Could you benefit from some social media expertise targeted specifically to the floral industry? Then you’ll want to watch for A Social Media Guide for Floral Retailers and Wholesalers, which will be released this fall.

The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) has partnered with the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO) to create a guide that will, according to released reports, “take an in-depth look at how floral retailers can effectively use social media. The guide will include an analysis of specific social media tools, with recommendations for how to best use them, and will be applicable to industry members with a wide range of social media experience.”

It will be available with an electronic PDF document and a video series.

The project will be conducted by Charles Hall, Ph.D., Texas A&M University; Bridget Behe, Ph.D., Michigan State University; and Chengyan Yue, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, who will analyze social media literature, best practices and case studies to develop the social media guide for the floriculture industry. The guide will be released in fall 2012.

The FMRF, which was established in 2009 by the trustees of the American Floral Endowment (AFE), funds consumer research projects for the advancement of the floriculture industry. Click here to learn more about the FMRF.

The FPO, which hosts www.flowerpossibilities.com, is an alliance of U.S. and Colombian cut flower growers dedicated to providing consumers with cut flower education and design inspiration.