Almost three-fourths of small businesses that market to farmers and ranchers say that email marketing makes up the majority of their marketing strategy. Whether for personal or business use, it is virtually impossible to find a farmer or rancher without an email account. And with these Ag professionals using their mobile devices everywhere from on the tractor to in the barn, email is an outstanding way to get in touch with these customers and prospects.
In light of this fact, you would think that every small business would be using email to raise awareness of their brand and increase sales. However, many small businesses are under the mistaken impression that implementing an email campaign is more hassle than it’s worth. In reality, however, email marketing is one of the most cost-effective and least complicated forms of marketing you can choose for your business.
Email marketing offers a better return on investment than almost any other type of marketing strategy and the money spent on email marketing is minimal compared to other forms of marketing. Think about how much you would spend to produce and air a 30-second radio commercial and it is easy to see why an email campaign makes such good sense. Plus, email marketing is able to offer a much more targeted approach.
Email marketing also will boost your company’s social interaction. Social media is what is hot these days and email is one great way to connect with your customers. Email allows you to post links to your social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and your customer can share your email with friends, family, and other farmers and ranchers—across the field or across the world.
Email marketing gives you the ability to track and better understand how your contacts are responding to your emails, as well. This allows you to tailor your emails to meet the particular needs of your Ag customers in ways that traditional marketing strategies cannot.
Further, if you need to get your message out right away email marketing is definitely the way to go. All you have to do is compose an email and press send. Traditional marketing techniques simply can’t offer that same flexibility. And since weather and other market conditions often necessitate a last minute change in message, this offers a huge advantage over other marketing methods.
Once you have begun your email marketing campaign you may be curious if it is working for your business. That’s another advantage of email marketing. The results of email campaigns are easily measured because you receive reports that let you know things like how many farmers and ranchers saw your email and how many clicked on its links.
The more you learn about email marketing, the easier it is to understand why so many small Ag businesses are using it. If you don’t want to lose out on connecting with the farmers and ranchers on your sales list, it’s time to implement email marketing.
Email Marketing a Must for Small Businesses Marketing to Farmers and Ranchers
UncategorizedAlmost three-fourths of small businesses that market to farmers and ranchers say that email marketing makes up the majority of their marketing strategy. Whether for personal or business use, it is virtually impossible to find a farmer or rancher without an email account. And with these Ag professionals using their mobile devices everywhere from on the tractor to in the barn, email is an outstanding way to get in touch with these customers and prospects.
In light of this fact, you would think that every small business would be using email to raise awareness of their brand and increase sales. However, many small businesses are under the mistaken impression that implementing an email campaign is more hassle than it’s worth. In reality, however, email marketing is one of the most cost-effective and least complicated forms of marketing you can choose for your business.
Email marketing offers a better return on investment than almost any other type of marketing strategy and the money spent on email marketing is minimal compared to other forms of marketing. Think about how much you would spend to produce and air a 30-second radio commercial and it is easy to see why an email campaign makes such good sense. Plus, email marketing is able to offer a much more targeted approach.
Email marketing also will boost your company’s social interaction. Social media is what is hot these days and email is one great way to connect with your customers. Email allows you to post links to your social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and your customer can share your email with friends, family, and other farmers and ranchers—across the field or across the world.
Email marketing gives you the ability to track and better understand how your contacts are responding to your emails, as well. This allows you to tailor your emails to meet the particular needs of your Ag customers in ways that traditional marketing strategies cannot.
Further, if you need to get your message out right away email marketing is definitely the way to go. All you have to do is compose an email and press send. Traditional marketing techniques simply can’t offer that same flexibility. And since weather and other market conditions often necessitate a last minute change in message, this offers a huge advantage over other marketing methods.
Once you have begun your email marketing campaign you may be curious if it is working for your business. That’s another advantage of email marketing. The results of email campaigns are easily measured because you receive reports that let you know things like how many farmers and ranchers saw your email and how many clicked on its links.
The more you learn about email marketing, the easier it is to understand why so many small Ag businesses are using it. If you don’t want to lose out on connecting with the farmers and ranchers on your sales list, it’s time to implement email marketing.
New Year’s Resolutions for Your Business
UncategorizedNew Year’s resolutions are really easy to create. It’s the work involved in trying to accomplish them that is difficult. We seem to create resolutions for our own personal lives, but what about our business? Do we make a list of things we want to accomplish in our business lives? We should – not a lot, maybe two or three items that we want to accomplish in 2016 that will make our business better than it was in 2015.
Some examples might be:
1. Create a Business Plan
It’s simple. There are numerous examples online as to how to build a business plan. For US Farm Data, we look at the 4 P’s (Product, Pricing, Promotion, Personnel. You can also add a section on Competition, etc.
2. Add Something to Your Product that Your Competition Does NOT Have
This can be anything – from expanded customer service hours to something more tangible. “Our product has this! Our competition does NOT!
3. Don’t Overload Yourself
You can’t do everything. You can’t be everything. Some questions we ask are:
“How do we want the product to improve?”
“What’s the revenue goal?”
Easy things to do, but no doubt, takes some work to make them happen. Set objectives that will push your company forward, and at the same time, can be achieved with some good ‘ol fashioned hard work and planning. It’s not too late.
Good luck to all of you. Feel free to call US Farm Data (www.usfarmdata.com) if you want to discuss your business, and how we can help you grow.
In the meantime, we wish you all a very profitable 2016.
Marketing to Ag Professionals? Your Target Audience is Growing.
UncategorizedAre You Wasting Farmers’ Time?
Uncategorized“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” – William Blake
If you are marketing to farmers, you may feel that approaching them in the winter gives you your best chance to reach them. This is true in large part because farmers traditionally have more free time in the winter months.
That is not to say that farmers do nothing in the winter, especially those who raise livestock. But even farmers who strictly grow crops keep busy with other farm-related tasks. And while the days are shorter and the fields wet or frozen, many farmers are working on their books, ordering supplies and making sure their tractors and other farm equipment is in working order.
Everyone knows that time is money, and even though their hectic schedules may have slowed a bit, you never want to waste your customer or prospects time. So how can you let farmers know you value their time? Here are some surefire ways:
Farmers may have a little more time to spare in the winter months but chances are if they do, they don’t want to spend all their extra time talking with salespeople. Always remember that in spring, summer, fall or winter, farmers need to know that you value their time.
How to Make Sure Your Content Connects with Farmers
UncategorizedIs a Flexible Farm Lease Right for You?
Farmer LifeIt is no secret that cash rents on farmland can be tough on tenants trying to turn a profit. If you are wondering how best to protect your profitability from cash rents, you are not alone.
Alison Rice is the markets and news editor for agweb.com. She recently published an article in TopProducer Magazine which helps to answer some of the most common questions regarding flexible farm leases.
In her article, 8 Common Questions on Flexible Farm Leases, Rice writes that with the prospect of low grain and soy pricing in the coming months, some producers are looking for options to protect their profitability. This may include the possibility of negotiating a flexible farm lease with their landlord.
Perhaps the most important question answered in the article is what is a reasonable base rent? After all, there is no point in trying to renegotiate if you are getting a good deal already. Rice says the definition of a reasonable base rent varies “from farm to farm, but generally, it should be lower than what the fixed-cash rent would be.”
According to extension economists at Iowa State, if your base rent is not lower than what the fixed-cash rent would be then the landowner does not share in any of the downside risk.
Some of the other questions Rice answers include:
In the end, whether or not you should try to negotiate a flexible farm lease will depend on the answers to the questions in this article and your unique financial situation. While you may not get all the answers you are looking for in this article, it is certainly a good starting point.