Building connections with your customers is the heart of any successful farm business.
But how do you keep those relationships growing and encourage repeat orders without feeling like you’re always advertising the same sale?
The answer lies in thoughtful promotions — strategic offers that benefit both your customers and your farm store. Successful farm promotions include clear, straightforward offers that provide undeniable value for your customers.
In this blog, we’ll outline three proven farm promotion ideas you can implement this quarter to cultivate customer loyalty and boost your farm store’s revenue.
Got something new hitting your farm store? Treat its arrival as a marketing moment, incentivizing those first few purchases with a special, short-term offer.
Draw attention to new arrivals in your store (online or in-person) with a clear announcement. Consider attracting early buyers by including a special introductory price or a bundle with a popular product for a limited time, such as a reduced price or a small gift for the first week.
Here’s why this farm promotion idea works:
To make the most of this immediate new product push, consider the following strategies:
When introducing a new product, you should focus on immediate visibility and encouraging that first taste or try. Highlight what makes this new item appealing and why customers should grab it during this initial period.
Related Read: Managing a Farm Store: Best Practices and Must-Have Tools
Want a farm promotion idea that speaks directly to your most loyal customers? A targeted sales strategy recognizes that previous buyers are likely to buy again. You want to offer them something relevant based on their past purchases.
And there’s data to back this up — according to the Customer Research Institute, 65% of a company’s business comes from existing customers. Additionally, companies have a 60-70% chance of selling to an existing customer.
Compare those figures to the 5-20% likelihood of selling to new customers, and it’s clear that cultivating strong relationships is a powerful way to increase profitability.
Here’s why this farm promotion idea is effective:
The first step in maximizing targeted sales is understanding customers’ purchase history. Your point of sale (POS) system should track what your customers buy and can often provide data on their preferences. Similarly, most e-commerce platforms allow you to filter customers based on their past purchases. This data helps you create targeted marketing campaigns, making sure all your advertised offers are relevant to your audience.
Here are some ways to implement targeted sales for your farm store:
For products that customers purchase regularly, think about setting up recurring purchases with a subscription option. This provides shoppers with the convenience of scheduled recurring deliveries, and for your market, it cultivates a dependable stream of income. Specialized POS software can help with this — for example, GrazeCart includes a “subscribe and save” feature designed to encourage repeat business.
Building on the idea of rewarding loyal customers, if you’ve already implemented a loyalty program, think about offering additional perks to members when they sign up for a subscription. On top of their regular subscription savings, for example, loyalty members could receive an even greater discount, add-ons with their subscription, or extra loyalty points for subscribing.
Personalized messaging for these targeted sales and subscriptions is key. Clearly explain why a particular offer might appeal to a specific customer based on their past purchases, so the promotion feels less like a generic blast and more like a thoughtful suggestion from a farm they trust.
A more comprehensive farm promotion idea is a strategic product launch, where you create buzz around a new or noteworthy product before it becomes available.
The key part of a product launch is the prep work — share product details and unique benefits both online and in-store several days or weeks before the product is actually available to cultivate a sense of excitement and expectation.
Here’s why a strategic product launch can help you build lasting customer relationships and bolster initial sales:
To carry out a strategic product launch that builds this anticipation, consider the following:
As a practical example, say a farm plans to introduce a new line of dry-aged steak cuts.
Several weeks beforehand, they share blog posts and social media updates detailing the specific breed of cattle, the aging process, and the unique flavor profiles customers can expect from each cut.
For further promotion, they also film short videos with their butcher explaining the best cooking methods for each steak. Finally, on launch day, they email their “meat connoisseurs” list with a special early access window and a complimentary guide to pairing the steaks with local wines.
Related Read: How To Start a Farm Blog: 5 Steps To Grow Your Business
For further promotion, they also film videos with the beekeepers answering common customer questions. Finally, they email their “honey insiders” on launch day with a special early bird discount and a free recipe eBook.
Whichever strategies you choose, don’t be afraid to experiment with different content and approaches. Document what resonates with your audience to refine your efforts for future product rollouts.
Equipped with three proven farm promotion ideas, what are the next steps for your business?
Start by looking at your upcoming new products or any items you regularly have in stock. Use your POS system to examine customer purchase history — what do your regulars buy most often? For a product introduction, think about a new offering you’re particularly excited about.
A farm-specific POS system can help you put all these ideas into practice by tracking customer purchases for targeted promotions, managing pricing for introductory offers and bundles, and communicating with your customers through integrated email marketing.
Curious to see how a POS designed specifically for farm businesses can support your growth through effective promotions? Schedule a free, personalized GrazeCart demo today to learn more!