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!

 

There are a lot of political issues up for discussion this election year. For farmers, one of the biggest has to do with water.

Of course, there are a number of issues regarding farmers’ use of water but one of the biggest—and without which others don’t really matter—is the availability of water. Consumable water in the United States, for the most part, comes from one of two sources. These sources are precipitation, which is stored in reservoirs and upper soil formations, and underground aquifers.

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted their annual analyses of water levels in 32,000 wells that have been sampled over the past 20 years. This analysis showed there to be a shrinking water supply in the West and High Plains. Further, according to this analysis, water levels have diminished in wells across the country. The majority of the wells in the U.S. Geological Survey’s database rely on underground aquifers. Irrigation accounts for the use of about 90 percent of the water in the lower 48 states.

While some have argued that too much runoff ends up in the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. government does not agree with this assessment. Government agencies also dispute the argument that fishery, wetland, and wildlife regulations require too much runoff.

It is obviously good news for both the U.S. economy and the Ag industry that agricultural exports have doubled since 2006. However, there is a downside to this booming export business. Higher exports mean that the amount and quality of the U.S. water supply declines along with these exports.

Of course, U.S. farmers are very aware of the need to conserve water and are doing their part to help save this valuable resource. What follows are just some of the many ways the Ag industry is doing its part to be a good steward of water resources:

1. Drip irrigation: delivers water directly to a plant’s roots, reducing evaporation.
2. Pond construction: allows farmers to decrease reliance on municipal water or wells by capturing and storing rainfall.
3. Scheduled irrigation: keeps a close eye on the weather, as well as soil and plant moisture, to schedule irrigation so it is used in the most efficient manner possible.
4. Drought-tolerant crops: appropriate for the climate of particular region and more drought-resistant.
5. Drying farming: relies on soil moisture to produce more flavorful but lower-yield crops.
6. Rotational grazing: moves livestock from field to field to promote pasture regrowth.
7. Cover crops: protect unused soil and help prevent erosion and compaction, allowing water to more easily penetrate the soil and increase its water-holding capacity.
8. Conservation tillage: makes use of things like specialized plows to partially till the soil but leave a percentage of vegetative crop residue on the surface to aid in water absorption and reduce things like evaporation, erosion, and compaction.

Think marketing to farmers doesn’t need to involve social media, mobile apps, and other types of digital marketing? Think again!

Turns out, farmers are looking for more Ag-centric mobile apps and online tools. This desire is what helped to fuel the USDA-Microsoft Innovation Challenge. This challenge encouraged the creation of mobile apps and online tools for the Ag industry. And the results were amazing.

In his article, Contest Gives New Digital Tools to Farmers, Ben Potter provides a brief description of some of the winning entries, including grand prize winner George Lee. Lee’s Farm Plenty app shows farmers data about other crops grown near them so they can make better decisions about their own crop mix.

Lee said he has talked to farmers over the past year and learned how tough it can be to make a living.

The USDA has a wealth of data on crops and prices that can help farmers. The challenge is making it relevant for their own local circumstances.

Other winning apps include:

Green Pastures: This app’s dashboard helps visualize a variety of data from agencies like the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

What’s Local: A tool which uses census data to connect the needs of urban centers with area farmers.

Farm Profit Calculator: An app that gives farmers information to allow them to make informed decisions when choosing what to spend money on.

This type of innovation in the Ag industry just goes to prove that farmers are way ahead of the curve when it comes to mobile apps, online innovation, and social media. Therefore, digital marketers don’t need to worry they will be talking over farmers’ heads, they need to worry farmers’ will have to wait for them to catch up!