Pay to Play

Posted by Renato Cruz Sogueco | Jun 28, 2016 | Adwords and Pay Per Click, Articles, Conversion, Floral Management Feature, Mobile, Search, Social Media, Strategy, Trends, Websites and SEO | 0 |

Maris Angolia of Karin’s Florist in Vienna, Virginia, takes pride in having few customer complaints. On the rare occasion a customer is disappointed, Angolia resolves the issue quickly.

So, when a handful of customers called to complain about deliveries that never showed up, Angolia was perplexed. “We didn’t have a record of the orders,” she said. “After it happened a few times, we started noticing a trend.” A savvy marketer, Angolia had an immediate hunch that online order-gatherers were to blame, and if that was the case, how many other customers mistakenly thought they were placing orders with Karin’s? How could she connect with them directly?

Angolia began searching online for a local florist, as if she were acustomer. She also reviewed her Google Analytics data. The results confirmed her hunch that order-gatherers were confusing local customers and convinced her that she needed to be more proactive about protecting and promoting her brand online. The best way to do that, she decided, was to compete in online advertising.

Click here to download and read the entire Floral Management June 2016 Feature story, Pay to Play, The End or Organic (Results).

About The Author

Renato Cruz Sogueco

husband, father, writer, technologist, organic farmer, golfer, artist, skier, scout leader, fisherman, patron of the arts, foodie, traveler, great friend, pianist, aquaponics grower, beekeeper, lumberjack, sailor, gadget hound, ballroom dancer, handyman

Introduction

Hello! I’m Renato and serve as Vice President of Digital Strategy and Education at BloomNet, a premier florist services company. My primary role is to serve BloomNet’s member florists by developing customized services and solutions focusing on search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), social media, content marketing and mobile strategy to help them build web sales and engage customers. I also serve as lead educator for new technology, digital marketing strategy and business, consumer and demographic trends at the Floriology Institute in Jacksonville, FL.

Prior, I served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Society of American Florists (SAF), the floral industry’s trade organization providing marketing, technology and government relations for flower growers, suppliers, wholesalers and retailers.

I regularly evangelize technology and marketing benefits and best practices through a weekly blog at floriologyinstitute.com, a monthly column in Floriology magazine, articles in state and regional floral association publications, presentations at floral industry events, monthly webinars, on social media and chat (yes, on the phone) with BloomNet members to help solve their challenges.

I served as an active volunteer for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) where I chaired the ASAE Technology Council, was a founding member of the Young Professionals Committee and continue to be active as a Diversity Executive Leadership Scholar (DELP).

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