5 Steps To Farm Delivery Success
As an Independent Farmer, you want access to your high-quality products so convenient that choosing to purchase from your Farm is hassle-free for your local community. With more than half of all local food Buyers receiving deliveries 3+ times per week, Delivery-as-a-Service addresses their expectations for an “Amazon-like” experience. Discover how the 5 Steps to Delivery Success can help you streamline logistics, reach more Buyers, and reclaim time back on the Farm.
Step 1: Market Analysis
The first step is to analyze your market and identify your ideal Buyers. Farmers should focus on the 3 out of 4 local food Buyers who live in suburban or urban areas and the 4 out of 5 who live in 2+ person households. These growing communities and families prioritize local food, but lack the time to drive to your Farm, or the availability to visit a market on the weekend. Targeting these ideal Buyers will help you establish recurring demand for your Farm products.
Secondly, identify product offerings that will draw customers in before they head to the big-box grocery store. To increase your average order values, stick to offering regularly purchased items (e.g., proteins, produce, and dairy). The Barn2Door team will assist in evaluating compelling product options (including bundles) based on actual market and Buyer-survey data in your local community.
Success Story:
While a Farm in Minnesota had a strong customer base, time was limited. It was hard for them to invest time in on-Farm responsibilities, Farmers' markets, and all their existing deliveries. With Delivery-as-a-Service, this Farm was able to expand its customer reach from a 10-mile to a 45-mile radius by providing doorstep delivery. By switching to Delivery-as-a-Service, this Minnesota Farm has been able to scale its business more efficiently to reach more customers.
Step 2: Delivery Zone Setup
It’s crucial to map your existing Buyers to align your target delivery zones - especially if your Farm is upgrading its previous delivery program or eliminating pickup locations. With this change, consistency is key to driving Buyer loyalty and growth. Our team will help configure delivery zones to optimize for Buyer density (making delivery more efficient) and align fulfillment with your production schedule to help streamline your operations and save time.
Success Story:
By pivoting from a pickup location serving 40 local food Buyers to Delivery-as-a-Service, a Texas Ranch was able to win with convenience for both their Buyers and themselves. Their Buyers were able to enjoy the “Amazon-like” ease of finding local food on their doorstep, while the Farmers reclaimed the valuable hours spent waiting at pickup locations. Additionally, Delivery-as-a-Service reduced their carbon footprint, replacing 40+ individual car trips with a single delivery route.
Step 3: Picking a “Launch Date”
Picking a launch date is crucial not only for the Farmer's production schedule, but also for driving Buyer conversions and helping your Farm exceed delivery minimums. Barn2Door recommends that Farms select a launch date 2 to 4 weeks in advance. To generate excitement and high demand, Farms should be strategic in their announcements, providing Buyers with every key detail and consistent updates.
Success Story:
In less than one week, a successful Farm in Georgia exceeded its 20-order minimum, with half being staple Farm subscriptions. They did this by following Barn2Door’s recommended best practices: picking a launch date a month out, sending targeted email campaigns, and staying consistent. Now, their success with Delivery-as-a-Service is expected to grow significantly, as customers benefit from reliable food deliveries, and the Farm establishes dependable, recurring cash flow.
Step 4: Email Campaigns
Email consistency is vital as Buyers engage with a brand at least 7 times (on average) before making an initial purchase. Successful Farmers who leverage consistent email campaigns enjoy a 30%+ higher conversion rate. Barn2Door supports this effort by providing mobile-friendly, delivery-focused email templates designed to effectively catch the eye of local food Buyers (including free designs for proteins, produce, and dairy).
4 Email Campaign Themes For Delivery Success:
Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO): Include a sense of exclusivity or urgency, such as “secure your spot today” or “claim this month’s harvest.” This will naturally boost your Buyer’s desire to purchase.
Convenience: Buyers will choose options that best fit their busy schedules, so leverage the convenience and the time they reclaim by getting Farm favorites delivered directly to their doorstep
Routine Access: Remind Buyers that Delivery provides them with hassle-free access to Farm products they love regularly, so they never have a midweek "empty fridge".
Limited Quantity: Advertising low-stock or limited-run items in your Farm’s inventory will motivate immediate purchases. Additionally, include early bird PROMOS to drive faster conversions for Buyers who haven’t purchased from your Farm in a while (e.g., “The First 25 Orders get a treat on their Doorstep”).
Step 5: Social Media Posts
By leveraging social media channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram), your Farm creates organic ‘word of mouth’ in your local community, which increases Brand visibility and keeps your delivery options top-of-mind with Buyers. Remember, the average person spends 2+ hours a day perusing content on Social Media! To save you valuable time, the Barn2Door team has created a variety of professionally designed, delivery-focused posts, each with a distinct look and feel to suit your Farm’s audience. Templates are available for proteins, produce, and dairy operations.
Success Story:
A Farm in Alabama successfully implemented best practices, including interactive and entertaining content, to build an engaging community on its social media channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram). To leverage this engagement, the Farm posted a limited quantity offer for the first 25 people who signed up for Delivery-as-a-Service. Within the first day, the Farm sold out of delivery spots, requiring them to increase their capacity to accommodate an additional 25 orders.
Conclusion
By implementing the 5 Steps to Success with Delivery, your Farm can scale operations efficiently while meeting the expectations of local food Buyers. From picking a launch date to assisting with tailored marketing campaigns, the Barn2Door team works with each individual Farmer to ensure their delivery program is set up for success. With Delivery-as-a-Service, Farmers can now leave the headaches of managing the logistics of delivery behind and reclaim valuable time back on the Farm. Barn2Door provides Independent Farmers with the software to make more money, ditch the office work, and look like a pro. Curious to learn more? Watch this 5-min Demo.