Social Media Crucial to Ag-Based Businesses

It might come as a surprise to many Ag business owners, but social media can drastically increase their number of sales leads. The key is to understand what specific aspects of social media to concentrate on. After all, social media is a broad term that encompasses many different things.

In order to make sure that your social media strategy is as effective as possible, it is important that you concentrate on what is hot right now in the world of social media. So what is hot? The following list outlines it for you:

Social Signals: When people share your content, it sends more traffic to your website. More traffic, means a higher SEO ranking. So while social media doesn’t directly affect your SEO, without it your SEO can certainly suffer. The takeaway? Organic, high-quality content is more important than ever.

Mobile Traffic: Last year, mobile traffic among farmers and ranchers overtook desktop traffic in the United States and its usage shows no signs of slowing. Think of all of the time farmers and ranchers spend away from their desks and it is easy to see why mobile is so popular with them. If it isn’t already, mobile needs to be one of your highest priorities.

Data-Driven Targeting: With all of the valuable insights that can be gained through social media analytics and other reporting tools, there is simply no excuse for not personalizing your marketing message to every one of your agriculture leads. Make no mistake, your competition is approaching the same farmers and ranchers that you are—and chances are they are doing it with a personalized message. Make sure you don’t lose farmers and ranchers who feel another company knows them better.

Engagement Matters: Research shows that social media influences customers’ buying decisions even more than retail websites. Further, the more engaged your customers are on your social media sites, the greater your sales numbers. That’s why it is so important that you work to make your social media sites commerce-driven. While buying over social media is still in its infancy, the day will come when you will need to implement such strategies. Until then, engaging farmers and ranchers via social media about your products and services will make the inevitable transition much smoother.

Social media has endless potential but it requires a great deal of time and attention to do it right. This is time well spent, however, as the potential payoff is huge.

 

 

 

Farmers and ranchers talk to one another. In fact, many times it is the referral of a fellow farmer or rancher that encourages a farmer or rancher to purchase a piece of equipment or invest in new Ag technology.

Since referrals can make a huge impact on your bottom line, it is important that you try to get as many as possible. So how can you encourage your customers to recommend your Ag business to their friends and family?

  1. Referral Bonuses. Referral bonuses are a great way to generate leads because who doesn’t want to earn extra money just for spreading the good word about a product or service they already use? Consider making referral bonus offers good for only a certain amount of time so that customers are less likely to forget to make a referral.
  2. Discounts for Social Media Shares. A small discount on products or services is a great incentive to encourage customers to share the good news about your business on social media. It takes almost no effort at all for a customer to like or share your Facebook page but it can pay off big for your business in the form of sales leads.
  3. Request that your current customers take a few of your business cards and refer others who may be interested in your business. And although it may seem obvious, it always helps to ask customers for referrals when they are particularly satisfied with your product or service!
  4. Give Samples. If you sell a particular Ag product, consider giving samples for your customers to pass out to friends and family.
  5. Practice Gratitude. When you do receive a referral, make sure to recognize and thank the customer who made that referral with a handwritten note or small token of your appreciation. Knowing that their efforts are appreciated will encourage customers to continue to make referrals.
  6. Do Unto Others. When possible, always refer your customers to other customers. When people know that you are referring customers to them they will be much more likely to do the same for you.

Finally, always offer outstanding customer service. Let’s face it, when customers are thrilled to work with you, they are going to want to share the good news. Providing your customers superior products and services coupled with great customer service is the best way to make sure they sing your praises—whether or not they have been asked!

 

Spring is in the air and that means people are beginning to plan for their summer getaways. This year, many Americans will once again choose a visit to the countryside as opposed to a trip to the beach, a waterpark or other more traditional summer destinations.

Recently, a growing number of city-dwellers have opted to connect with nature and experience life in the country for their summer vacation. This is understandable. After all, who can resist waking up to the sounds of a working farm, feeding baby lambs, or gazing at the clear night sky filled with stars.

In most cases, such trips involve staying on an operating farm or ranch. These farms and ranches allow individuals, couples or families to experience country living up close and personal. From cheese-making on a dairy farm in Wisconsin to caring for livestock on a cattle ranch in Montana, these agritourism vacations are all the rage.

Children and adults of all ages will love feeding baby animals, picking blueberries, baking pies, churning butter, eating huge farm-style meals, and sleeping in an old-fashioned farmhouse. The best part? You can travel to far off locations or remain close to home and still get away from it all.

Considering spending some time in the country or on the farm for your next trip but can’t decide if it is right for you? Farmers list the following reasons why agritourism is an outstanding choice:

  1. Incredible food. City folks may have never experienced the satisfaction of the farm-to-table experience. There is nothing better than breakfast made from eggs you collected yourself that same morning or picking apples for your very own homemade apple pie.
  2. History comes alive. When you visit working farms that have been handed down from generation to generation, you feel a connection with the land that you would never expect. And depending on where you choose to vacation, you could be on one of the oldest farms in the nation.
  3. Life slows down. Going off the beaten path saves you from the stress that comes with so many vacations. Instead of rushing to see the next landmark or roller coaster, you can slow down and actually relax and unwind.

Of course, visitors to farms and ranches aren’t the only ones who benefit from agritourism. Such vacations help to support small and family-owned farms. They also may entice young people who have never experienced country living to consider a career in agriculture.