Farm Marketing Reset Before Field Season
Spring at Long Valley Farm.
With the sweeping popularity of room resets and organizational refreshes, we’re adding to the trend by providing some useful farmers market and CSA marketing tips and recommendations to make the most of your season – and get it right, before it gets too busy.
Social Media Content “Buckets”
Buckets, baskets, pillars – these are all marketing words that simply mean categories. When we talk with our clients about social media hacks, we make sure they know they don’t have to reinvent the wheel each week, wondering what they should post about. We recommend using a content calendar with these “buckets” in place so they can take that mental load off far in advance of when it’s actually time to post.
So, what are some good content buckets?
Seasonal produce or product feature: special offers, or educational (i.e., 3 things to know about rhubarb)
About your business: rotate between team introductions, history, mission, practices
Behind-the-scenes: day-to-day operations, standard tasks, explainer videos, crew having fun
These are great starting themes, but get to know your audience, what they respond best to, and change it up from there!
Looking for more social media insight? Learn more about our Social Media Toolkit.
Email Templates to Reduce Mental Load
If you don’t have a consistent email communication going out to your customers, stop right now and start an email signup. Now, let’s talk about your newsletter template and what to include.
Whether you decide it’s best to send a weekly email about your CSA or biweekly about what’s new at your market booth, keep it consistent, and your customers will come to expect it (and dare we say, get excited for it!).
Here’s how you can structure your email template:
Logo and/or branded banner
Include this at the top of your email so your audience immediately recognizes your brand.
Welcome
Personalize this each time with something that’s going on with the business, what you’re anticipating, and any personal update that seems appropriate. It doesn’t have to be lengthy, just a pop in to provide an update.
What’s in your CSA box this week?
Or what can you find at the market this week? Try to include a photo if you can!
Recipe
I don’t care who you are; if you’re a farm selling produce, you need this section in your newsletter. Even if folks don’t use it, they appreciate it. Trust us. Unsure about where to find recipes? We’ve got a great free resource for that.
Where to find us
Remind folks about your CSA pick up locations, the markets you attend, or farm stand hours
Social media and website links in the footer
Make sure to include your address and unsubscribe option.
We’ve got 3 templates you can purchase in our shop:
This download includes 3 ready-to-use email templates to be customized with your brand and sent to your email subscribers using Mailchimp.
This download includes templates for:
A newsletter-style email
An event announcement email
A promotional email
With easy-to-follow instructions, you’ll be ready to send beautiful emails in no time. Pair this with our Email Marketing Workbook and set yourself up for success.
Website Accuracy and Pop-ups
When people come to your website looking for information, it’s up to you to make sure that information is accurate! Customers will lose trust by signing up for a past CSA or visiting a farmers market you no longer attend. Go check out what your website says, and if you list market hours, update any that changed from last year. It’s nice to provide folks with a link to the market’s website so they can get the information they need (i.e. parking, directions, accessibility).
We also suggest adding a pop-up to your website to show that your CSA shares are open or seedling flats are on sale. Instead of customers searching for that information, it’s provided up front, decreasing any barriers to that sale.
Presentable Print Materials
This one’s a quickie: freshen up your signs and tablecloths from any wear and tear or dirt from last year, either with a good old wash or by printing new. Make sure your logo is front and center and include pertinent information like your business name, website URL, and even what you sell. If your information or brand has changed, don’t use it – make something new.
Designing new packaging? Read this blog post for tips!
Text Messaging for Farms
If you have a customer base that has opted in to receive text messages from your business, by all means, use it! Send messages about new products, CSA pick up times, or changes to market schedules. Remember, don’t text too often! More than once a week will overwhelm a busy shopper..
What next?
We can’t wait to see what you grow with these tips - from a great social media following to a new successful trial veggie.If you need support with any of these items or want to go even further than this reset, reach out to us!