Homeowners are increasingly turning to social media for inspiration and efficient execution of design ideas, and they expect businesses to be using social media platforms to provide relevant content, according to a marketing communications specialist.

Using social media as a marketing tool for landscape businesses may be coming less of an option and more
of a necessity.

According to Joey Peters, an account supervisor at Kleber & Associates, an Atlanta-based integrated marketing communications agency serving the home and building products industry for 25 years, social media has completely transformed content delivery to consumers in the home improvement and building products space.

As he puts it, "Homeowners, armed with a laundry list of articles and an Ideabook on Houzz packed with inspiration, expect brands to keep pace and to anticipate their specialized content consumption habits. Those companies who desire a seat at the table must remain ahead of the curve and deliver relevant content, seemingly on demand."

Peters advises however that jumping blindly into a particular social media platform can be a losing proposition. He suggests that before launching a new social platform, you should first answer three questions: Why are you using it? What is your end goal? And, can you sustain the platform in a robust fashion for the long haul?

When Kleber & Associates approaches clients to recommend a launch campaign upon a particular social media platform, they conduct a simple exercise by ascertaining the following criteria to verify that the platform facilitates the company's needs and expectations.

1) Alignment with Company Goals
How well aligned is this community to project corporate goals and objectives?

2) Market Positioning
Does this platform allow better position in the marketplace or channel?

3) Expected Reach
How popular is this social media channel? Will it provide significant and relevant exposure to attract the type of new customer desired?

4) Customer
Will this initiative help service and retain or renew existing accounts?

5) Resources – Financial
Are there financial resources to support it, particularly when considering advertising?

6) Resources – People
Are the skills, content, budget and bandwidth to support it in place? Peters points out that this exercise alone should not answer the question – it's merely a starting point towards a larger discussion. Kleber & Associates also stresses the need for homework to continuously research the individual platforms, as changes are happening daily to the Google algorithm and other platforms as well.