Why Social Media is Important to Growing Your Farm Business
As more Americans log onto social media every day, it’s more important than ever for Farms to engage with buyers and create relationships with customers through online channels. Social media has become a powerful tool for building brand awareness, prompting Farmers to share stories and engaging content, keeping followers updated about their Farm and products.
Every brand is now on social media today - promoting their products and sharing entertaining content with followers that attracts them to place an order. Studies have shown that regular customer engagement can increase sales by up to +30%. As Americans spend an average of 2 hours every day on social media, actively engaging your audience is essential to attracting new customers and growing a Farm business.
Here are three reasons why Farmers should invest in their social media presence:
Increase Brand Awareness
Farmers use social media to make their brand known to buyers who may not have found them in-person. Only 1% of Americans regularly attend farmer’s markets, and in the U.S. alone, 79% of people have a social media account. This means Farmers can access more customers by simply getting their business online and engaging with a wider audience.
94% of Americans would rather buy from local businesses than purchase a commodity product. But, since Americans are increasingly busy and prioritize convenience, finding your Farm on social media is more convenient than attending a local farmer’s market. One-third (⅓) of Americans actively search online for local businesses every day! This means that when Farms have an online presence (website and social media), they’re more likely to grow their customer list. Why? When people actively use social channels to learn more about local businesses, they’re more likely to visit your store and purchase your products.
Leveraging social media as a business tool opens your Farm to target potential buyers and existing customers with the information they want to see. With videos, photos, hashtags, likes, and comments, you can boost your Farm’s brand awareness through social media algorithms to increase visibility in your local community. Branding your Farm and posting interesting content will allow you to access ideal customers and open your Farm to an entirely new pool of buyers in different demographics! The average Facebook user is 40+ years old, while the average Instagram user is between 25-34 years old. By implementing a thoughtful and consistent social media strategy, you’ll be able to open your Farm to reach buyers who do not attend local markets!
Stay Top of Mind
It takes about 7 interactions before a customer remembers your brand. You want social media followers to be able to recognize your Farm and remember why they followed you. By sticking to a consistent posting schedule (3-5 times a week), you increase the chances of more buyers seeing and engaging with your posts.
Targeting your followers with a balanced mix of content by leveraging the three E’s (entertain, educate, e-commerce) ensures followers see a dynamic mix of content from your brand. For example, entertain with a story about the Farm or engage them with a Farm pun or laughable moment that’s relatable. Educate followers on your farming practices or share fun facts about the products you produce. Promote your products, directing them to shop from your Farm through e-Commerce with special promotions or by showcasing new products!
I must say, I was skeptical about the marketing process, but the three E's really work! I'm now having fun with my posts, it's generating interest with my followers, and I got my first sale!
- Protein Farmer, TX
Build A Community of Loyal Buyers
Many buyers who find your Farm online may purchase from your Webstore. This means you may not have had the opportunity to engage with them in person. Good news for you, social media allows you to interact with them in other ways, building a relationship and fostering a connection with your Farm brand.
Ask your followers a question in captions, gather responses in the comments section where you can comment back, engage one-on-one, and ask follow-up questions! Building a community of loyal buyers that centers around your Farm and food can be very powerful, and who knows, you may learn a thing or two to implement in your business!
Creating a community through social media with your customers is a great way to grow your Farm brand and stay top of mind to spur future sales. Posting on a consistent schedule and leveraging the three E’s to create a balanced mix of what you share has the power to grow your business, attract new followers, and keep customers engaged with your Farm brand.
We know social media can be time-consuming. That’s why Barn2Door created a Marketing Toolkit to help you out. Each month, Farms that operate on Barn2Door can sign up to receive social captions and photos created by the Barn2Door Team to help Farmers save time and make it easy to engage their audience.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution to grow and manage your Farm business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.