7 Steps You Must Follow to Stay Competitive
Print advertisement, and similar methods of reaching the market, are no longer enough. We live in the time of a digital society, and farmers are beginning to catch on.
However, few regenerative farmers know where to begin with agriculture marketing. Many skilled farmers feel incompetent when faced with digital marketing concepts. Others fear that the slightly higher price of sustainably-grown produce is unappealing.
In this article, we’ll help you overcome any concerns you have about digital marketing for farmers. We’ll take you step-by-step through the essential aspects of marketing agriculture online.
Furthermore, we’ll show why the intended market honours the price that sustainable produce demands. Let’s delve into it.
- Step One -
Determine Your Target Market
Target markets are a vital consideration for any marketing attempt. Perhaps more so for regenerative farming advertising than other agriculture.
Standard farming operations grow produce and sell it at a competitive price to any willing buyer. In regenerative agriculture, the methods often demand a higher production price.
You can’t target the traditional produce market.
You don’t use cheap growing methods and can’t compete with cut-throat prices. Instead, your focus is on growing wholesome produce using sustainable practices.
Questions to Help Discern Your Target Market
Since your focus is different, your target must change as well. We’ve compiled a list of questions to help you pinpoint your market niche.
- What am I growing? It’s an important place to start. The type of produce you’re growing impacts the target. Are you growing organic grain, exotic fruits, or sustainably produced salad greens?
- Who would want this type of produce? If you’re growing organic, sustainably produced grain, you could target organic mills and health-food chains. Organic feed stores may also be interested. Make a list of all the potential sale avenues.
- Where do they live? Location is a vital aspect. You need to decide how far afield you’re willing to send your produce.
- How much do they earn? Whether you target individuals or businesses, their budget is a huge consideration. Determine the lowest threshold at which you’re willing to sell. Anyone who can pay that threshold or more is your target.
- What motivates them? We’ll discuss this in detail in step two.
- Step Two -
Find Out What Motivates
Your Chosen Customers
Once you’ve determined the target of your farming marketing, you need to learn more about them.
Are you targeting juicers who want a healthier lifestyle? Research the demographics for that tribe of people. Are they primarily middle-aged, young, or old? Do they also frequent gyms?
Once you have this information, you know where to focus your efforts. Regenerative farmers advertising organic fruit and veg for juicing can pursue agreements with gyms online.
Marketing for agriculture online is much the same as traditional marketing. You need to find ways to intersect with your audience unobtrusively.
- Step Three -
Team Up With Influencers
As soon as you know who your target is and their interests, you can start influencing them. While it’s possible to become a successful social media influencer yourself, it takes time and effort.
The prudent course of action is to take your product to an existing influencer. Around the world, many successful influencers push for a more sustainable lifestyle.
Many of these would happily help with your marketing for agriculture. Often, influencers will forgo payment in return for sponsorship of your product. You can exchange a year’s worth of produce for priceless exposure.
From YouTube channels to Instagram pages and Facebook celebrities, the opportunities are endless. Seek out influencers in the niches you discerned earlier, and you’re on the right path.
- Step Four -
Sell Your Ethos
Regenerative agriculture is a matter of passion and beliefs rather than profit. The best way to reach the people who support it is to sell your story.
While you may not rely primarily on your own social media pages for exposure, you should create some. Build open, forthright pages that give supporters an insight into the differences your farm is making.
How to Connect to the Worldview of Your Audience
- Speak of the origins of your farming practices. What drives you to farm sustainably, and why did you start?
- Convey the importance of regenerative agriculture. Why is this type of farming important, and how does it change lives?
- Share the passion you feel. You’re dealing with an audience stung to action by conscience. Your tribe has passionate beliefs about being sustainable. Be someone to whom they can relate.
- Don’t just brand the farm, but yourself as well. Centuries of big agriculture have removed customers from the people who produce their food.
People who purchase restoratively-grown produce want to connect with you. Essentially, you are the embodiment of their ideals, so let them see you. - Give insight into the regenerative agriculture process. As an agricultural marketer with a restorative focus, you need to display what makes you different.
Precisely what do you do that sets your farm apart?
How are your methods different from traditional agriculture?Show clients the difference they want to see.
- Step Five -
Create Targeted Ads
Since you’ve already connected with influencers, you’re off to a good start. For step two, you also determined which niches intersect with your target market.
At this junction, you can use that information to your advantage. Many social media platforms, and other advertising sites, let you build targeted ads.
Since you’ve determined a buyer persona, you have a comprehensive demographic to help create your ads. Choose the relevant age groups, employment types, and other data.
Remember to keep comprehensive records of your farming advertising results. As you try different combinations, you’ll learn the most successful results. Keep building your advertisement persona accordingly.
At this point, you also know what drives your audience and what they seek. Use this to your advantage, and incorporate relevant wording. Emphasize how buying your product supports sustainability and restoration.
From the first letter to the final full stop, sculpt your ads to attract your audience.
- Step Six -
Build a Community
Many of the previous steps are vital for building a clientele. However, if you want to create a legacy with lasting, loyal clients, you must do something more.
As a regenerative farmer, you are at the heart of a revolutionary movement. Many people want to honour the earth while still living a comfortable life.
If you want to keep the customers that you gain, you need to build a digital community. Bring all the social media platforms you use together to create a stronghold.
Society is often aggressive towards concepts that it doesn’t understand. Produce a place of safety where like-minded people can connect over your products. If you do that, you’ll gain more stalwart supporters than any other way.
Content creation doesn’t have to be a soul-draining task. You don’t need to be a social media expert or release five new videos and twenty articles every week.
In truth, your community will request your:
- Commitment – While you don’t need to go to elaborate lengths, post regularly. Consider setting a schedule of two to three posts a week. When your followers see that you’re committed to them, they’ll commit to you.
- Perseverance – The worst thing you can do is begin strong and then stop or be absent. Once you start the course, ensure that you keep to it. Make the time to connect with your tribe.
- Honesty – Share the highs and the lows. Be honest when you’re struggling, or plans fail. To your followers, you become an embodiment of dreams. There’s an undeniable attraction to the fallible humanity of an idol.
- Loyalty – Make time to talk to your community. Answer comments, respond to messages, and keep them informed.
- Sincerity – While you should always maintain a level of decency, don’t become a facade. You are branding yourself and should let people see your heart for your craft.
- Step Seven -
Keep Creating Relevant Content
From targeted ads to content for your community, you need to keep going.
You could hire an agricultural marketer, but you don’t need to. You can connect to the most prominent social media platforms and manage them at the click of a button.
Whether you choose to connect with the audience using videos, photos, or blog posts, keep it relevant.
Here are some tips to help you:
- Remember what drew your clients in the first place.
- Many customers in the regenerative agriculture industry care about farm-to-table. Share the process with them.
- Be mindful of search engine optimization. SEO is a valuable tool when you’re marketing in agriculture. Choosing the right keywords can set you apart.
- Use keywords sparingly, but well. SEO can be a double-edged sword if you misuse it. Find keywords to fit your purpose, and don’t try to make your purpose fit keywords.
- Produce varied content to reach all personality types.
Innovative Digital Marketing for Farmers Is
Only a Few Steps Away
Digital marketing doesn’t have to be the silver stag it’s presented as.
Remember that:
- People buy your purpose, not just your product.
- You brand yourself as much as your produce.
- Creating a digital community around a common cause is your greatest gift.
- You need to know your target market.
- People who buy sustainably produced products have a different mindset.
- If you produce valuable products, they speak for themselves after initial contact.
Don’t let fear hold you back. You can market your regenerative farming products with minimal effort. Other farmers are already making a mark on the internet, so start making yours today.
