lilies 
• Parrot Tulips
•  Hydrangeas
• Lisianthuses
• Miniature Callas
• Stock
• Larkspur
• Queen Anne’s Lace
• Dusty Miller
• Seeded Eucalyptus

Colors: These pastel colors are muted, washed out and almost neutral. Blush pink, aqua, mint green, frost white, and shell gray create that soft look.

Accent Colors: Lavenders, yellows, soft greens, platinum and pewter bring this soft vintage look together.

image via google.com

Flower Trend #5 – Modern Texture

A new take on modern flowers. This trend includes flowers, produce, and nature elements with rich textures.

Flowers:

• Irises
• Hybrid Delphiniums
• Larkspur
• Oriental and O.T. Lilies
• Tulips
• Sunflowers
• Antique Hydrangeas
• Hybrid tea, spray, and garden roses
• Lisianthuses
• Succulents and Tillandsia
• Ornamental grasses
• Produce (Kale, Artichokes, peppers, Etc.)
• Vines and branches.

Colors: This trend brings tints, tones, and shades of blue for the body of this arrangement.

Accent colors: Warm hues of yellow, green, beige and white with a touch of iron, bronze and gold bring this modern texture to life.

What is your favorite 2016 Flower Trend – share your favorite with us!

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Mother’s Day week! One of the floral industry’s busiest weeks of the year and it’s approaching at lightning speed! With all the preparations, it’s good to have key items in place to make a smooth, successful Mother’s Day week for any flower shop.

Step 1. Take care of yourself!

By the time Mother’s Day weekend arrives I see florists that look exhausted and unenthusiastic. Yes, it has been a long week however make simple rules to follow and take good care of yourself. Here are a few things you can do to make yourself feel upbeat and vibrant:

• Eat nutritious meals.

• Get enough sleep.

• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing.

• Take mandatory breaks.

Tip: Bring in extra shoes and store them in your cooler to remedy those aching feet. 

Step 2. Do you have enough flower shop staff?

Make sure you have hired the extra help you need!

• Hire enough counter help, designers, and delivery drivers.

• Assign staff their duties and what you expect out of them ahead of time.

• Train your extra staff.

Image via shutterstock.com

Step 3. Have you ordered enough flowers and supplies?

Look at your previous year’s sales and estimate from there on the flowers you will need.

• If this is your first year in a Flower Shop a general  rule of thumb is to Not Over Order flowers. (You can always buy more flowers in a pinch if needed)

• Stock up on supplies-this includes vases, baskets, ribbon, dish gardens, blooming plants, floral wire, ticket paper and much more.

Tip: Good to have on hand supplies you generally may not sell – candies -candles -soaps etc. and add them to your front counter top for customer impulse buys.

Step 4. Have you started promoting your Mother’s Day holiday?

Start off promoting on your Floral Website and Social Media. (Good to point out Promoting does not have to include discounts – Post images and remind future customers you are selling beautiful flowers for Mother’s Day)

• To increase traffic to your store offering a deal or discount towards customer pick up’s rather than delivering. This will create a balance in your Flower Shop and shoppers tend to add more to their purchase when visiting the store.
• Have those add on’s ready and on your counter – offering these to customers is a great way to bump up those sales!

Step 5. Work a couple of days ahead.

It’s a good idea to start on filling the orders you already have 1 to 2 days before set pickup or delivery.

• Place pre-made orders in a cooler well tagged with date of pick up or delivery.

• Mark any time sensitive orders and bring those to the front of your cooler.

• Have vases and baskets filled with greens ready to go.

• Process and wire flowers ahead of time, that way they are ready during the busy rush.

Tip: It helps to have a system that works best for you. However, working on orders per day can feel overwhelming, so staying ahead of the game is always best.

I hope you found these steps useful, if you have any Mother’s Day Floral tips, please share with our Florists.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.