8 Ways to Sell More on Your Farm With Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies for small businesses. When used right, it can be both relationship-building and profit-building. 

With email marketing and newsletters, you own the channel and—most importantly—you own your email list. Using only social media means you’re building your marketing efforts on borrowed land. 

Here are eight ways to sell more with email marketing:

Make it Easy

To be successful in the long term, you must build up your email list. You want prospects to find your list and jump at the opportunity. Some great ways to easily increase your list are to: 

• Have forms throughout your website to capture contact information. These can be located at the footer of your website, your online store page, “products” page, etc. You could even have a dedicated landing page for email newsletter sign-ups. 
• Make the most out of your social media pages. Use the link in bio!
• Add call-to-action in your social posts, such as “Sign up for our newsletter for the newest updates!”

Also, ensure you’re inviting existing customers to join your email list. In this introductory email, be sure to include expectations about frequency, content, and topics you plan on sharing.

Create a Schedule

Ensure consistency by setting a schedule for your email marketing. We suggest aiming for once a week or biweekly. Whatever frequency works best for your business, we recommend sending the email on the same day each time. 

After you’ve picked your frequency and day, create a content schedule. Map out which types of emails you will be sending out and when in the month/year to send those. Create an excel spreadsheet and roughly plan your whole year. Even if you don’t end up sticking exactly to the schedule, it is always great to have a reference point to refer to. It will keep you consistent and accountable. 

Personalize it!

Personalization is targeting an email or email campaign to a specific subscriber by leveraging the data you have about them. Marketers see an average increase of 20% in sales when using personalized email experiences (Campaign Monitor). Personalized emails are relevant, timely, and are coming from a person. They make it more likely to be opened and clicked on, and it strengthens your customer experience by sending the right content, to the right people, at the right time.

Ways to personalize your emails include: 

• Use their name!
• Segment your list. Segmenting your list allows you to tailor the content further to match what your subscribers need, which again, builds more trust with them!
• Have an automated welcome email that sends out to new subscribers as soon as they join your list.
• Follow up on recent product purchases, offer tips for using the product, and suggest relevant products they might like
• Celebrate birthdays and customer anniversaries: offer a discount or store credit

Optimize Email Structure

Every marketing email has the same structure: above the fold, below the fold, and the footer. Use this structure to put the most important information first and draw the reader to continue to scroll through.

Above the Fold

The content a user can see on the initial opening of the email before scrolling down. In this section, add a high-impact visual and your key information. 

Below the Fold

The content a user cannot see without scrolling. In this section, add contributing details and any other CTAs and content. 

Footer

The section that appears at the very bottom of your email; below the main content. In this section, add links back to your website, main pages, evergreen CTAs, and social channels. Also, include business information and unsubscribe details. 

Get Visual

Make your email pop! The more visual you can be, the more likely your recipients will engage with your email. No one likes to get a wall of text. We want something that will all at once inform us and entertain us. Use images, video messages, GIFs, and/or recipes and links to engage with your audience.

Write a Creative Subject Line

You want to capture your audience right away. Sometimes the subject line is more important than the email body itself! A well-crafted newsletter is great but means nothing if it never sees the light of day. Use the SPUNC acronym to craft your subject line, and it will be a winner every time! 

Include Calls to Action (CTA) Throughout

CTAs are used to convert your email recipients. Examples include:

• Follow you on social media
• Visit your website
• Shop now
• Try our new product
• Share this to your followers

Use 1 or 2 main CTAs in each email to increase your chances of interaction.

Write Persuasive Copy

When writing your copy, ask yourself, “What’s in it for my customers?” or “What action do I want them to take?”. Setting clear expectations and pivoting your copy to answer these questions will ensure that your email achieves its purpose. 

How your copy is written can influence your email’s success. Some great writing tips include: 

• Write (almost) as you speak
• Be empathetic, specific, and concise
• Use lots of great adjectives to do with taste, touch, and smell

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