The United States is home to about 730,000 farms and ranches that produce cattle, more than 370,000 that tend horses, and over 60,000 that raise hogs and pigs.
If you’re a farmer or rancher looking for a way to separate yourself from the rest, marketing isn’t just a luxury in today’s digital world — it’s a necessity. You need strategies that can help you expand your reach, showcase your livestock, and engage with your customers.
Don’t let that intimidate you! Here at EDJE, we’re no stranger to partnering with farmers and ranchers, helping them compete through digital marketing, branding, and web development services.
Let’s take a look at some marketing strategies that can help elevate your business above the rest in the farming and ranching industry.
Getting Started With an Effective Marketing Strategy
Before you write your first Facebook post or create your first logo, it’s important to lay some groundwork for how you should approach marketing your business. That includes thinking through a couple of main ideas:
1. Who you’re trying to reach.
2. What sets you apart from the competition.
Identifying Your Target Audience
Before you choose any marketing strategy, it’s essential to determine who you are marketing to. Then, ask yourself what problems you can help your target audience solve. Are you selling genetics to commercial cattle producers who may be seeking to improve specific traits in their herd? Selling to buyers at an auction who are looking for reliable cattle that are ready for finishing?
The more you can speak to the specific needs your audience has, the more trust you’ll build and the more effective your marketing will be. It will also help you to know how to best tailor your marketing efforts to your audience. For example, you’ll speak to industry insiders differently than people who aren’t familiar with technical terminology.
Sharpening Your Brand’s Story
Every farm and ranch has a story to tell. How long have you been in the industry? What are the farming methods or philosophies you take pride in? What is the driver of your success?
Highlighting what sets you apart and sharing the distinctions that matter to your target users will elevate you, no matter which marketing platforms you use.
Digital Marketing Techniques for Farmers & Ranchers
Now that you’ve laid the foundation, it’s time to look into the right strategies for your business. Here are four digital marketing strategies that your business may be interested in pursuing.
Create a Professional Website
Your website is your most basic marketing tool, and your most important. Having a professional website establishes your farm or ranch’s credibility by helping users find you, learn more about you, and understand what you offer.
Your website allows you to tell your story, showcase your livestock, and let the public know how to contact you to “learn more” or “make a purchase”. You can also list products for sale directly online if you choose.
Pro tip: Elevate your site above the rest by using best practices for the web. That includes a responsive, mobile-friendly design, easy-to-navigate site structure, and informative content with clear calls to action for your users. Learn more in our guide: 10 Key Steps to Building a Great Small Business Website.
Expand Your Social Media Presence
Social media is a great place to connect with your audience and be discovered by new people. It’s a place where you can share the latest news from the farm, information on upcoming sales, and updates on day-to-day life. If you’re decent with a camera (or know someone who is), use it to capture captivating visuals that will bring your business to life for your users.
You don’t have to jump into the latest TikTok craze or create a platform on all of the new social media sites. Do some research to find out where your target audiences and your competitors are to discover which social media channels may be worth your time.
Pro tip: Social media is a great place to showcase your personality! Decide ahead of time what kind of “voice” you want your brand to have (for example: informal, playful, or serious) and keep it consistent as you post.
Dive Into Email Marketing & Newsletters
You can help build loyalty among your users by encouraging them to sign up for regular emails from your farm or ranch. This will allow you to share any of the latest news, promotions, and exclusive offers with them.
By getting key information in front of your most dedicated users, it will help keep your business on their minds throughout the year.
Pro tip: You can use tools that track data on how many of your users open your email newsletter, click on certain links, or unsubscribe. Using this data helps you see what is resonating with users in order to market to them more effectively.
Start Blogging & Content Marketing
You have a ton of expertise on your topic. Now it’s time to share it with the world!
Content marketing involves creating content on your site that communicates industry insights, news about your farm, or helpful explanations on your practices and your livestock. Blog posts help establish you as an authority and can help you include keywords related to your industry that will help your website rank higher in Google searches.
Blog posts could examine topics like information about your specific breed of livestock, a look at your ranching practices, the advantages of certain techniques, or other topics that showcase your expertise. Posting updated photo galleries on your site can also showcase your products for users.
Pro tip: You can work with a digital marketing team like EDJE to learn more about the search terms relevant to your area and industry, and what your users want to read about.
Work With a Web Design Company That’s Experienced With Digital Marketing for Farmers & Ranchers
If you’re just getting started in the world of digital marketing or looking for somewhere to take you to the next level, the experts at EDJE are ready to help! We bring years of experience working with agricultural producers across the United States, and we’ll put our expertise to work to help you be the most effective that you can be.
Ready to get started? Reach out to our team today!