Text Messaging for Farms & Food Businesses
Golden hour at Long Valley Farm.
Your average customer is connected to a smartphone - and it’s time to make use of it! Mobile-first marketing is a fast, easy, and effective way to reach eaters.
Why make use of text messages for my business?
Can you imagine if your emails had a 98% open rate? Well, say hello to text! Not only is your customer likely to see your message within minutes, but SMS also boasts a healthy 18% click-through rate for restaurants.
Beyond that, text is an accessible tool for many and preferred by younger generations of customers who tend to prefer short copy and highly visual marketing.
Okay, I’m in. How do I get started with SMS marketing?
First, check out what you’re already working with. Many e-commerce website hosts, POS systems, or email marketing platforms include SMS marketing tools in some capacity, though they are likely to be an additional cost. Examples include Square, Shopify, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Sender, Klaviyo, Clover, and Toast - but this is hardly a comprehensive list. Look into your existing subscriptions before starting from scratch.
Once you have a tool to move forward, you’ll need your contacts to opt in to receive marketing text messages. You can have your newsletter subscribers opt in to text messages at the same time as entering their email address, include a ‘text to join’ number on receipts, or ask customers to enter their phone number during a checkout process.
Whichever method you choose, make sure the language used during the signup process is valid legally, as the fines for sending an unsolicited text range from $500 to $1500 per message. Most systems with SMS marketing tools will provide a standard templated language to consider.
What should I include in a text for my business?
Text messaging’s superpower is that it’s short and sweet. This means you can focus on your call-to-action, or CTA, that motivates your customer to engage with your business in some way, whether that’s an order or an event signup. It’s not the place to include your ‘Meet the Farmer’ bio, or any other long-form content - but you can send folks to your website to see that information!
Don’t:
‘It all started when she tried an in-season peach for the first time. From then on, she was determined to…”
Do:
‘Chef Jane’s seasonal menu featuring peaches comes out this week. Book a table now!’
Adding in pictures of complete dishes, a GIF of a peach orchard, or a chef emoji would add even more personality and catch the eye.
Whatever your message is, make sure to include opt-out language in your messages with clear information, for example, ‘text STOP to unsubscribe’ or ‘simply text QUIT at any time to stop receiving texts from us’.
When should I send a marketing text?
When a customer signs up for your texts, make sure to say hello! Set up a welcome message that confirms that they signed up for SMS marketing from your business, how to opt out, and maybe even a welcome discount or something special for signing up. Bonus points for adding a double opt-in, which confirms in the text thread that they would like to receive your communications. For example, ‘Reply YOGURT to confirm future text messages from Hillside Creamery.’
After that, make sure not to harass your customer base. Start with a message every other week, and then increase or decrease depending on your engagement. Be sure not to send a message more than once a week to avoid annoyance- remember, these are some of your biggest fans! Respect their time by saving your efforts for high-value messages.
So what should I send?
Here are best use cases for SMS for farms, restaurants, and food businesses:
Time-sensitive promotions
‘BOGO pumpkins this weekend only!’
‘Enjoy our Restaurant Week menu for only $35 this week’
‘20% off all hot sauce in the next 20 hours’
Events
‘Book Club at the Bar this Thursday!’
‘Mozzarella Popup at XYZ Farmers Market tomorrow!’
‘Quick! Strawberries are in season for a limited time. Come by the farmstand today!’
Confirmations and reminders
‘Your table is set for 2 on 2/14. We will see you at 6 pm!’
‘Thank you for your jam order! Pick up your items tomorrow.’
‘You booked a U-Pick session! Here’s a link to our FAQ for U-Pick.’
Community building
‘Giveaway alert! All orders from our new dessert menu are automatically entered to win a gift card.’
‘What should our May bagel flavor be? A) Ramp, B) Cheddar, C) Both! Come in next week to see what won.’
‘We’re ordering seeds! What’s on your garden wishlist for plant starts? Reply to let us know!’
Ready to launch a new product? Read this blog for tips!
Before you go, keep these text message rules in mind:
There are locally-produced items that cannot be promoted in SMS marketing messages, which include alcohol or liquor, cannabis or tobacco. If you are a brewery, you may age-gate your messages or confirm that a customer is 21 years or older before marketing to them, as you do on your website.
Beyond making sure your content is compliant, you’ll also want to send your text messages during respectful hours. Sending a text message in the middle of the night won’t get your business noticed positively, and it’s actually regulated by TCPA and CTIA guidelines. Your message should be received by your customer between 8 am and 9 pm their time, so be sure that your SMS marketing tool automatically adjusts for time zones.