Spread the Word of Food Security with Subscriptions
People need to eat every day. As the shelves in grocery stores become empty, Americans are desperately looking for other options to secure food for their families. While some may turn to cultivate their own crops, most Americans don’t have the land to grow enough food for their families. So, where will they turn? To your Farm.
With big consumer brands struggling with food shortages, local Farms will become even more essential to their communities. With convenient access to your products through Subscriptions, customers will desire to lock in their commitment to your products to secure food (and prices) through the season(s).
While your Farm may already offer Subscriptions, prospective and existing customers won’t know the food security your Farm can provide without spreading the word. When Farmers take the time to reach and engage customers across multiple channels (web, mobile, social, email, and in-person), you’ll generate more frequent purchases and delight customers with the convenience of Subscription options.
Check out these steps to spread the word about your Farm, generate sales, and capture more subscribers:
Announcing Subscriptions Through Email
Your email list may include both buyers and prospective customers. While many email subscribers are already purchasing from your Farm, not everyone knows how to sign up for a Subscription. Sending regular emails keeps your Farm top of mind, so when customers don’t know where to get food, they’ll think of your Farm first.
Email best practices prove you should be in your customer's inbox at least once weekly. You’re competing with many other businesses who want to grab your customer’s attention, but sending emails too infrequently could land your emails in the promotion or spam folders.
Here are the emails your Farm should be sending (or can begin sending at any time):
Newsletters:
Newsletters are a perfect way to tell your customers what’s new and next at the Farm. Here, you can empathize with your customers, acknowledging that food scarcity and inflation are big issues for many Americans. Let them know that your Farm can ease those concerns with Subscriptions. While not necessary, you can offer customers a discount to further incentivize them to order from your Farm.
Order Reminders:
While your existing customers are loyal to you, it can be easy to forget to sign up for a Subscription. Send email Order Reminders to customers who frequently purchase one item at a time (or who would enjoy) your Subscription. Reminders allow customers to remember to lock in their prices for an entire season or year with your Farm! Make sure to promote this.
Read: How to Ensure Emails Land in Customers’ Inboxes (Not Promotions or Spam)
Listen: A Chimp, Software, and Farming... Let's Talk Email Marketing
Spread the Word on Social Media
Americans spend, on average, 2 hours on social media every day to search and follow brands they love. While many social media feeds are filled with news, customers want solutions - not just problems! It’s easy for people to get wrapped up in “doom scrolling,” and your Farm could be a light they didn’t realize they needed!
With more awareness about food shortages, supply chain issues, and inflationary concerns, your community wants a solution that your Farm can provide - access to local food. Subscriptions are key to food security, and your social media followers may not know it yet!
Draft a few posts related to your Farms’ Subscriptions highlighting how customers can lock in prices and consistent access to local Food products that feed their families. Don’t post them all at once, but maintain a schedule where you post 2-3 times per week. For example, your post could say, “We know that food security is a big issue for many people right now. You may feel at a loss with less food on the shelves at grocery stores. Our Farm can provide access to the local food you need with our Farm Box Subscriptions. We’d happily feed you and your family and provide reliable access to locally grown food.”
When you rotate your posts using the three E’s (entertain, educate, and eCommerce), customers enjoy the varied mix of information to consume. Remember, avoid the “doom scrolling” and provide a mix of content to brighten their day! Entertain followers with fun stories on the Farm, educate them on your practices, and showcase your products with photos (of your Farm Subscriptions), linking them directly to your store.
Read: Why Social Media is Important to Growing Your Farm Business
Read: 3 Time-Saving Social Media Tactics to Boost Farm Sales
Watch: How Farmers Can Rebuild a Winning Social Media Strategy
Your Farm can provide the light customers need when they’re faced with questions on how to feed their families. By using email and social media to stay top of mind, customers will think about purchasing from your Farm first. With Subscriptions, recurring purchases create loyal customers. Make sure to foster these relationships with regular communications from your Farm.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution to grow and manage your Farm business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.