Social media engagement is key to building strong connections between your farm business and your audience. By encouraging interaction, you create a community of loyal customers who feel invested in your story, products and services. Engagement isn’t just about posting regularly – it’s about making it a two-way street, where your audience feels heard and involved. Boosting social media engagement can help strengthen relationships, build trust and, ultimately, drive more sales for your farm diversification business.
Polls are interactive tools that allow you to gather input directly from your audience by presenting them with a choice to vote on. They’re an excellent way to increase engagement, as they invite your followers to take part in decisions about your farm. By creating polls on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, you not only involve your audience in your process, but also build a sense of community and belonging.
For example, you could run a poll asking your followers to choose your next seasonal product, like a new flavour for your ice cream or which vegetable should be featured in your next farm-to-table event. You might also ask them to decide on an upcoming activity or vote on their favourite farm animal. This kind of involvement makes followers feel valued and heard, strengthening their relationship with your brand.
Polls also double as a valuable market research tool, allowing you to gather insights on what your audience prefers while simultaneously driving engagement. The more people interact with your posts, the more visible your farm becomes on these social platforms, leading to increased awareness, interest and sales.
Contests and giveaways are fantastic ways to grab attention and boost engagement on your social media channels. They create excitement around your farm and encourage your audience to interact more actively with your posts. A simple contest could involve asking followers to share your post or tag a friend to enter for a chance to win a seasonal produce box or a farm tour. This helps increase visibility by expanding your content to a wider audience through shares and tags.
To make a contest effective, set clear rules that maximise visibility. For instance, ask participants to follow your page, share the contest post and tag at least two friends. This not only increases interactions but also draws new potential customers to your page.
Think about what you want to achieve with the contest. If you’re after a short-term boost in visibility, a one-off giveaway can work wonders. However, for ongoing engagement, consider running something like a “Fan of the Month” competition. This kind of activity keeps followers engaged over a longer period, motivating them to keep interacting with your posts to win a monthly prize.
You could also partner with complementary businesses to offer a larger prize, enhancing the value of the giveaway and broadening the reach by engaging both audiences. For instance, if you run a farm shop, partnering with a local bakery for a collaborative giveaway could attract more participants and create an even more appealing prize.
Sharing behind-the-scenes content is an excellent way to foster a personal connection with your audience. People love seeing the real, unpolished moments that go into running a farm, whether that’s the daily care of livestock, crop harvesting or preparations for an upcoming farm event. This type of content provides a genuine glimpse into the hard work and dedication behind your products, making your followers feel more connected to your business.
Behind-the-scenes content is particularly effective because it builds trust and offers authenticity – something that today’s audiences crave. It’s a reminder that there are real people, families and stories behind the farm. Posting a short clip of bottle-feeding a lamb or a time-lapse video of a field being harvested adds that personal touch, showing followers the effort and love that goes into producing food.
These kinds of posts can also be educational, helping viewers understand more about agriculture. For example, explaining why a particular practice is essential or showcasing how produce is harvested creates added value for your audience. This engagement not only makes followers feel like they’re part of your journey, but also encourages them to support your farm by buying your products or visiting your events.
Short educational videos are a great way to engage your audience by sharing knowledge in a fun, digestible format. Think of how-to videos, like growing vegetables or setting up a beehive, or even cooking demos featuring your farm’s produce. These videos make your farm accessible and relatable, giving followers something valuable that keeps them coming back.
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are perfect for this type of content. Their algorithms favour short, engaging clips, which can help maximise your reach and visibility. Plus, these videos position your farm as an authority in your niche, making it easy for followers to trust your expertise.
The key to these videos is keeping them short, engaging, and visually appealing – grab attention quickly and provide value right away. Consistently sharing educational content not only builds your credibility but also nurtures a more informed and loyal community around your farm.
Check out this blog on using reels.
“This or That” posts and Q&A sessions are excellent ways to get your audience talking and interacting with you. For instance, you could post something like “sausages or lamb chops?” and ask followers to choose between the two. Not only does this type of post spark fun, but it also provides insight into customer preferences.
Q&A sessions are another great way to encourage engagement, using Instagram or Facebook’s interactive tools to let followers ask questions in real-time. You could host Q&As on a wide variety of topics, from your farming practices to tips on using your products. This helps build a deeper connection, as followers feel their voices are heard and their questions are addressed personally.
The goal is to encourage followers to participate actively in the conversation. These posts are simple yet effective, creating a sense of community and giving your audience the feeling of being directly involved with your farm.
Feel free to experiment with these strategies and see which resonate most with your audience. If you’d like personalised guidance to enhance your farm’s social media strategy, Flame Marketing is here to help – book a free consultation with us today!
