Secure Your Income: A Farmer's Off-Season Marketing Guide
Even if busy season is winding down for your Farm, that doesn't mean your sales have to go on hiatus. Successful direct-to-consumer Farms use the "off-season" as a critical time to bolster their marketing efforts. It's a great opportunity to connect with your buyers, build your Farm brand, and most importantly, secure recurring revenue for the months ahead.
This is your chance to strategically plan your holiday sales, launch Pre-Orders to secure cash flow (ahead of next season), and nurture your email list so buyers are ready to purchase when next season begins. To help you make the most during this time of year, we’ve rounded up our top resources packed with tips for off-season marketing success.
1. Grassroots Marketing Tactics Every Farmer Should Know
The off-season gives you the breathing room to focus on foundational marketing that builds long-term loyalty. Our eBook on Grassroots Marketing is the perfect guide, packed with low-cost (and “free”), high-impact strategies to build your Farm brand and connect with your local community. Use the off-season to implement these simple tactics, from building local partnerships to leveraging QR codes, to ensure your Farm stays top-of-mind all year long.
2. Farm Products Stuck in your Inventory? Start Pre-Selling
What if you could secure cash flow for next season right now? That's the power of Pre-Orders. The off-season is the single best time to launch your Pre-Order sales for more significant purchases, such as upfront subscriptions for fruits, veggies and flowers (CSAs), and animal sales (e.g. quarters, half and whole shares). It creates urgency for your buyers and gives your Farm predictable revenue ahead of your next season. Our blog on Pre-Selling walks you through the strategy to sell out your products before they're even ready, helping you manage inventory and improve your profit margins.
3. Five Ways to Stay Connected with Customers through the Holidays
The holidays are a crucial part of the off-season. Buyers are in a purchasing mindset, but they're also looking for a connection with your Farm. It's not just about selling gift boxes; it's about building loyalty and making your Farm part of their family traditions during Thanksgiving, Christmas / Hanukkah and the New Year. Read "5 Ways to Stay Connected with Customers through the Holidays" for practical tips on how to engage your email list and social media followers, show your appreciation, and keep your brand front-and-center.
4. Farm Gift Guide for the Holiday Season
Speaking of the holidays, your Farm products make fantastic, unique gifts. From curated bundle boxes to tallow-based skincare and other value-added products (e.g. jams, jerky, yarn), you have items that people want to give to others. Our "Farm Gift Guide for the Holiday Season" provides inspiration and marketing angles to position your Farm products as the perfect, sustainable gift. Use these ideas to create your own gift guide and keep holiday spending in your local community.
5. Busting Farm Marketing Myths
Sometimes, the biggest hurdle to off-season marketing is our own mindset. Some Farmers think they are "bothering" their customers with emails and social media posts. Other Farmers perceive that marketing has to be expensive and complicated to be effective. We tackle these misconceptions head-on in our podcast episode, "Busting Farm Marketing Myths." Listen in to get the confidence you need to plan your off-season strategy and understand why consistent communication is your most powerful and profitable sales tool.
Conclusion
By implementing a smart off-season marketing strategy, your Farm can build a more loyal customer base, generate predictable revenue with Pre-Orders ahead of next year, and capitalize on holiday spending. Use these resources to build a marketing plan that helps you to save time and set your Farm up for a more profitable year ahead.
Barn2Door offers software for Independent Farmers to create and promote their brand, sell online and in-person, and save time managing their business. If you’re curious to learn more, watch this 5-minute video.