There aren’t many direct-to-consumer brands shipping products that live and breathe. Which is why Bloomscape, an ecommerce houseplant shop based in Michigan, has such a unique responsibility. Founded in 2017 by Justin Mast, a fifth-generation horticulturist, Bloomscape is turning that responsibility into an enormous asset through the power of storytelling. The company continuously delights its customers (aka “plant parents”) with cheerful, high-quality videos, ranging from plant care education to sunny tours of the company greenhouse.
“Before you decide to buy a plant, you need to understand where it’s coming from, and have confidence in the quality of what you’re getting,” explains Bridget Russo, Bloomscape’s CMO. “Video is a great storytelling tool for Bloomscape, because our product is visual and has an emotional connection for people. Buying a plant is not just a transactional thing, and video conveys that spirit.”
To that end, Bloomscape doesn’t just ship beautiful, thriving plants from their greenhouse to a customer’s door. The brand’s mission is to help people care for their plants, ensuring every customer enjoys the cozy environment that a houseplant or two (or ten) can provide.
Eager to learn more about the company’s marketing strategy, we caught up with Bridget to hear her tips for making products pop with video.
1. Build trust and solve problems
The Bloomscape team knows the value of building customer trust by anticipating problems and solving for them with video. “Video is a great tool to help with plant care,” says Bridget. “We’ve recently launched care, accessories, and tools. That’s a great opportunity to show, what’s the difference between a house snip and a pruner, and when do I use them? What plants do I use them on?” By creating content that augments their latest releases, Bloomscape is able to provide new plant parents with the tools they need, while simultaneously demonstrating the value of an entire line of products.
2. Prioritize the customer journey
No successful ecommerce video campaign should kick off without a plan. “Make sure you’re very clear about your content pillars,” says Bridget. “What are the themes you want to drive home, and how are you using video to do that? Think about the customer journey from acquisition to retention.” Bloomscape’s video content is built to meet potential customers wherever they are in the buying process. “Whether it’s converting someone or working from a service perspective for your existing customers, find out how you can use video to serve them,” reminds Bridget.
3. Show off your expertise
One things that sets Bloomscape apart from the pack is the founding family’s long horticultural history. “We’re five generations in the plant business,” says Bridget. “Justin, our founder, and his family, the Mast family, have been in this world for a long time. That’s something that’s not only a differentiator for our competitors, but also helps to give people confidence in the product they’re getting.” That’s why the team utilizes experts in the Bloomscape family to educate customers on all things green and leafy. The charming “Plant Mom” series, for example, centers on founder Justin Mast’s mother as she guides viewers through the company greenhouse.
“On-site video helps us drive home the message, ‘From our greenhouse to your home.’ There’s no middleman, which is what sets you up for success.”
4. Keep track of your progress
“Engagement, completion, and conversion are all key factors to track,” says Bridget. Bloomscape knows the value of keeping tabs on the progress and success of your video efforts. By constantly assessing the performance of different video series, the team is always honing their work. And, in turn, making better video.
5. Work with what you’ve got
Like most companies making their way right now, 2020’s uncertain landscape has posed its fair amount of challenges. But that doesn’t mean the Bloomscape team has stopped churning out high quality video. “We’re looking at what we can do with influencers or members of our team who are shooting on their iPhones,” says Bridget. “Then we take that content, and kick it over to a studio we work with, Wild Free, to do some light editing, add graphics, and add music to make a final piece. We’ve been DIYing it, which the customer may appreciate even more than a super produced video.”
