My Digital Farmer Podcast – Episode 290: I Threw Together This Farm Marketing Promo in ONE HOUR
Host: Corinna Bench
Release Date: December 4, 2024
Corinna Bench, a CSA farmer and marketing specialist from MyDigitalFarmer.com and Shared Legacy Farms, delves into the intricacies of crafting an effective farm marketing promotion swiftly. In Episode 290 of the My Digital Farmer Podcast, Corinna shares her firsthand experience of creating a comprehensive marketing campaign in just one hour. This episode serves as a valuable guide for farmers seeking to enhance their marketing strategies without extensive time investments.
Overview of the Episode
Corinna opens the episode by recounting how she successfully developed a marketing promotion within sixty minutes. She emphasizes the importance of not only growing farm products but also mastering the art of selling them. This episode is particularly beneficial for farmers aiming to optimize their marketing efforts during peak seasons, such as the holidays, when consumer spending is heightened.
The One-Hour Marketing Promo Process
Corinna outlines an eight-step process that enabled her to design and implement a robust marketing campaign efficiently. Each step is detailed with practical insights, ensuring that listeners can replicate the process for their own farm businesses.
1. Identifying the Offer and Setting a Timeframe
Corinna begins by emphasizing the necessity of pinpointing the product or service to promote. In her case, she chose to highlight a holiday fish sampler box through an affiliate partnership with Citizen Salmon Alaska. She strategically set the promotion period from November 13th to the end of the month to align with the holiday buying surge.
“There is an ideal time for every product to be purchased... November and December are really strong months of the year for pretty much any retail business.”
— Corinna Bench [05:30]
2. Creating the Offer
Crafting a compelling offer involves naming it effectively and incorporating elements that generate urgency and excitement. Corinna named her promotion "Fish Promo Week," making it memorable and straightforward. To further entice buyers, she introduced a contest where customers ordering during the promo period could win free smoked salmon.
“Create an offer. Make sure that you take some time to build some urgency around it, some scarcity, give it a good name.”
— Corinna Bench [38:45]
3. Identifying Target Audience and Marketing Channels
Understanding the target audience is crucial for effective promotion. Corinna decided to focus her efforts on existing CSA members and new subscribers, utilizing email and a private Facebook group as her primary channels. This targeted approach ensures that her message reaches those most likely to engage and purchase.
“You don't have to promote your offer to absolutely everyone on the planet. You can decide that you want to just target a very specific portion of your email list.”
— Corinna Bench [16:20]
4. Anticipating Sticking Points and FAQs
Anticipating potential customer questions helps in reducing purchase friction. Corinna anticipated queries about the product's logistics, such as shipping, packaging, freshness, and product specifics. Addressing these FAQs proactively in her marketing materials can enhance customer confidence and willingness to buy.
“If I were someone who hasn't bought yet, what are going to be the things I want to know to reduce that buyer's friction to make it more likely for me to feel comfortable purchasing for the first time.”
— Corinna Bench [25:50]
5. Creating Marketing Assets and Graphics
Visuals play a pivotal role in marketing. Corinna utilized Canva to design promotional graphics, including official offer banners, testimonial screenshots, and user-generated content (UGC) images. She organized these assets systematically in Google Drive, ensuring easy access and reusability for future campaigns.
“I create a folder where I'm going to put all of these graphics... organize those assets. Create a system so that it's easy for you to run this in the future.”
— Corinna Bench [43:10]
6. Crafting and Scheduling Content
Corinna emphasized the importance of consistency across different platforms. She wrote a promotional email and scheduled corresponding social media posts in her private Facebook group. By aligning the messaging in both channels, she reinforced the promotion's visibility and appeal.
“I write an email and I got that scheduled. After that, I looked at what are my social media posts going to be... I'm going to share what some of those images were.”
— Corinna Bench [47:35]
7. Organizing Assets for Future Use
Post-promotion, Corinna meticulously documented the entire process, saving all related graphics and copy in organized folders. This practice not only streamlines future campaigns but also ensures that successful elements can be replicated effortlessly.
“I'm dragging all the photos into a folder in my Google Drive called the Fish Promo. And then there's a Google Doc within that folder that has the social copy and the email copy so that I can easily find it and update it.”
— Corinna Bench [54:00]
8. Principles Applied in the Promotion
Corinna distilled her process into key principles that underpin effective marketing promotions:
-
Create Opportunities for Engagement: Incorporate interactive elements like questions and testimonials to foster community engagement.
“Create opportunities for engagement within this promotion... encouraging the behavior of sharing your meals.”
— Corinna Bench [57:15] -
Repurpose Marketing Assets: Leverage existing content and testimonials to save time and maintain consistency.
-
Use the Product Personally: Demonstrate personal use of the product to build authenticity and trust.
“Use the product yourself. Show them how you actually use it.”
— Corinna Bench [61:30] -
Clearly Outline the Buying Process: Provide a straightforward, step-by-step guide to purchasing, minimizing confusion and barriers.
“Often part of your messaging when you're doing a promotion is to make sure that you make it really clear how to actually buy.”
— Corinna Bench [63:50]
Insights and Conclusions
Corinna's experience underscores the feasibility of executing effective marketing campaigns within limited timeframes. By adhering to a structured process and leveraging available tools and assets, farmers can enhance their marketing efforts without significant time or resource investments. The principles outlined not only streamline the promotion process but also ensure that campaigns are engaging, authentic, and result-oriented.
“Try to just throw it together in 60 minutes, take the pressure off yourself and be like, you know what, this doesn't have to be perfect.”
— Corinna Bench [73:20]
Corinna encourages farmers to embrace simplicity in their marketing endeavors, emphasizing that perfection is not a prerequisite for success. By focusing on key elements and maintaining consistency, farmers can confidently approach their marketing promotions and witness tangible results.
Key Takeaways
- Strategic Planning: Identifying the right offer and timing is crucial for maximizing promotional effectiveness.
- Targeted Marketing: Focusing on a specific audience and utilizing appropriate channels enhances engagement and conversion rates.
- Asset Management: Organizing marketing assets for future use saves time and ensures consistency across campaigns.
- Engagement and Authenticity: Incorporating interactive elements and personal testimonials builds trust and community engagement.
- Clarity in Communication: Providing a clear, step-by-step buying guide minimizes purchase friction and boosts sales.
Final Words
Corinna Bench's Episode 290 serves as a comprehensive guide for farmers aiming to bolster their marketing strategies efficiently. By sharing her one-hour promotion blueprint, Corinna imparts actionable insights that can transform how farmers approach marketing, ultimately leading to increased leads, sales, and a stronger brand presence.
“Remember, you don't have to go crazy big. You can just do a few key things well and throw it out into the world and see what happens.”
— Corinna Bench [74:10]
Embracing these strategies can empower farmers to navigate the competitive market landscape with confidence and effectiveness.
Notable Quotes with Timestamps:
- “Today, I threw together a marketing promotion in under 60 minutes.” [00:00]
- “There is an ideal time for every product to be purchased...” [05:30]
- “Create an offer. Make sure that you take some time to build some urgency around it...” [38:45]
- “You don't have to promote your offer to absolutely everyone on the planet...” [16:20]
- “If I were someone who hasn't bought yet, what are going to be the things I want to know...” [25:50]
- “I create a folder where I'm going to put all of these graphics...” [43:10]
- “I write an email and I got that scheduled...” [47:35]
- “I'm dragging all the photos into a folder in my Google Drive...” [54:00]
- “Create opportunities for engagement within this promotion...” [57:15]
- “Use the product yourself. Show them how you actually use it.” [61:30]
- “Often part of your messaging when you're doing a promotion...” [63:50]
- “Try to just throw it together in 60 minutes...” [73:20]
- “Remember, you don't have to go crazy big...” [74:10]
Resources Mentioned:
- Local Line: Comprehensive sales software for farmers. [Skipped per instructions]
- Farm Marketing School: A monthly membership program for farm marketing. [Skipped per instructions]
- Canva: Free graphic design tool used for creating marketing assets.
- Google Drive: Used for organizing and storing marketing assets.
Note: Advertisements and promotional segments have been omitted from this summary to maintain focus on the core content.