How to optimize your social media profiles to generate qualified leads for your agribusiness? Learn the tips and social media strategies by reading our blog posts.
Marketing to farmers requires a high-tech approach. Any agricultural business who doesn’t believe this to be true probably won’t be in business for too long. Let’s face it, farmers are expected to feed 9.6 billion people by 2050, they are well aware that technology is going to play a huge part in that undertaking. Not […]
Of all the pages on a company’s website, the “about us” page is particularly challenging to write. After all, trying to tell the story of your business requires a special skill set.
The “about us” page is especially important when your customers and prospects are farmers. That’s because farmers want to do business with people they know and trust. In light of this fact, it is crucial that you work hard to make sure your “about us” page speaks to farmers. Wondering how you can accomplish this? Here are a few tips to help you along:
- Tip #1: Give it to them straight.
Farmers aren’t easily taken in by corporate jargon. They want to know who you are and why you do what you do. If you are trying to be too slick, farmers will be turned off.
- Tip #2: Provide an overview of your website.
Farmers don’t want to waste time. Your “about us” page should tell them what they can expect to find on your website and how to quickly access the pages they are looking for.
- Tip #3: Include an opt-in form.
The page needs to include an opt-in form so that you can capture visitors and get them on your email list. Maybe they like what they see on your “about us” page and are interested in subscribing to your newsletter. Make sure you make it simple for them to do this or they probably won’t do it at all.
- Tip #4: Use visuals.
Use short paragraphs with a mix of headlines and bullet points. You also should include photos and videos. Long blocks of copy are the surest way to drive away visitors. - Tip #5: Showcase your strengths.
Glowing reviews, mentions in trade publications and customer testimonials should be highlighted on your “about us” page. If you have been recognized, there is no reason you shouldn’t draw attention to that fact. - Tip #6: Don’t forget your contact info.
In addition to your email address and phone number, include links to your social media sites. This may seem like an obvious point but you might be surprised to learn how many “about us” pages overlook this critical information.
Your “about us” page may not be the most visited page on your website but it is essential nonetheless. Make sure you use this page to let farmers get to know you and all you have to offer.
More than 80 percent of Americans are on social media today. That is up 5 percent from just one year ago. And make no mistake, farmers and ranchers are as likely as anyone else to be on social media.
So what does that mean if you are looking to market to farmers and ranchers? It means you must have a strong social media strategy in place. Unfortunately, social media – while wildly popular and an extremely effective marketing technique – often falls flat when it comes to attracting new customers and promoting brands.
If you are using social media to connect and engage with farmers and ranchers but your efforts seem to be falling flat, don’t give up. Social media is too important to ignore so you need to work at it until you get it right.
In order to improve your social media performance you must understand what you are doing wrong. Read on to learn about some of the most common reasons social media isn’t doing its job.
- You don’t have a plan. You wouldn’t start a business without a business plan so make sure you have a social media plan. You need to decide what your goals are when it comes to social media success. Are you looking for a particular number of followers, for example? You can’t succeed with social media if you don’t know what success looks like.
- You’re spreading yourself too thin. There are a lot of social media platforms out there but more isn’t always better. Figure out where most of your customers and prospects are hanging out online and concentrate on those sites. If you are on every social media platform it is going to be extremely difficult to succeed on each and every one. Remember, you want to engage with people through social media and if you are on too many sites that will be difficult to accomplish.
- You’re ignoring metrics. People may be liking your posts but you need to know much more than that. You need to be tracking things like conversions, engagement and reach. Once you get a handle on this data it will be easier to measure the ROI of your social media efforts.
- You fail to integrate. Social media should never exist in a vacuum. Make sure your social media efforts are integrated with your overall marketing strategy. Doing so will allow you to become seen as a thought leader in the industry while solidifying your brand’s particular voice.
- You don’t use calls-to-action. It may seem obvious to you that you want people to comment and share your posts but you need to ask them to do it.
Social media is a powerful, cost-effective way to promote your brand. Make sure you are taking full advantage of it when marketing to the countless farmers and ranchers who are using it.
Everyone loves to eat and everyone loves food. What does that mean for farmers and agricultural-based businesses? It means that they need to get creative with their marketing techniques.
While everyone can tell you the food they grow or sell is healthy, delicious and a great value, today it’s all about how you say these things. Want to get heard in the crowded food-based marketplace? Here are some fun and different ways farmers, grocers, restaurants and any other foodies can get noticed (heck, you might even become a viral sensation).
- Inject a little humor. Food doesn’t have to be a serious issue. Sure, you can scare Americans into believing they won’t survive without the vitamins and minerals in your food but they’ll respond better to a little humor.
- Do some good deeds (and make sure people know about it). Does your farm, dairy or restaurant donate leftovers to the local food bank? Post about it on social media. You’ll still be doing a (very) good deed but you’ll get credit for it, as well. Consumers want to know they are supporting organizations that are making a difference in their community.
- Let your customers get to know you. Are you a restaurant that gets its food from local farms? Make sure that information is printed on the menu. Do you hire veterans? Anything unique about your food-based business should be celebrated.
- Pay attention to packaging. Earth-friendly packaging is huge trend and so is vintage wrapping. Today’s consumers are environmentally conscious and frown upon waste. Vintage wrapping and packaging gives consumers the feeling that their food is made in small batches and is more personalized.
- Know your target market. How you market your food will depend a great deal on your target audience. Mothers of young children want to know that everything that goes on their children’s plate is pure and natural. Millennials want to know they are purchasing food from environmentally-conscious companies. Families on the go want quick, healthy options that don’t break the bank. Make sure your marketing messages tell your target audience what they want to hear.
When you are selling food you are selling a feeling or idea, as well. Make sure your food product doesn’t get passed over by a particular market segment because it wasn’t marketed to attract those unique consumers!
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.