NEAFP Article: Email Marketing is still a MUST do for all Alpaca Farms

Is email still beneficial for marketing, and can it compete with social media?

The answer is a resounding YES!

Email is a timeless and powerful tool for farms. Monster Insights states that email is a much more powerful tool than social media because 99% of users check their email daily, 58% of these users check their inbox before turning to social media for the day, and 61% of users are more apt to open and click through on an email when they have subscribed to the brand.

There is also evidence to prove that sales derived from marketing emails far surpasses sales generated from generalized social media posts. The truth is email lists remain a marketer's best friend.

Email lists enable direct and personalized communication with your target audience. Unlike social media posts that can easily get lost in a sea of content, emails land directly in your subscribers' inboxes, making it more likely to capture their attention.

This information could be a regular newsletter,  a spotlight on upcoming events, special promotions, opportunities for farm visits, new farmer’s market locations, or could bring the story behind the products to your customers. 

Creating, maintaining, and sending emails out can be a daunting task but luckily there are so many email marketing options out there that have made it easy for anyone to get started. 

There are many email marketing tools to help; these include sites like MailChimp, Constant Contact, and Klaviyo. All of these sites have free trials in which you can try their service before deciding which would work best for your farm.

They all also include email automation, that tracks your subscribers through the customer journey and sends them timely content to help bring them through your pre-determined sales funnel. Here are some examples of automations: emails to be sent to customers who may have left an abandoned cart, or a customer who hasn’t made a purchase recently, may receive a 10% off coupon code. These seem like daunting tasks for a single farm owner, but with the help of an email list management tool this becomes a very manageable tool for your small business.  

One of the most significant benefits of email is the ability to build long-lasting relationships with your audience that you OWN and have control over. We've all noticed in recent years that social media algorithms are reducing your organic posts' reach, even with people who have chosen to follow and friend your business.

When you focus on your email list, your list is self-generated, and this list is yours for future communication. The people who have signed up are genuinely invested in your brand, products, or farm presence. They want to be part of your community.  You can establish trust and credibility by providing valuable and relevant content, fostering brand loyalty among your subscribers. A satisfied and loyal customer base is more likely to become repeat buyers and farm ambassadors, driving organic growth for your farm.

There's a reason why when browsing eCommerce sites you see so many offers and incentives to subscribe to their email list. The value of a subscriber is so great, businesses are willing to offer Free Shipping or a large discount on your first order in exchange for your email.

How are you going to work email marketing into your farm business this year? How are you going to grow your email list? What kind of offers and content are you going to send to your subscribers?

These are all great things to sit down and think about, so you can create an actionable plan to implement this year!

How can you get started generating sales from your email list:

• VIDEO: Creating an email list from scratch
• VIDEO: How can I start my email marketing campaign
• VIDEO: Start sending automated marketing emails today using MailChimp