Increase Your Farm Sales with a Clear Marketing Strategy
What do we mean by “clear marketing strategy”? That’s just a way to say it’s important to be targeted and consistent in your Farm’s marketing messaging and methodology. Without a clear strategy in place, customers won’t find your Farm and will ultimately turn their business elsewhere.
When customers are looking to shop, especially online nowadays, they are looking for a convenient, fast, and simple experience. They don’t want to be overwhelmed with too many items or have difficulty navigating how to place an order from your Farm. Your marketing strategy should demonstrate the value of your products and the ease of ordering from your Farm.
TRACK YOUR ORDERING
Some common blockers prevent Farms from reaching their customers successfully. Suppose you receive orders through phone calls, emails, text messages, and Facebook messenger. This is a divided strategy (so to speak) and will be difficult to manage with ease and efficiency. Many Farmers using this method average 7+ customer interactions before an order is complete. Your customers expect a more convenient buying experience than that. On top of that, how much time does it take to manage? We’re assuming a lot.
You need to have all product details, payment options, and Delivery preferences in one place. Your customers want an easy option for selecting their Delivery or Pickup options at the time of purchase and the ability to order anytime, anywhere.). When Farmers can access all customer orders and information in one place, then it becomes much easier to coordinate your sales and make your marketing repeatable. Remember, if it’s repeatable, it’s scalable!
It can be challenging to keep track of seemingly disparate information about your business. Not to mention that it’s a big job to run marketing operations for your Farm, especially if you are doing the dirty work in the fields or the barn for much of the day. It’s worth considering how to track your customer orders and make it repeatable to save time and increase order volume potential.
CONSOLIDATE YOUR APPROACH
Rather than tracking your orders by fielding phone calls, text messages, emails, and Facebook Messenger queries from your customers, it’s essential to set up an online store so customers can order anytime, anywhere, online. On Barn2Door, we provide an all-in-one solution making it simple for Farmers to manage all direct-to-market sales (retail and wholesale) where customers enjoy a “point-and-click” experience. Every customer (new and existing) can easily order from your Farm.
Another way to deliver a clear marketing message is to have a link strategy involved with your Facebook, Instagram, and website. It doesn’t need to be complex. By creating a clear pathway for customers to continually discover more about your Farm’s brand and to engage with your content, they are more likely to buy more (and tell their friends to do so, too!). Our Farm Success Managers will work with you to ensure your messaging is consistent across all platforms and that all roads lead back to ordering from your Farm online. It’s worth educating yourself on best practices on Facebook and Instagram, so you know what to share as you plan your messaging.
BE CONSISTENT
Ideally, customers should have a clear path to access your online store and buy products NOW, regardless of if they are on your Farm’s Facebook page or browsing your Farm’s website.
Consider the channels you currently use and ask yourself—is the messaging consistent? Is the energy and heart you put into growing and harvesting on your Farm coming across in all your marketing activity? Your Farm’s brand voice is what your customers are listening to online. The messaging and imagery you use is how you create your online community and it’s how you showcase your products and tell your story. Assuming you have already done the groundwork of identifying your target customer, you can make a lot of headway just by posting regularly on social media and allowing customers to access your inventory across channels.
Bottom line? Successful Farms invest in a marketing strategy that is clear and consistent across all channels. A Farm should thoughtfully sequence, execute, and engage potential buyers across each platform with clear and consistent messages. Your messages and “calls-to-action” should all ladder up to the same outcome—placing orders from your Farm.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution for Farmers to grow and manage their business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.