Recently, a TikTok documenting the daily activities of an office worker went viral. The TikToker in question hadn’t set out to romanticize her office job, just to document it, but for some reason, Gen Z viewers loved it and expressed wanting that kind of job for themselves. Free and adventurous young people were suddenly pining for 9 to 5 drudgery, all because of TikTok!
If TikTok can make working in an office seem appealing to young people, it can get them interested in just about anything. That’s the power of social media, for better or for worse: it automatically gives some authority and glamor to whatever is being posted. And if you actually are an authority, and you work somewhere full of the beauty of nature—i.e. a garden center—even better.
The houseplant craze among Millennials and Gen Z and an increasing interest in gardening and growing herbs and vegetables since the pandemic has led to a boom in PlantTok. Search the hashtag and you’ll find people giving advice to help your plants grow or just showing off their monstera or succulent collection. We’ve covered how to get the most out of your social media accounts before, and we’ve also looked at some successful plant-centered Instagram and TikTok accounts. So you know we feel that social media can be a powerful marketing tool. But making it work means making the kind of content people want to engage with.
If you’re passionate about not just selling but educating and entertaining, then TikTok might be the platform for you. As you think about ideas for videos, stay focused on adding value, not just promoting. Don’t just do a video on a new plant you have in stock; teach viewers how to best care for it. And above all, keep it real. Be natural, be yourself, and have fun. Young people don’t like being advertised to, but they will give their loyalty to businesses that can relate to them. If being on camera isn’t your thing, plan out videos with one of your younger trusted employees—someone with charisma and a sense of humor—and let them make that connection with their peers on TikTok. Whatever approach you choose, there is space for IGCs to position themselves as true experts among the enthusiasts and influencers on PlantTok.
