The Holganix Blog

Why is social media so important for lawn care companies? Social media is a free tool your company can use to promote brand awareness, engage with customers through customer service, and can help generate new customer leads! Continue reading to see how you can maximize Facebook and other social media tools to help grow your company.

Ensuring your Facebook Page is set up properly is imperative to promote engagement. Before you even begin, make sure you are creating a “Page” as opposed to an “Account”. Facebook accounts are used by individuals while Facebook Pages are used by companies. Facebook may delete your account if you classify yourself incorrectly.

As you start to build out your page, consider these four items:

• Your Profile Picture - This is the first thing someone will notice about your Facebook Page and should be a recognizable image such as your logo. Your Profile Picture should also be 180 x 180 pixels.
• Your Cover Photo - This space should be used to show off your company’s identity in a visually appealing yet simple way. Your Cover Photo should be
• The “About Us” - This section is where you can help your page stand out from your competition and make your company shine. Be sure to fill out as much information in the “About us” as possible so customers can get a feel of your brand.
  
• The Call To Action - This is a button located in the right hand corner, beneath your cover photo. Consider making your call to action button a “Contact us” or “Call us” that allows prospects to get in touch with you directly when they have questions.  
  
  

Here are two examples of companies that have set up their Facebook Page using the above checklist.

Your company already uses marketing to gain new customers and promote your brand, don’t let these efforts go to waste. Add social media buttons to marketing pieces including email, newsletters, and print material. Also make sure you have your social media buttons linked to your website so customers can easily click to see and read more about your company.

With small or large companies, we can often find ourselves becoming “too busy” to get bogged down by the tedious work of social media. However there are ways to make sure that even in the busiest of months, you can still be posting effortlessly.

One way to do this is to schedule posts ahead of time. If you know there is a certain day or week that tends to get overwhelming, then schedule a post to get automatically sent out. You can schedule these posts weeks before, allowing you to be fresh and ready for the busiest of days!

Additionally, you can plan for success with a content calendar. A social media content calendar allows you to organize your social media activities far in advance in order to make your social media more manageable. You can download a customizable Social Media Content Calendar by Hubspot using the below link:

>>Download the the Social Media Content Calendar

4. Always Use Include Visuals in Posts

According to Hubspot, visual posts receive 2.3 times more engagement than posts without visuals and visuals account for 87% of total interactions. Whenever you are posting to your Facebook Page ensure you are incorporating an interesting visual or a video. See below for two free, easy ways to make professional grade graphics without paying for a graphic designer!

Free resources for visual posts:

• Pixabay: Free stock photo website.
• Canva: Allows you to create a visually appealing post without the help of a graphic designer. They have numerous templates to use for Twitter, Facebook and more!

5. Create Attention-Grabbing Content

Posts should only include a 1 to 3 sentence summary about the article or piece of content you are linking back to. It should also always include a visual! When using social media, your audience is scrolling through news quickly so don’t get too wordy or they may bypass your posts. Keep posts short, simple and attention-grabbing!

When you are thinking about what content you should be posting use the “rule of thirds” to help guide you!

• Education Pieces Authored By You - ⅓ of your post should be educational pieces authored by your company. For example, you may post about pests that are destroying certain plants, then link this back to a product or service you offer to combat it!
• Brag About You - ⅓ of post should be about you. This is where you can get into sales in a tasteful way! Consider posting a testimonial or a promo for this section.
• Educational Pieces By A Third Party - ⅓ of posts should be educational content by a third party.  For example you might post an alert by your State extension on a specific weed or pest that’s prevalent in your region.

6. Free Resources to Steal Today

As you begin or continue to use Facebook in your marketing, be sure you are taking advantage of these free resources.

• Social Media Content Calendar: Helps you plan out your posts.
• Canva: Creates graphics without the help of a graphic designer.
• Pixabay: Download free stock photos.
• Holganix Launch Box: This contains a bunch of already created articles, social media posts and graphics that are designed for you to use to send to your homeowners!
• The Webinar recording: If this article appealed to you, watch our webinar recording below on the subject for additional information. Be sure to set aside 17-minutes to watch the recording. If you are viewing this blog via email, click here to access the video. 

Organic isn't a fad - in fact, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) 82% of U.S. households buy organic with millennials representing the largest group of organic buyers in America. That many not seem like a large number to you, but consider that today 25% of millennials have families and that in 10-to-15 years, that number is expected to increase to 80%.

Can you consider how these new families will affect the consumer market - whether it's groceries, cleaning products or lawn care, buying organic matters to the millennial consumer.

You can read the rest of our blog to learn more, or watch the webinar recording below for the story. If you are reading this blog via email, click here to access the webinar recording.

Today’s Disruptive Economy

Regardless of the industry, today’s economies are being disrupted. Consider how Tesla is disrupting the traditional auto-industry. Ten years ago, few took Tesla as a car manufacturing company seriously. Compare the views of Tesla from ten-years ago to today and you get a whole different story. In fact, Tesla’s market valuation exceeded century-old titan, General Motors in 2017 by $1Million Dollars. Earlier this year, reports stated that the Tesla Model S outsold the luxury flagships of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi in Europe for the first time.

In the green industry, robots are starting to be disruptive and have the potential to displace labor. Last year, the manufacturers of Roomba announced a solar-powered, weed eating machine dubbed the “Tertill” for presale on Kickstarter. While the first or second model of the Tertill may not function 100%, in a few years it’s our firm belief that devices like the Tertill will be commonplace.

It’s important to pay attention to innovation in and outside of our industry in order to outcompete the competition.

The “Whole Foods” Customer

Additional innovation is happening in our industry when it comes to the technologies we have to create a beautiful, green, weed-free lawn. Biologicals like Holganix Bio 800⁺ products (Holganix Lawn, Tree & Shrub, Bloom, Agriculture and Golf) are creating disruption by offering a better way to reach results using fewer chemicals. That innovation is being disruptive because there is a need to not only be more sustainable for the environment but because the customer is demanding it.

That customer could be called the Millennial but for this presentation we are widening that demographic to include anyone who would potentially shop at a "Whole Foods"-type of grocery store. These consumers are demanding that today’s businesses use sustainable products.

According to a report by Satista, the organic product industry in the U.S. is worth 26.7 billion dollars. This translates to us in lawn care as well. The millennials are going to be our consumers and if we take a look at the trends of this group of people it is going more and more organic. 82% of U.S. households are buying organic items already and 30% of those purchasing organic do so to avoid fertilizers and pesticides. Don’t you think that diversion from fertilizers and pesticides can translate to their lawn care services as well?

Get Credit For What You Do

One way to combat the disruptive economy is through your company’s “why.”  A customer is more likely to use your product if you have a “remarkable message” on why you do what you do. If you are using Holganix products, it’s important to tell your customers and prospects that you are doing something different and get credit for the steps you are taking to meet customer demand and do good for their plants, family and the environment.

Let’s look at a few examples that are currently using the “Holganix message” of using environmentally friendly lawn care products to build a green, weed-free lawn.

UltraGreen Lawn Care

UltraGreen Lawn Care allows the “Holganix message” to do their marketing for them! In any marketing or sales piece they create, UltraGreen, ensure they include the organic, environmental message to sell their product. Because they took advantage of the Holganix message, UltraGreen grew from 0 to 7,000 customers in just four years and saw a 15-to-20% savings on material costs! 

PureGreen

According to PureGreen Lawn Care owner, Nathan Brandon, “over the last ten years, I have really noticed that more and more of my customers are requesting organic services.” He latched onto this trend and changed his messaging to focus on communicating how PureGreen is responsible for the environment and how their customers play an important role in that mission.

According to Rob McCoy, Holganix sales manager, “This is giving people a purpose beyond what their lawn care choice is, and this message has really helped sell the product!”

Tomlinson Bomberger: Lawn Care Landscape & Pest Control

When Tomlinson Bomberger decided to start using Holganix products they designed the “Soil Smart Lawn Care Program”. Each time they get a new customer or lead they offered the customer the ability to either choose the “Traditional” lawn care program or the “Soil Smart” lawn care program. The Soil Smart program was roughly 20% more expensive than their standard program but incorporated Holganix products and thereby offered a more environmentally friendly solution. According to Tomlinson Bomberger, the Soil Smart lawn care program is their fastest growing program yet!

Using Holganix Products and Want to Get Credit For What You Do?

We’ve created multiple marketing tools to help you better communicate why your lawn care program is better than the competition because you use Holganix. The Holganix Launch Box is our most popular tool - it contains a multitude of both print and digital marketing pieces to help you grow your business. Download your Holganix Launch Box by clicking on the button below.

What is Holganix?

At Holganix we want to revolutionize the way the world grows by focusing on biology as the solution to soil and plant health. We have noticed that lawn care needs a good foundation in the soil and roots to really focus on plant health and to produce a happy customer. That is why our line of products uses living biology to nurture soils and ultimately create a stronger and healthier looking lawn!

Want to learn more? Click the button below to schedule an appointment with your Holganix representative.

With the lawn care season just around the corner, UltraGreen Lawn Care based out of Little Rock, Arkansas and Michael Hatcher & Associates based out of Olive Branch, Mississippi are gearing and making sure that Holganix products are part of their program. Watch their videos below to learn why they consider Holganix product to be such an influential piece of their lawn care fertilization program. If you are reading this blog via email, click here to have access to the videos.

UltraGreen Lawn Care

Co-Founders Caleb Ault and Josh Bryan started UltraGreen Lawn Care in 2012 after working for a national lawn care company in the Little Rock, Arkansas area. Three years ago, they brought on Holganix products to help them achieve their agronomic goals, but they also have utilized the products as a marketing and sales tool to better communicate what makes UltraGreen unique. Watch the video below for their full story.

Michael Hatcher & Associates

Michael Hatcher & Associates is a full lawn and landscape service company based out of the Memphis, Tennessee area. They’ve been using Holganix Bio 800⁺ during plant and sod installations in addition to using it in their lawn fertilization program. Watch their video below to hear a snippet from Joey at Michael Hatcher & Associates.

Download Your Soil Smart Program and Begin Using Holganix Products

Interested in using Holganix products but not sure how to fit them into a lawn fertilization program? Download a copy of your region’s Soil Smart Program - a turnkey lawn fertilization program containing all the inputs needed in order to achieve a green, weed-free lawn.

We are all feeling the pressure to do more with less. Each state is talking about restricting fertilizer and phosphorus, and although these things are great for the environment it can also make it difficult to reach our needs when it comes to plant growth. What can we do to help both our plants and ourselves?

Read our blog article below for information about (1) how much fertilizer actually goes to the plant and (2) the role microbes play in fertilizer. If you’d rather dig deeper into this topic, skip the text and watch our webinar featuring Holganix President of Agriculture, David Stark Ph.D. If you're reading this blog via email, click here to watch the video.

How much fertilizer actually goes to the plant?

Did you know that only 40 to 60% of the fertilizer we apply actually goes to the plant, the remaining is lost to run off into our waterways, volatilization to the air or is tied up in the soil. This is why soil health is such an imperative piece of plant health. Functional soil is a soil embedded with organic matter and soil microbes that work together to hold onto nutrients in the soil and convert nutrients locked in the soil.

Beneficial soil microbes form symbiotic relationships with the plant. In fact, the plant will exert as much as 30% of its energy to the root zone to make food for microbes. In return those microbes not only protect the plant from stress, but also feed the plant by converting and holding nutrients in the soil.

What are the different types of soil microbes?

There are five different types of soil microbes: bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. Each of these microbe types has a different job to boost soil and plant health.

Bacteria

Bacteria is the crucial workforce of soils. They are the final stage of breaking down nutrients and releasing them to the root zone for the plant. In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization once said “Bacteria may well be the most valuable of life forms in the soil.”

Actinomycetes

Actinomycetes were once classified as fungi, and act similarly in the soil. However, some actinomycetes are predators and will harm the plant while others living in the soil can act as antibiotics for the plant.

Fungi

Like bacteria, fungi also lives in the rootzone and helps make nutrients available to plants. For example, Mycorrhizae is a fungi that facilitate water and nutrient uptake by the roots and plants to provide sugars, amino acids and other nutrients.

Protozoa

Protozoa are larger microbes that love to consume and be surrounded by bacteria. In fact, nutrients that are eaten by bacteria are released when protozoa in turn eat the bacteria.

Nematodes

Nematodes are microscopic worms that live around or inside the plant. Some nematodes are predators while others are beneficial, eating pathogenic nematodes and secreting nutrients to the plant.

Want to keep digging into soil science?

Within the natural world there exists a complex balance among soil microbes known as the soil food web. Plants, animals and microbes are all instruments in an orchestra; each plays a crucial part in the natural symphony of life. If even one of the players is out of tune, the whole soil food web suffers. However, when everything is in order, the results are beautiful.

Download our Digging into Soil Science ebook to explore:

No matter the product chosen, lawn and landscape company owners are raving about their experience with Holganix products. Last month, we released a blog featuring three video interviews from firms using the products in the field. It was such a hit that we decided to roll out another blog featuring four new video interviews. Read (and watch) their interviews below.

Brad Phillips – Brad Phillips Landscaping LLC

Located in Memphis, Tennessee, Brad Phillips Landscaping LLC used Holganix Bloom on magnolias during this fall season. According to owner Brad Phillips, the Sweetbay Magnolias had been almost leafless for years and after using Bloom, they took off, “the saucer magnolias are so thick you can’t even see through them. I like Holganix a lot.”

Watch his video for more information. If you’re reading this blog via email, click here to access Brad Philips’ video.

Alex Moore – Michael Hatcher and Associates

Michael Hatcher and Associates started using Holganix Bio 800⁺ last year and experimented with their fescue sod and annuals. Today they have a RAD 330. Michael Hatcher and Associates reports that the product makes the fescue seed root and the flowers bloom. “We have incredible results and I highly recommend this product,” says Alex Moore of Michael Hatcher and Associates.

Watch his video for more information. If you’re reading this blog via email, click here to access Michael Hatcher and Associates’ video.

Gabriel and Roosevelt - Picture Perfect Lawn Care

“We just started using Holganix; we really like it a lot and feel like it’s going to build a better environment for everything,” explains Gabriel of Picture Perfect Lawn Care. “I love Holganix because we are putting living microbes back into the soil and that’s where it all begins,” says Roosevelt also of Picture Perfect. “That makes me happy and that makes my customers happy.”

Watch their video for more information. If you’re reading this blog via email, click here to access Picture Perfect’s video.

Josh Bryan – UltraGreen Lawn Service

“We love Holganix because it has opened up a whole new market for us,” explains Josh Bryan of UltraGreen a lawn care company spanning Little Rock, Arkansas to Orlando, Florida to Nashville, Tennessee. According to Josh he is able to sell to people even if their lawn appears perfect because UltraGreen has the ability to provide the same results if not better using less harsh chemicals. “My customers love Holganix and we are seeing our business grow in leaps and bounds.”

Watch UltraGreen's video for more information. If you’re reading this blog via email, click here to access the video.

In plant health, roots are often neglected. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind! Yet, roots are fundamentally key to plant health.

Root systems, which consist of one fourth to one third of a plant’s dry weight, are in charge of important functions for the plant. If a plant’s root systems are unhealthy, it can pose serious consequences for the plant.

In fact, according to Colorado State University, “Eighty percent of all plant disorders are soil/root problems.” That means we need to pause and give these plant segments the attention they deserve.

Why are root systems important?

Root systems are known to significantly affect the size and health of plants, their ability to adapt to different soils and their ability to respond to cultural practices (i.e. fertilization). According to Colorado State University, they are in charge of but not limited to carrying out the following functions:

1. Anchoring and supporting the plant

The plant becomes stable because of the roots, which safely hook the plant into the soil. Another thing to note is that the threat of soil erosion is lessened because of healthy root systems.

2. Absorbing and conducting water and nutrients through the plant

Nutrients and water enter the plant through the roots. In turf, this means a vast root system is key to tap into available nutrients and water within the soil. The better the roots can reach sources of nutrients and water, the less service providers need to apply additional resources.

3. Stress tolerance

When Mother Nature comes calling, plants with healthier root systems have the advantage over plants with weak root systems. This applies not only to weather conditions like a hot, dry summer, but also to pests and disease. In fact, healthy roots react faster to pesticides and fungicides than unhealthy root systems.

Looking to increase the health of your plants’ root system?

Some recommended practices include aeration and seeding and increasing the soil’s microbial activity with plant probiotics like Holganix Bio 800⁺. In fact, Holganix Bio 800⁺ contains several ingredients that influence root growth including: plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), trichoderma fungi and more. 

To dive into best practices and additional information around the science of roots, download our free ebook: Turf Roots using the link below.

Works Cited:

http://www.cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/132.html

http://www.virginiagardening.com/documents/RootsTurf.pdf

Organic isn’t a fad – in fact, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) 82% of U.S. households buy organic with millennials representing the largest group of organic buyers in America. That may not seem like a large number to you, but consider that today 25% of millennials have families and that in 10-to-15 years, that number is expected to increase to 80%. Can you consider how these new families will affect the consumer market – whether it’s groceries, cleaning products or lawn care, buying organic matters to the millennial consumer.

When the OTA asked parents why they purchase organic produce over conventional, 30% of parents stated they purchase organic to avoid pesticides and fertilizers. That fact matters to organic farmers but it is also big news for today's lawn and landscape businesses. If parents are purchasing organic produce to avoid fertilizers and pesticides, that attitude translates to how they purchase lawn care services. 

Check out our infographic below for five key stats fertilizer users like you should know about the organic market.

Market conditions aside, why else should you consider using an organic fertilizer program?

As stated above, market data suggests that consumers either prefer organic or are interested in organic products and services. Market conditions aside, there are several clear benefits to using an organic fertilizer or hybrid organic fertilizer program over a conventional fertilizer program.

Differentiate Your Business – Whether you offer produce, plants or lawn care services, you can differentiate your business from the competition by offering an organic option.

>>Click here to see how UltraGreen is growing their business by offering an organic-based lawn care service

Build Healthier Plants – Organic products often contain additional ingredients like microbe food, microbes and biostimulants. These additional ingredients promote plant development. For example, microbes convert nutrients locked in the soil and atmosphere to foster plant growth. Biostimulants increase the plant’s ability to uptake nutrients, also affecting growth.

>>Click here to learn about the power of soil microbes and how they influence plant health

Better For Soil Structure – Utilizing an organic fertilizer program often means you are infusing the soil with microbes and/or organic matter that will build soil structure. Soil is the foundation for plants – if you nurture plants in unhealthy soil conditions they are less likely to thrive than if you nurture them in healthy soil conditions.

>>Click here to explore the science behind soil health in our science ebook  

Better For The Environment – Fertilizer may runoff into our water ways, potentially depleting marine life or causing pollution to ground water.

>>Click here to learn more about fertilizer runoff

Do you want to go fully organic?

When you are looking at incorporating organics into your fertilizer program, you have to consider whether you want to go fully organic or with a hybrid organic program.

Regardless of the product you decide to implement, organics work more slowly than traditional chemical fertilizer products and it is important to set your customer’s expectation accordingly. Looking at a hybrid program allows you to combine the benefits of an organic with reduced amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. That means your customer can still expect the quick results of a traditional program while still maintaining the benefits of an organic one.

Holganix Bio 800⁺ products allow fertilizer users to reduce the amount of fertilizers and pesticides needed by 50 – 75% while still providing the results at par or better than a traditional chemical program. Bio 800⁺ products are plant probiotics that team with over 800 species of soil microbes that convert nutrients in the soil and atmosphere. Holganix Bio 800⁺ also boosts plant tolerance when faced with stressful conditions.

Watch our 1.5-minute video below on the benefits of Holganix Bio 800⁺ products than click here to explore different product options available.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we've compiled 3 reasons why Holganix is thankful for turfgrass this season and why you should be too! 

1. Turfgrass takes care of pollution

Turf areas represent the largest carbon sink in the US, sucking up and storing greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. Turf also converts carbon dioxide into oxygen. In fact, the grass and trees along the US highway system release enough oxygen to support 22 million people. Turf also helps filter pollutants from run off and can purify and recharge ground water supply, protecting America's water systems from harm.

>>Learn about soil's affect on pollution here

2. Turfgrass makes us happy 

Grass areas affect people's moods by creating feelings of serenity, privacy, thoughtfulness and happiness. Furthermore, its yearly cycles of growth and color change lift human spirits and link urban inhabitants with their countryside heritage. 

>>Learn more about turf's affect on happiness here

3. Beautiful turf means bigger $

A well-manicured lawn can boost the selling price of your home by 15%! In fact, a Gallup Survey reports that 62% of all US homeowners felt an investment in lawn and landscaping was as good or better than other home improvements.

>>Learn more about the economic benefits associated with turf here 

It seems like only yesterday we were excitedly preparing for the impending spring craze. Even though it may feel like we are in the midst of summer, fall is coming sooner than you think. Now is the time to start discussing your fall marketing plan in order to capitalize on growth opportunities for the end of 2017. What can you do to get your marketing plan in shape?

Watch our webinar below featuring Marketing Consultant, Nicole Wise and Holganix CEO, Barrett Ersek as they walk you through your marketing plan, marketing tactics to secure growth, and build measurable marketing campaigns. 

What can you expect to learn from the webinar recording?

         1. Set a revenue growth goal

         2. Access free tools to market your company

         3. Build a marketing plan

Watch the webinar recording! 

If you are reading this blog via email, click here to access the webinar recording.

Webinar Resources

Download some of the resources mentioned during the webinar including the marketing plan excel template.

         1. Download the PowerPoint Slides

         2. Download the Marketing Plan Excel Template

         3. Download the Holganix Launch Marketing Box