How Small & Start-Up Agricultural Businesses Can Gain the most from PR & Agri Marketing

Agriculture is a world where everyone seems to know everybody, but if you are a new entrant it can take time to get yourself out there. There are so many options out there; Joining societies, young farmers, Livestock markets, agricultural shows and many more. Although this may get you known normally in the current climate none of these are going ahead so it is key to get agri marketing your business. Which will also help on top of face-to-face communication. It is also key to get yourself known to possible customers, which is even harder!

What is PR?

So, what is PR? PR (Public relations) is the practice of deliberately managing the release and spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public in order to affect public perception.

PR isn’t just for the big boys! PR or public relations can help any business to grow and thrive. The key is working out how to make PR work as hard for you as possible. So here are some top tips for finding PR opportunities and making use of them:

1. Check out #jourorequests on Twitter – this is where lots of journalists share details of upcoming opportunities and news stories.
2. Stories Sell – when you get a chance to write something about your business for the media try to make sure it is a story you are telling not an advert. People love stories so you are more likely to sell and more likely to get asked back for more.
3. Influencers – choose the right one for your business and make sure you do your homework on the costs, they can be fantastic but it is an unregulated market.
4. Networking – business professionals have been doing it for years and you know what it works the more you interact with people outside your core area the more opportunities come your way. Check out the Rural Business Network for a starting point!
5. Blog – the more you blog and write for your website, the better you will get and the greater the chance a media outlet will pick up your story. Blogs won’t give you overnight success but they will contribute to your long term profitability.

Agri Marketing Strategy: How PR helps Agribusinesses right from the beginning

PR helps a fledgeling business simply by getting yourself known and giving your business a good perception of the public and other people within the industry. By giving your business a good image right from the beginning it ensures a solid platform to build from as a brand. Especially as people talk in agriculture, you want them to be giving a positive response about yourselves.

5 top tips for a new entrant with PR & Agri Marketing

1. Know the message that you want to give as a business

It is important to come across well and identify 3 key pertinent messages that you as a brand want to give the public. This will ensure you are both consistent and true to your brand.

2. Distinguish yourselves

Tell everybody how you are different and build on you USP’s (Unique selling points). This will attract customers which are looking for products out of the ordinary as well as other people within your sector.

3. Build a media list and understand journalists

Research and record details of your key media contacts and log them in order of priority; eg if your company sells Woollen products to consumers your top media contacts might be the producer of Farmers Guardian, followed by the editors of the Farming pages of the national newspapers, followed by your ‘trade’ list which will include all relevant magazines, again listed in order of importance to your business. Remember to include relevant freelance journalists.

On top of this, you really need to know what a journalist wants before an interview. You want your business to come across well and not give a bad image. Therefore, find out what kind of questions they will ask beforehand so you can plan answers well.

4. Social media engagement

If your customers and Industry contacts are to be found on social media, target the relevant ones and communicate with them regularly. They are an excellent way of reaching many people for free. The critical thing is to be sure that your customers use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn etc.

5. Just talk to people

As said previously get yourself out there and talk to as many people as you can, possible customers and others within the agricultural industry. But when you do ensure that you give the right message for your business and think about the other top tips that apply.

Agri Marketing PR Example

Here at Flame, our agri marketing assistant Will has recently started an agricultural business within the farm business at all. Will started his sheep flock just over 5 years ago and has built up to 160 head of ewes. But Will has become a common face across social media and the agricultural press. A big effort to engage in good PR & agri marketing. He has spoken to the Farmers Guardian and the BBC in the last 2 years, just to show what can be done. Not forgetting his social media accounts @CowleyHillFarm on Instagram, Cowley Hill Farm on YouTube and @CowleyHillFarm on Facebook. Which all integrate with each other.

There is nothing stopping anyone else to do the same. Just take your opportunities that come!

What we do at Flame Marketing and how we can help you with this

At Flame Marketing we are experts in the fields of Agri Marketing and PR. We help agricultural businesses which need a helping hand and guidance with this. When businesses are not very knowledgeable and need support, they can get in touch and we will give as much or as little help that they need. As for this we can offer small packages for social media management up to a whole business rebrand and website built.

We offer an initial FREE Marketing consultation in which we can discuss with you your aims and targets with an agri marketing strategy going forwards. This is done with Hayley, the managing director, who has many years of experience within agri marketing. Don’t be afraid to get in touch for any more information.