How Livestock Producers Can Benefit from Digital Marketing
Ranchers and farmers have a lot to gain online. As agricultural markets continue to fluctuate, your marketing strategies need to adapt.
Here are some ways that livestock producers like you can streamline and stabilize your operations with digital platforms.
1. Focus on a Core Audience
Every operation in the meat production industry relies on strong personal relationships. This value translates well to digital platforms, where your business can reach out and find new leads.
Every stage of the meat production ecosystem has its own marketing goals. Farmers and ranchers benefit from their communities consuming meat; businesses benefit from farmers and ranchers; state associations benefit from businesses; and so forth.
Understanding your core audience will help you gain more opportunties to sell your service or product at the right time.
In the marketing world, we call these buyer personas. Your operation might have one main persona or several personas that help you stay in business. Define the personas for your business so that you can work their wants and needs into your marketing strategy.
Defining your personas is especially important for people like cattle ranchers, who need to sell the right cow at the right time to turn a profit. As the University of Nebraska-Lincoln points out:
For those individuals who do not have a clear direction and goals for marketing their cattle, there may be lost income opportunities causing the livestock to be sold at a less than desirable pricing level.
This is where the immediate effect of digital marketing can help. For example, ranchers can use digital ads or emails to inform their ideal leads about the opportunities to purchase their cattle. Time-sensitive events such as bull sales, artificial insemination, bred heifers, and more can be assisted by reaching leads where they are: online!
Who buys what you produce? Wherever your operation is within the agricultural industry, you can focus on your core audience and strengthen your link in this chain of supply.
2. Increase Exposure Where People Already Spend Time
Today’s ranchers and farmers are connected not only personally, but also digitally. Every association, ag group, council, and governmental ag body is communicating online.
That’s why it’s important for your livestock operation to show up in multiple places online. If your business already has a website, you’re ready to bring some digital traffic to it.
While most businesses already have an existing Facebook page, many of them are not advertising to reach more of their ideal clientele.
The advantage of livestock Facebook ads is that you are meeting a majority of your ideal audience where they are already hanging out. Running ads on Facebook will help you reach your core audiences within the world’s largest social network.
Over time, your ads will help you reinforce your brand and your message — an important activity within the digital marketing process.
This will also grow your following and establish your operation as an expert in your specific area of the meat production industry.
Google Ads also help ag businesses show up when someone searches for a relevant keyword. For example, a livestock veterinarian can show up for keywords such as “hog vaccines” or “calving process.”
Providing more avenues for people to reach your website will allow you to grow some momentum that will translate to more sales for your livestock operation.
3. Analyze Results to Build Upon Strengths
People in the livestock industry are familiar with the importance of metrics. Every weight, every market price, every piglet, and every feeding provides a measurable impact.
One built-in benefit of digital marketing is that it is immediately measurable. Every marketing email you send, every Facebook post you make, and every Google keyword you purchase will result in useful insights.
For example, a genetic angus ranch can use Facebook ads to affordably reach other ranchers outside of its local area.
As opposed to mailers, classifieds, or other traditional media, digital ads have immediate results. You can see exactly how many people viewed the ad and also “converted” after clicking on it. In our experience, Facebook ads like this can cost as little as 13¢ per click.
This sort of insight isn’t limited to Facebook, though. Your operation can easily use the data from a variety of digital platforms to make decisions about your livestock marketing strategy.
Get Digital Advice for Your Livestock Operation
Knowing the right digital strategy for your business can be tough. Our team of digital marketing specialists is here to help your business grow! We specialize in livestock digital marketing, and we have years of experience in the field helping operations like yours.
When your livestock operation is ready to take the next step online, contact us to set up a free, no-obligation digital marketing assessment.
Capture Your Livestock Market With 9 Clouds »
John Nelson
As the creative director at 9 Clouds, John leads a team of talented marketers. When he was little, he wanted to be a mechanic. Instead of fixing cars, John and his team are making cars easier to sell. Learn more about John.
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