Five Tips to Jumpstart Your Social Media Strategy

Social media is an outstanding tool for engaging prospects in the agricultural industry. Not only is it an affordable way to showcase your brand, it helps to build relationships with customers and prospects and drives new sales.

If you have been using social media to connect with farmers and ranchers but aren’t seeing the level of success you had hoped to, it’s time to reevaluate your social media strategy. Sometimes only a few tweaks here and there can have a tremendous impact.

The most important thing to remember, however, is that no social media strategy will work if you aren’t totally committed to its success. In other words, you can’t just go through the motions. This happens when a marketer is only active on social media because they feel like they have to do it, not because they believe it is important.

If you are looking for ways to jumpstart your social media strategy, read on for some tips to help you do just that.

Tip #1: Set a schedule. Decide on a schedule for posting and engaging with followers and stick to it. Sporadic posting and haphazard responses to followers guarantee your efforts will go nowhere.

Tip #2: Focus on your target audience. You can have thousands of followers but if a majority of these followers are not part of your target audience then it won’t do you much good. The content you post on social media needs to be specific to your audience-for example, farmers and ranchers.

Tip #3: Don’t spread yourself too thin. Do your research to find out where your target audience hangs out online and then choose a few of those platforms to be active on. If you try to be active on too many platforms you won’t be effective on any of them.

Tip #4: Be yourself. This is how you really gain traction on social media. The things you post and share on social media need to connect, educate and inspire but they also need to showcase the personality of your brand so people really feel like they know you.

Tip #5: Sell smartly. Approximately 80 percent of your social media posts should educate and inspire your target audience but there is nothing wrong with promoting your products or services, either. You are a business after all. Just be sure you only sell in about 20 percent of your posts so your followers don’t tune you out.

Social media is an outstanding marketing tool. If you have been disappointed with your results so far, never fear, a few small changes may be all you need to turn things around.

Spring Checklist for Farm Equipment and Machinery

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You might not know it to see all the snow still on the ground in some parts of the country, but spring is upon us. And as farmers ready themselves for long days, they first should make sure that their equipment and machinery is tuned up and ready to go.

Not only will keeping farm equipment well maintained help to extend its life, it also will make sure that everyone who uses that equipment remains safe. What follows is a list of what farmers need to check before they put their equipment to work.

  1. Lights and flashers. Flashers and turn signals need to be tested to make sure they are working correctly. Emblems need to be clean and any worn down ones replaced.
  2. Shields and guards. Check your PTO drive-line shields. Shields should turn freely and independently of the drive line. Further, to ensure maximum protection, the drive-line shields, tractor master shields and corresponding implement shields need to be in place.
  3. Hydraulic systems and mechanical locks. Check all hoses, fittings and seals and replace worn pieces.
  4. Tires. Check that all tires are inflated properly and that bearings are properly lubricated.
  5. Sprayer and planters. Hoses, valves, fittings and all other components must be free of leaks. Any tanks should have tight covers so spills are avoided.
  6. Hitch pins. The locking hitch pins on tractors and implements must be checked to guarantee that they are secure and in good working order.
  7. Steps and platforms. Always keep equipment platforms and steps clean so that no one slips and falls when entering, exiting or standing on equipment.

No matter what make or model of equipment you own, make sure you are familiar with the owner’s manual. This ensures that you will have all the information necessary for its particular service and maintenance requirements.

Getting your tractors and other equipment ready for spring doesn’t need to take a long time but it will pay off in the long run. After all, there is nothing worse than being slowed down by a breakdown after work has begun in the fields and around the farm.
Finally, it is always a good idea to have a strong relationship with your equipment dealer. That way if there is a major issue with your equipment you have someone to turn to for help instead of scrambling to find someone at the last minute.

Using Content to Market to Farmers

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One of the great things about farmers is that what you see is what you get. Most farmers have little interest in trying to project a certain image just to impress others.

This straightforward approach carries over into the type of people farmers want to do business with. Almost without exception, farmers are not taken in by smooth-talking salespeople trying to push a product or service they don’t want or need.

When creating content to connect, educate and inspire farmers, it is important that you don’t try to make your content too slick. Instead, give farmers what they really want-straightforward information that shows them how to solve a problem, learn something new or make their operation more efficient.

Another important aspect of content marketing in the Ag world is to remember that farmers expect you to show up on time, even online. Therefore, no matter what your content marketing strategy, it needs to reach farmers on a regular basis. Farmers will appreciate your efforts and will reward those efforts by paying attention to what you have to say and coming back for more.

While building a content marketing strategy that allows you to connect with farmers may seem overwhelming, it doesn’t need to be. What follows is a general outline of an effective content marketing strategy for your Ag-based business:

  1. Find out where the farmers you are trying to attract hangout online. You can publish all the content in the world but if your target audience of farmers can’t find that content it won’t matter.
  2. Decide what you are trying to achieve through your content marketing efforts. Do you want to be seen as a thought leader in the Ag industry? Do you want to provide support? Be sure and narrow your goals down to a few key objectives. If you try to do too much it will dilute your efforts.
  3. Decide how you will measure success. Shares? Web traffic?
  4. Stick to a schedule. Make sure you post your content regularly and on the same channels. Sticking to a schedule means farmers will always know where to find you.
  5. Manage your expectations. If you expect immediate and overwhelming results from your content marketing strategy you are likely to be disappointed and give up too soon. Content marketing takes time, but when done consistently and correctly, it is sure to pay off.

DIY Data Collection and Analysis for Farmers

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Farmers are collecting more data than ever and experts in the field of agricultural technology say this is a good thing. Ask farmers and you may get a more lukewarm response, however. While it is true that many farmers are collecting a great deal of data, many are unsure what to do with that data.

For years farmers have been told that data collection will help them run their farms more efficiently and allow them to make better business decisions. This may be true, but only if farmers know how to accurately analyze the data they collect.

Many farmers are reluctant to hand over their data to an outside organization or company to have it analyzed. So what’s a farmer to do? Analyze it themselves, of course! Here’s how:

  1. Choose the correct software. There are several software packages out there so farmers need to do their research and pick the one that aligns best with their particular goals.
  2. Gather information. It is essential that the yield monitor data in the cab is accurate and that you have a reliable way of transferring that data from the cab to the office.
  3. Check (and double check) your data. Once your data has been entered into the software program it is important to double check that it is correct. Any errors entered into the software program will have a negative impact on your bottom line so always take the time to re-check things like yield totals, etc. While most farmers are interested in documenting their harvest, it also pays to document all operations. Doing so will help determine overall trends.
  4. Study the trends. Once you are sure your data has been collected and entered correctly you can look back over the crop season and examine what happened and why. This will help you to make necessary adjustments and figure out what factors drove yields and many other things.
  5. Put insights into action. Nothing you have done up until this point will mean anything if you don’t take the insights gleaned from your data and put those insights into practice.

Farmers are self-reliant. This is true whether they are harvesting crops or gathering and analyzing data. While farmers can certainly go to an outside source to analyze their data, it’s nice to know that those who wish to analyze it themselves can do so.

How to Engage Farmers through Technology

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If you are looking to engage farmers through technology (and if you want to successfully market to farmers you better be!), it is important that you pay close attention to exactly who you are looking to engage. It also is important to remember that the best method to connect with a particular farmer today may not be the best method next week or next month.

In other words, when engaging farmers through technology, the name of the game is adaption. And if you aren’t constantly adapting to the farmers you want to reach, chances are you aren’t going to reach them at all. If all this sounds overwhelming, fear not, what follows are some tips to help you match the right engagement tool to the right farmer at the right time.

  1. Remember that segmenting is the name of the game. Within your target market, organize farmers based on specific demographics-size of farm, crop type, for example. Segmenting farmers allows you to tailor your marketing message. And the more relevant the message, the more likely farmers are to respond and engage.
  2. Get interactive. Use different forms of media to determine which are the most popular with your target audience. Host a webinar and see how many people tune in, for example. It also is a good idea to try to mix particular media. Send out an email that asks people to like your Facebook page. Not only will you find out what modes of communication your target audience prefers, you can gather important contact information in the process.
  3. Don’t reinvent the wheel. If there are channels that the farmers you are targeting already use, jump in and join the conversation. Do your research to find out where farmers go to share information or get advice. It also pays to find out who the key influencers are within a particular demographic you are trying to reach. By engaging with key influencers you can get your name out there, as well.
  4. Repeat. Technology moves quickly so once you have segmented your target audience, gotten interactive and jumped on already popular channels, it is important to repeat these steps on a regular basis. Only then can you be sure that you are keeping up with the farmers you are looking to reach.

Today’s world is becoming smaller thanks to technology. This means that you can reach out to more farmers than ever. But as is true with almost everything, quality trumps quantity. Make sure you are using technology to help you connect with the type of farmers you are targeting, not just the most farmers.

When it Comes to Marketing, Not all Farmers are Created Equal

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One of the most common mistakes Ag-based businesses make when marketing to farmers is to group all farmers into the same category. This is not just a common mistake, it is a costly one,
as well.
It is important for agricultural businesses to recognize that all farmers are not the same. For example, a young farmer just starting out on his or her own is going to be swayed by a different message than a much-older farmer who has weathered decades of life on the farm.
So who are today’s farmers and how can each group of these farmers best be approached? Read on to find out.

  1. Experienced farmers. This group of farmers still owns his or her farm but is no longer running its day-to-day operations. They are fiercely loyal to the Ag-based businesses that helped them get where they are today. They also respond to more traditional forms of marketing such as direct mail and sales calls.
  2. Take-charge farmers. Like their predecessors above, these farmers own their farms but remain in charge of the day-to-day operations. They are fiercely loyal to certain brands and businesses but are open to change, especially if they feel they are not getting the most bang for their buck. These farmers respond to old and new forms of marketing but prefer to close a deal with a handshake.
  3. Couples. There are several husband and wife teams who run their farm together. Decisions are usually made jointly and those decisions are revisited regularly. In other words, they are always looking for a better value or better product. Farm couples are extremely comfortable with digital marketing.
  4. Managers. These types of farmers may work on a family farm or run a division of a larger, corporate farm. They are loyal to a brand as long as that brand continues to add value to their operation. Managers want to make sure the companies they work with have corporate and social policies in line with their own way of thinking. Digital marketing is second nature to these individuals.
  5. The up-and-comers. These are the future of farming. They can be interns or entry-level workers on a corporate or family farm. They are loyal to companies that engage with them and help them do their job better. These up and comers want to see more than just digital marketing, they want innovative ideas on how to make their mark in the agricultural community.

For years, farmers have been viewed as one large target audience. But the most effective Ag marketers understand that this is not the best approach. Instead, this traditionally large target audience must be broken down into much small segments so that you can best speak to your target market of farmers.