Landscape Marketing Myth #1: My Customers Aren't on Social Media

I want to be honest with you about something.

When a landscape business owner tells me their customers aren't on social media, and I’ve heard this more than once, I understand where it's coming from. Running a landscape company is demanding work. The last thing anyone wants is to add something to their plate that feels optional, especially something as time consuming and unpredictable as social media. When I was in design/sales for a landscape company, I’ve heard the occasional customer say they don’t use social media, so I believed this myself for a time. Oddly enough, a year or so later, I saw them pop up on my Facebook feed…

But here's the thing: saying your customers aren't on social media is not a business decision. It's a guess. And it's a guess that conveniently makes the problem go away without having to deal with it.

Let's look at what's actually happening out there.

The Numbers Are Hard to Argue With

As of 2025, roughly 73% of Americans use social media. That's approximately 253 million people. Globally, nearly 5.79 billion people are active on social media platforms, which represents about 70% of the entire world's population.

Think about your customer base for a moment. These are homeowners, often with disposable income, who care enough about their property to invest in professional landscape work. The idea that this specific group has somehow opted out of the platforms that nearly three quarters of all Americans use is a stretch.

And even if a handful of your current clients genuinely aren't scrolling Instagram or Facebook, what about the people around them? Their neighbors who admire the finished patio. Their relatives visiting for the holidays who want something similar at their own home. Their colleagues who ask who did the work. Those people are on social media. And if your company isn't showing up there, you simply don't exist to them.

But Here's the Part That Really Gets Me

Even if you were right that your clients aren't on social media, which again I'd push back on, you are almost certainly mistaken about everyone else who is watching.

Your future employees are on social media.

This is the conversation that doesn't happen enough in the landscape industry. Finding qualified crew members is one of the hardest parts of running a landscape business right now. It's not a shortage of work. It's a shortage of workers. And yet most landscape companies are still relying entirely on job boards and word of mouth to fill their teams.

Here's what the data says about that approach. Nearly 79% of job seekers use social media to search for jobs. More specifically, 59% of candidates use social media to research company culture before they even decide to apply somewhere. And 75% of job seekers say they are more likely to apply for a position if the employer actively manages their brand on social media.

Your next star employee might be looking for you on social media right now. Are you showing up?

That star crew member you've been hoping to find? They might already be following landscape companies on Instagram. Watching reels. Getting a feel for where they'd want to spend their days. The algorithm is actually useful here. When you post consistently about your team, your work, and what it looks and feels like to work at your company, that content gets served to people with matching interests. Landscaping, construction trades, outdoor work. The right people can find you if you give them something to find.

If you aren't showing up, you aren't being considered. It's that simple.

The Myth Underneath the Myth

Here's what I've come to believe after years of working with landscape companies. When someone says their customers aren't on social media, what they're really saying is that they haven't figured out how to use it yet, and that's uncomfortable to admit.

That's completely understandable. Social media done poorly is a time suck with little to no return. But social media done with intention, consistently, with clear messaging and images that actually reflect the quality of your work, is one of the most cost effective tools available to a small business.

The question was never whether your customers are on social media. The question is whether you are giving them something worth seeing when they look you up.

Because they are looking. And so is your next great hire.

Sources

Social media usage data: DataReportal, Digital 2025: United States of America
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-united-states-of-america

Global social media users: Backlinko, Social Media Users and Growth Statistics
https://backlinko.com/social-media-users

79% of job seekers use social media / 75% more likely to apply with active employer brand: Glassdoor, HR and Recruiting Stats
https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/resources/hr-and-recruiting-stats/

83% of job seekers research company reputation before applying: Glassdoor, Essential Employer Branding Statistics
https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/most-important-employer-branding-statistics/