Farm Marketing Tactics to Help Your Business Grow
Marketing may often fall behind on your long to-do list, however it is one of the most important areas of focus to build a successful Farm business. Regardless of how you sell your products, Farm Marketing is critical to your business growth. Farm sales can increase significantly by improving your Brand awareness, including email, social media, a website and grassroots efforts. Each of these tactics can help your Farm grow tremendously by attracting more Buyers. Without Farm marketing, you may be missing out on significant opportunities to serve a wider audience online and in-person.
Grassroots Marketing is free and effective
Start small and stay local. You may have big dreams to sell to thousands of buyers all across the region, but do not underestimate the power of your local community. One of the most prolific farms in the country, Polyface Farms, primarily sells their products to buyers in a nearby small town of just 25,000 people.
Word-of-mouth can be pivotal when it comes to increasing awareness of your Farm as your business grows. Making your Farm presence known in the areas that your community frequents regularly (aka the “local loop”), such as small businesses, schools and churches, can significantly improve your brand visibility. Farm Pick-ups along the local loop are more convenient and will help you access more buyers.
When marketing, it is important to convey the values of your Farm brand to those buying your Products. What message do you want to spread? How do you want Buyers to describe your Farm? These questions, and their answers, will help you decide how to move forward with your marketing efforts.
Buyers should trust your Farm Brand, wanting to support your efforts to grow and harvest sustainable and healthy products. Consider the ideal audience to target with your Farm marketing strategies. What is their background? How old are they? What words, images and values appeal to them? Identifying your ideal customers will help you tailor your marketing strategy - online and in-person - as you build your Farm brand.
Encourage your community to participate at local on-Farm events such as field trips, camps, and volunteering to help you build a strong network. Offering potential Buyers opportunities to interact and visit your Farm increases transparency. That transparency builds trust, strengthens relationships, and improves market awareness in your local community.
Share your Farm’s origin story
To build a network of Buyers and partners that trust you, be honest and personable in all your interactions. This is the best way to lay a foundation in your community for a strong Farm brand and effective marketing efforts!
Give people a reason to invest in your Farm. Tell your community how you got your start in Farming, how they can get involved, and why you’re passionate about Farming. Sharing your story will also encourage your community to support Farmers who implement sustainable agriculture practices and employ locals. Small Farm marketing starts with building a strong community in your area, before attempting to expand your reach to larger metropolitans.
Show up and be visible in the areas where your ideal customers frequent regularly. Build partnerships with local schools, churches, and businesses - anywhere Buyers may pick-up your products. Create attractive flyers, posters and business cards that feature your Farm logo with a QR code, social handles, and your website for easy access.
Farm logos are an important part of Farm Direct marketing, because they give your Buyers an image to associate with your Farm. While a Buyer might not recognize your exact products or workers, they will remember your logo. Barn2Door offers Farm logo designs to bring your brand to the next level, by standing out to customers. Tangible marketing assets will help keep your Farm top-of-mind for Buyers.
Email Marketing Can Increase Profits
Successful farmers regularly send email newsletters and order reminders to their Buyers. Email operates like an ATM - everytime you hit “send” you can expect Farm Orders to follow (especially as your email list grows).
Make it a priority to always be collecting and expanding your email list. The QR Code on your tangible marketing assets (business cards, flyers), should automatically redirect to your Farm’s email collection form. You can automate a welcome email to new Buyers and begin to market to them regularly.
Starting with a Welcome Letter will allow you to give new customers information on your farm, how to shop online and in-person, and your pick-up locations. These emails will help your community get a feel for how your farm operates and what it values. A Welcome Letter can prime your network before you send more information regarding updates or product specials.
Entice prospective Buyers to sign-up for your Newsletter with a Welcome Promo (10% off their first order of $50 or more). Using other incentives such as exclusive access to your highest demand products or the first-to-know about new products can further excite customers. Offering exclusive invites to desirable events will spur more opportunities to connect with Buyers.
Newsletters should be sent out on a regular basis, either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly (at a minimum). These emails are a great way to market any seasonal updates, Farm growth, recipes, or major changes for your loyal Buyers.
Barn2Door offers an integration with MailChimp whereby Farmers can automate emails out to different groups of their Buyers. Your Farm can segment Buyers based on purchase history and audience type, choosing different designs and products to feature in your emails. This Farm Marketing solution offers many capabilities for consistent communication with customers.
Increase Brand Awareness with Social Media
Social Media is another free tool that is used by many Farmers, offering an easy way to passively interact with your existing and potential Buyers. Social Media also offers the ability for your Farm to leverage your Followers to expand your reach well beyond your local community. Keep your Farm brand top-of-mind with your followers by posting consistently - at least 1-2 times per week. Note, you can plan and schedule your posts to ensure that your Farm is visible in social media channels, even when you are out working on the Farm.
To raise awareness in your local community, be sure your Farm follows other local businesses, churches and schools where your Buyers are present. Post real photos of your Farm, your family, and your products. Keep your humor and personality at the forefront, to ensure your posts are authentic (which will attract more followers and build loyalty). Also offer educational content on social media to attract new followers seeking Farms that employ sustainable practices, and want to support local small businesses.
Interacting with posts from your followers and your community will help keep your Farm brand top-of-mind, while also building relationships. Social Media provides the opportunity to interact with a wide range of people, while fostering relationships with those who support your Farm through every season.
Conclusion
Implementing these Farm Marketing strategies can help you drive persistent awareness to attract new Buyers, stay top-of-mind and increase sales. Building a brand that is personal and consistent, online and in-person, will enable your Farm to build trust and improve Buyer loyalty.
Barn2Door offers an all-in-one solution to help Farmers manage direct sales online and in-person. If you’re looking to increase sales, access more customers and save time and money, we encourage you to watch this 5-minute video.