Garden centres and horticultural associations have stepped up their demand for advice on how to increase their presence on social media, and, in response, specialist PR firm Porcupine PR has launched a social media division.
The South West and London-based PR firm has opened the department to ensure current clients, which include garden centres Millbrook, The Old Railway Line and Monkton Elm as well as the Garden Centre Association, are making the best use of online publicity tools and opportunities.

Porcupine PR director Andy Doran said: "Social media is a vital platform for publicity and garden centres and horticultural organisations should definitely use it to their advantage.

"Our managing director Rachel Burks has extensive experience in this area and a family background in horticulture. Both of her parents ran garden centres until they retired and three other members of the family still work in the industry.

"Our specialist knowledge and experience is very beneficial to our existing clients in the field. We're actively encouraging them to develop multi-media PR campaigns to reach existing and potential customers.

"Through our new department we'll help clients who are looking for PR activity via social media alone, as well as ones that would like assistance with all their PR needs. We already have customers whose PR campaigns this year will be heavily influenced by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube."

Porcupine PR is offering free bite-size introductory PR and social media advice chats throughout April to those horticultural companies and garden centres interested in developing their campaigns online.