Marketing to farmers requires a high-tech approach. Any agricultural business who doesn’t believe this to be true probably won’t be in business for too long. Let’s face it, farmers are expected to feed 9.6 billion people by 2050, they are well aware that technology is going to play a huge part in that undertaking.
Not only are farmers connected via smart phones and tablets while out in the fields or in their offices, they also are helping to trigger a new age of digital farming, also known as precision or smart farming. In fact, 74 percent of farmers say they are using digital agricultural technologies to improve their operations.
While connecting with farmers online and engaging with them through social media and other types of digital marketing tactics is critical, that doesn’t mean more traditional techniques need to be abandoned all together. So, let’s take a look at one popular marketing tactic that we all remember, and that still works surprisingly well: promotional products.
While it would be easy to discount promotional products as old-fashioned and out-of-date, there are benefits to these items for your ag-related business.
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Promote Brand Recognition. Your name and logo are two things that you want customers to recognize and remember. Promotional products help with both of these things. A reusable tote bag, for example, is something people use all the time these days. Think of how many people bring their own bags to the grocery store. Give away these reusable bags and every time a customer goes to buy food they see your name and logo. And so does everyone else in the checkout line with them!
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Encourage customer loyalty. No matter who you are or what your profession, a free gift just makes you feel good. High-quality promotional products that a farmer will use day-in and day-out are sure to make a farmer feel good about doing business with you. An insulated tumbler for coffee is just one example.
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Work harder than a business card. What can you do with a business card? Not much. A promotional product on the other hand contains the same information as a business card but can be used every day.
We all know that farmers are tech savvy and marketing to them must involve engaging with them in the digital marketplace. However, throwing in a promotional product now and then can go a long way, as well.