Marketing
Everything You Need to Know About Inbound Marketing and Agribusiness
By Flying Hippo
Agriculture is much, much different than any other field. (See what we did there?)
While people in the insurance industry are sitting behind their comfortable desks, you’re on a combine in the rain for eight hours. Lawyers walk in thousand-dollar Italian leather loafers, and you’re sweating in steel-toed boots. Rain or shine, you’re out there, planting and tending to your crops. It’s not easy work.
Accordingly, marketing in the agribusiness world requires attracting a unique, niche audience. As people who work in agriculture spend more time online researching their purchases, how can online marketers stay attractive?
Here’s why planting the seed of inbound marketing now can sprout into something huge for your business.
Why Inbound Marketing Works for Agribusiness
Trust is Integral —In agriculture, business deals are done through handshakes, not through contracts, suitcases and boardrooms. The person you’re doing business with is likely your neighbor. It’s all based on trust.
The best way for businesses to build their online trust is to share what they know. Building trust through sharing your information online is what inbound marketing is all about. Demonstrate you trust your future customers by showing what you know in ebooks, blogs and more.
Your Audience Has an Obvious Need — Farming requires a large amount of huge, specialized tools that you can’t really do your job without. If you need a tractor, you really need a tractor. There’s no way around it.
When someone comes to your website, they’re probably not just kicking the tires. They’re really interested in learning about what you have to offer. So why not give them what they want?
You’ve Got a Story to Tell — Agriculture is one of the oldest professions in the world. It’s often passed down from father to son, for generations.
Online, storytelling is just as important as brochure-like descriptions of your service or product offerings. The way you tell your stories and share the information that makes your brand unique is crucial. Find the stories that make your brand unique and tell the world.
It’s Cost-Effective —Every farmer is concerned about money. Profit margins are razor-thin. So what’s the best way to get the best bang for your buck in agribusiness marketing? Inbound, of course!
Compared to the old days of sending salespeople door-to-door or mass-mailing thousands of flyers, the cost per lead for inbound marketing is very low.
How Can it Help My Business?
- Promotes your business as a brand that sets itself apart from the competition
- Increases the quality and number of leads
- Bumps customer engagement
- Builds relationships with leads with content directed at them
- Boosts SEO by targeting precisely what your customers are looking for online
How do I Get Started?
- Get planning. What sort of content do you have already? Who is your competition? What marketing have you tried before?
- Think distribution. How are you going to disseminate all this content to the right audience?
- Brainstorm content. What sort of content answers the questions your prospective students, donors or other audiences are looking for right now?
- Sell it to your Boss. Everyone’s got a boss—are you prepared to discuss how inbound marketing can work for your school?
- Find a partner. You can’t be the quarterback, cheerleader, mascot and radio announcer in the same football game. You’re going to need someone to show you the ropes.
