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5 Free Marketing Wins for Busy Nurseries

by author Tara Preston on July 29, 2025
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Smart, simple tactics to attract customers without extra cost or effort

Running a nursery is hands on, full-speed work and marketing often gets bumped to “later.” Whether you’re a retail garden centre buzzing with weekend visitors or a production nursery prepping bulk plant orders, these five no cost strategies will help you stay top of mind with your ideal customers with minimal time investment.

 Maximise Your Google Business Profile

Your Google profile is your digital shopfront. Keep it sharp.

 Retail Nurseries:

  • Update trading hours, especially for public holidays.
  • Post seasonal photos of your nursery in bloom.
  • Use location rich keywords like “Succulent Nursery Inner West” or “Native Plant Expert Central Coast.”
  • Highlight events, sales, or workshops.

Production Nurseries:

  • Clearly mark as “wholesale/trade only.”
  • List delivery areas and specialisations.
  • Feature infrastructure and plant maturity stages.
  • Ask repeat trade clients to review your service and quality.

 

Google My Business

🪴 Pro tip: 89% of buyers check reviews before visiting so yours should reflect your best.

Batch Your Social Media Like a Pro

Instead of posting daily, spend just one hour a week to batch 3–5 posts using tools like Meta Business Suite or Canva.

Retail Focus:

  • “Staff pick of the week” or what’s flowering now
  • Quick care tips
  • Store walk-throughs or new arrivals

Wholesale Focus:

  • Crop progress updates (e.g., “These grevilleas are ready August”)
  • Snapshots of propagation or dispatch
  • Pre-order nudges for high demand lines
 Staff Pick of The Week

🎥 Video wins attention. Even a 10-second clip builds engagement.

Grow Your Email List Organically

Email remains one of the highest Return On Investment (ROI) marketing tools.

Retail:

  • Set up in store signups (QR code + clipboard)
  • Offer a monthly giveaway or loyalty reward
  • Share a seasonal newsletter with care tips and specials

Wholesale:

  • Send availability lists monthly
  • Highlight ready to ship crops
  • Promote new varieties or growing opportunities
 Monthly Stock List
✉️ Keep it short, useful, and visual. Always include easy contact details.

Tap into Local & Industry Connections

Partnerships give you reach without ad spend.

Retail Nurseries:

  • Co-host events with cafés or garden clubs
  • Collaborate on school gardens or real estate giveaways
  • Partner with local councils for planting days

Production Nurseries:

  • Align with landscape designers, builders or developers
  • Attend or supply stock for NGINA Trade Days
  • Work with freight providers on shared promotions

 

NGINA Sydney Trade Day

🤝 Even a shared Instagram post can drive serious traffic.

 Teach, Don’t Just Sell

People trust businesses that teach them something.

Retail Nurseries:

  • Share care tips on signs or social posts
  • Host mini Q&As or staff led weekend workshops
  • Train your team to advise customers with confidence

Production Nurseries:

  • Show growing trials, processes, or quality controls
  • Educate landscapers on longevity or performance benefits
  • Provide tip sheets with your most common lines
 Pruning Workshop

🌱 Informed customers buy more and stay loyal longer.

Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive, complex, or perfect. Start small. Be consistent. Show what makes your nursery great and let that speak for itself.


By Tara Preston - Find me on LinkedIn

 

Topics: Marketing