By Bob West
Greenhouse Grower magazine conducted its fifth Internet Use Survey of floriculture growers across the United States, and this latest research shed new light on growers’ use of digital media for business while also providing insight into which information sources growers value most.
Key findings include:
- Growers rely on a broader range of information sources than ever to solve work problems. More than 81% of the growers noted they get information from email newsletters at least weekly, while 67% said they use industry websites weekly.
- Traditional information sources continue playing a valuable role for growers, even with so many new information sources now available. More than 80% of growers said they find trade magazines “valuable” while nearly 77% still find tradeshows valuable. This strong support for these proven information sources exceeds what we’ve seen when conducting similar research in other markets, so greenhouse growers are clearly slower to abandon traditional information sources than are other business professionals.
- Larger growers (6 or more acres of production under cover) and younger growers (44 year old or younger) are more likely to use various digital media, although the usage gap is nowhere near as broad as it used to be as digital media use has become much more widespread among all growers.
- The most common topics growers research online isn’t changing at all: weather, variety information, insect control, and disease control have topped the survey results every year we’ve conducted this study.
- App and social media use among growers continues climbing, although both platforms still have a ways to go to reach the critical mass of users represented by enewsletters and websites.
A more comprehensive copy of the survey results can be accessed by downloading Greenhouse Grower’s 2015 Media Use survey by clicking here.
Bob West is Meister Media’s Director of Interactive Sales. For more information on this research, contact him at 440/602-9129 or [email protected].