Accounting for 55% of Australian land use and producing a wide range of primary products such as milk, wheat, meat, fruits, vegetables and nuts, agriculture has been one of the most significant industries in the country contributing to an important share of the country’s GDP. Being a powerhouse that helps keep the country’s economic wheels in motion, the agriculture sector requires farmers as well as ag businesses to be at the cutting edge of technology and leverage smart farming practices to improve efficiency and production, while considering our environmental sustainability at the same time.

However, smart agriculture alone will not help farmers drive success, though it does assist with decision-making day in, day out and help streamline operations. To maximise profits, it is important to implement the direct marketing strategy approach with the assistance of a marketing expert. Direct marketing, also referred to as direct-to-consumer marketing or farm direct marketing, is becoming increasingly popular in Australian agriculture for allowing producers to sell their products directly to consumers. By eliminating the middlemen, farmers can increase their profit as well as strengthen their relationship with consumers.

However, reaching the right consumers and getting them to buy your products may not be an easy feat, especially for those who are new in the farm direct market for agriculture. And that’s why we have put together the following strategies that will help you not only find qualified leads but also build trust and lasting relationships and boost customer retention and engagement.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION

Search engine optimisation is one of the most common and effective marketing practice to put your business in front of your target customers. The process involves optimising a website to show up higher in search results.

Here’s how gaining a better search engine ranking can help your business:

  • Obtain more leads

 When you invest in SEO services of a professional digital marketing agency for your farm, you get a personalised strategy that enables you to drive more qualified traffic to your business. The team at KG2 will help you first identify your target market and then optimise your site to reach those target prospects/customers online.

The process starts with identifying keywords that will help you connect with most suitable leads for your business. Keywords play a crucial role in the optimisation process as they determine where your farm’s website will appear in search results. With extensive research and thought, we find the right keywords for your marketing campaign.

The KG2 team perform extensive keyword research using powerful research tools to find the most relevant keywords for your campaign. We will then narrow down those options to best long-tail keywords containing three or more words. These keywords make your website appear in search results of queries from people that are looking for your business and are most likely to buy from you.

  • Get an optimised local listing

Farm direct marketing involves selling to local consumers. If you want your local consumers to find your farm business, you must claim and optimise your local listing – also known as your Google My Business listing. With a fully fleshed-out Google My Business listing, you can manage your business location on Google maps, the knowledge graph, and online reviews for your business.

Half of consumers that do a local search on their smartphone end up calling or visiting a store they found online, the same day. If you have a local farm business, you will definitely want to set up your business location and business profile on Google My Business so that people can find you when they search in Google Maps or Google Search. 

  • Attract mobile users

With a rapid increase in the number of smartphone and internet users, it is essential for businesses to have a responsive website. With a mobile-friendly website, users will be able to search the site on their tablet or mobile device on the go, which contributes to a positive experience and encourage them to see your business as a credible resource for information, products or services.    

PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING

PPC advertising is a cost-effective way to reach more leads interested in your farm and get them to convert in a quick manner. With PPC advertising, you don’t have to wait too long for results to show. The moment your PPC campaign is active, ads start showing up across the chosen platforms, putting your farm business in front of your target audience.

Moreover, according to research, people who visit your website after clicking on a Google ad are 50% more likely to purchase products/services than organic visitors. The leads generated from paid ads know what exactly they want and are just looking for the right place to get it. Since these visitors already have an interest in your business or product/service, it is easier to convert them into paying customers, thereby generating revenue for business. As with SEO, choosing relevant keywords remains imperative for PPC ads to appear on the right result pages. Another aspect you don’t want to overlook is your ad copy. When interested leads click on your ad, you want to provide them with useful and relevant information – that’s the only way those leads will convert and buy your farm product.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADS

With the rise of social media use amongst farmers, producers and ag businesses, if your farm doesn’t already have a social media presence, you are missing out on a lot of potential leads and sales. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitters boast millions of active users, providing farm businesses with endless opportunities to grow brand awareness, online visibility, customer relationships and sales.

74% percent of consumers rely on social media networks to form their purchase decisions. Social media channels offer a wide advertising capabilities and ad styles, including photo and video ads that appear in user feeds, messenger ads and mail ads that are targeted to individuals, stories ads and shopping and eCommerce focused ads for digital retail.

TO SUM UP

When set up and implemented properly, these strategies can boost your farm direct marketing efforts. Moreover, to get a better understanding of how these strategies pave the way for successful direct marketing to farmers, connect with KG2 experts.