Marketing for Flower Farmers: Starting with the Basics (Part One)

The ever-elusive “marketing” topic is what we are tackling today! This post kicks off a multi-part series designed to help flower farmers understand and embrace marketing in manageable steps.

I had to dust off the cobwebs of my brain to remember the basics of marketing that I learned back in college. Why cobwebs as an active business owner? The basics make a good foundation, but our tactics shift based on the feedback we get from our market.

I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

My goal with today’s post is to simplify marketing by introducing the basics and laying the groundwork for the rest of the series, helping you approach it step-by-step without feeling overwhelmed, confused, or discouraged. I will not claim to be a marketing guru by any means, which shows you don’t have to be one to market your flower farming business successfully.

In this blog, we’ll start with the basics of marketing, focusing on what marketing is and introducing two of the Four P’s: Product and Pricing. The remaining P’s, along with other important strategies like target marketing and promotional approaches, will be covered in future posts.

Buckle up because this is going to be a fun ride! No, seriously, marketing is pretty fun!

Harvesting Rose Toscano dahlias in the warm light of late afternoon.

Basics of Marketing

Marketing may sound intimidating, but once you grasp the basics, you’ll realize that it’s not some big scary monster; rather, it’s your friend who will help snag sales for you!

The Oxford Dictionary defines marketing as “the activity or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.”

There’s a bit to unpack here.

To translate in simple terms, marketing is creating value for your customers and figuring out how to bring awareness of your products and services in a way that connects with your customers who will want to purchase from you.

Still with me?

Commonly, marketing comes down to “The Four P’s of Marketing.” These days, they have added more P’s to the pot, but to keep it simple, we will focus on the original four:

• Product

• Price

• Place

• Promotion

Usually, when people think of marketing, they jump straight to Promotion, which could be considered the last step.

Before you can promote a product, you must first have the product; that product should be priced, and you should also have a place where your customers can purchase said product.

Let’s dive into the first two of the Four P’s: Product and Pricing.

Product

Many newer flower farmers get hung up on the product: how can I sell the flowers when they aren’t in bloom?!

Hey, I get it.

Still, you already have your product in the works and should have a general idea of the product and how much you will offer.

Ideally, when creating a product, you want to provide value to your customer. This is what makes a good product that will sell.

What good can you provide to your customers that will bring them value and, in exchange, make them willing to pay you for it?

Mixed bouquets, custom designs, CSA offerings, U-Pick experiences, workshops, seed starts, etc., are all various types of products. We cover selecting your product in our blog, The Importance of Deciding on a Product Before Crop Planning, which you can read here.

The product isn’t the flowers alone but also branding, packaging, and presentation.

As Will Rogers said, “You never get a second chance at a first impression.”

Let’s go over how essential a good first impression is.

The Importance of a First Impression

Regarding a flower farming business, your first impression is how you are coming out of the gate. It matters.

This begins with branding.

Beautifully or poorly packaged, fresh or wilted flowers make an impression. Your greeting, or lack of it, makes an impression. When new customers visit your booth or farm stand, they assess you, your product, your presentation, and your farm.

At best, you have seven seconds to make a good impression, but recent studies show more like milliseconds to make a positive impression on a customer. Using another business for a CSA pickup location will also provide an impression that the business is the first in-person contact with you and customers, especially new customers who haven’t met you in person yet. How your product is displayed and looks matters there too. If the flowers are wilted with your farm name, it won’t leave a good impression.

Thanks to the internet and social media, many customers' first impression of you will be presented by your social media feeds or website. Is your presentation beautiful, concise, informative, and welcoming? These are all important factors to consider.

To learn more about branding and its importance, read our blog on Building Your Flower Farm’s Brand here.

Pricing

Oh, pricing!

When it comes to selling flowers, pricing is one of the trickiest parts to figure out. It’s a blend of art and strategy that requires thoughtful planning.

The value of your blooms doesn’t just come from how much love and work you’ve put into them (though I see you and all that hard work!). Pricing needs to reflect what your customers are willing to pay—and that’s where strategy comes in.

Pricing is about balancing your costs, market demand, and competition while staying true to your goals and business model. It’s a challenge, but it’s one you can absolutely master with the right tools and approach.

In Part Two of this series, we’ll dive deep into pricing strategies. From understanding Cost of Goods to identifying market trends and competitive benchmarks, you’ll learn how to price your flowers confidently and sustainably. Stay tuned!

You’ve got this!

Continue Reading →

We are looking forward to sharing more blooms with you soon.

Jessica & Graham