How do you know what marketing to invest in for your agricultural company if you have limited time and money?

What type of marketing should you invest in for your agricultural business?

You can invest in many marketing strategies, but what is the suitable investment to start with?

With so many options, it can be overwhelming when you're just starting, so let's look at the agricultural industry's top five marketing strategies.

1. Social media marketing for agricultural businesses

Did you know that 77% of social media marketers say that their marketing strategies have been incredibly effective this year?

Social media is a great investment option because it is an effective strategy that will get you the attention you deserve, and it's also easy to do. Plus, it doesn't take up too much of your time and is affordable. 

You only have to update your social media 3 to 5 times a week - which isn't a lot! Plus, you can schedule all your posts in advance and even get one of your employees to do it for you monthly, so you don't have to worry about it.

But why is social media such a great marketing strategy?

Organic social media marketing allows you to improve your online presence and prove to your audience that you're a trustworthy business. 

So be sure to set up your social media accounts and update them with various content that will keep your audience entertained. You can post videos, images, and even audio! 

Remember to post a mix of promotional, valuable, and educational content, too, so your audience doesn't feel like you're pushing your services or products on them. 

Valuable and educational content can include:

• Tips
• How-tos
• Statistics
• Entertainment
• Behind-the-scenes videos 

Promotional posts are essential, but if you post too many, they might appear spammy to your followers.

What about social media advertisements?

Social media advertising is a fantastic tool that you can use to get more people interested in your products or services, but building up a powerful online presence on social media will benefit you more in the long run. 

So, we recommend investing in social media marketing first, and as soon as you've built up a following online, invest in some paid ads if you've got the budget!

2. Content marketing for agricultural businesses

Content marketing is 100% something that should be high on your list of necessary marketing investments. 

If you want to make it online, you must have high-quality content on your website - how else will your audience know you're an expert?

Content marketing mainly includes writing detailed, informative, and keyword-rich website copy and valuable blog posts like the one you're reading right now! 

By giving your audience access to free, educational content, you'll show them how knowledgeable you are about the industry and improve your credibility. The more you provide them with premium content, the more they'll feel confident in your abilities and products. 

When it comes to blog posts, posting once or twice a month is what you should aim for, but the more you post, the more your potential clients will engage with you. 

You can also take a look at getting published in industry publications. This is a secure way to highlight yourself as an expert in your niche. 

Writing keyword-rich blog posts also helps improve your SEO and pushes your website higher up the search results. This will enhance the number of clients visiting your site and checking out what you have to offer. 

3. Video marketing for agricultural companies

Video marketing is a fantastic strategy to invest in. Not only does it help you generate leads and convert customers, but it also allows you to educate your audience and provide them with real value. 

86% of businesses use video marketing as the central part of their digital marketing strategy, and these days, it's not as difficult as you might think. 

Video marketing has become simple thanks to modern smartphones and video editing apps that you can download onto your phone. Plus, most phones record high enough quality that you don't have to invest in fancy cameras. 

Another massive benefit to video marketing is that it's easier to consume for your audience. Way more people will interact with videos over written content and be likelier to like, comment, and share videos

Having a good video marketing strategy planned out and ready to go will also help improve your SEO when implemented. The more time people spend on your website watching your videos, the more Google will see that you're a reliable and trustworthy company to push to the top of the search results.

4. Email marketing for agricultural companies

If you want to reach your audience and show them how fantastic your services and products are, then email marketing is a great strategy to include in your plan. 

Email marketing is the perfect tool for highlighting that you're an expert in your niche and you'll always provide them with high-quality services. 

With an email marketing campaign, you'll be able to stay top of mind with your audience, so the next time they're looking for farming equipment, they'll come straight to you. 

How do you create an email marketing campaign?

Before you do anything, you should sign up for an email marketing provider. 

We recommend using any of these:

• ActiveCampaign
• Constant Contact
• Mailchimp

After you've set up an account, you should start building your email list. An email list is pretty easy to make. All you have to do is secure your audience's emails by offering an irresistible lead magnet. 

This can be a how-to guide, video, or even a discount code in exchange for their email. If you offer them something valuable, they'll have no issue handing over their email. 

Don't forget to add any of your current or past clients to your email list too! You never know when you might be able to get a repeat sale. 

Finally, it's time to start sending emails. Figure out what you want to include in your emails and organize when to send them out. 

In your emails, you can include the following:

• Links to your latest blogs
• Discounts
• Giveaways
• Tips and tricks
• Latest products
• Reviews
• Testimonials 
• Educational content
• Videos
• Events you're attending or have attended

When sending out regular emails, make sure you're sending them weekly or monthly but don't send them daily or worse - hourly! This just comes across as spammy - your audience definitely won't bite and might even unsubscribe. 

5. Search engine marketing (SEM)

Search engine marketing, also known as SEM, is a marketing strategy with a high ROI, and it's assured to get your company seen online. 

SEM uses Google to its advantage. It advertises and promotes your shop online, encouraging Google to push your business higher up the search engine results page (SERP). 

How does SEM work?

SEM usually involves improving your search engine optimization (SEO), and 70% of marketers agree that SEO is much better than PPC (pay-per-click) when it comes to helping companies generate more sales and traffic. 

Your social media marketing, content marketing, and even your video marketing will help improve your SEO. Still, there are other ways to enhance your SEO and get noticed more by Google. 

For example, a big one is to set up and optimize a Google Business Profile. If you don't have a Google Business Profile, we recommend setting one up as soon as you get a chance because it will improve your SEO and credibility as a company. 

It's a brilliant marketing tool to have, and it's completely free! 

Some people will invest in PPC for search engine marketing, but this method doesn't have a great ROI and isn't very kind to your wallet.

We hope you've learned a little bit more about marketing strategies by reading our blog and have an idea of where to focus next time you invest money into your marketing! 

If you're looking for some help creating marketing strategies for your agricultural business, then the team at Agtivation would be happy to assist you in growing your presence online.

Get in touch with our team today.