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March 20, 2023Lead Magnets to Boost Your Farm Email Marketing This Year
Email marketing is incredibly effective. But, without a robust email list, it’s hard to make the most of email marketing.
So, how can you grow your list of email contacts? You can collect emails from customers or put a paper signup sheet out at your farmstand or next event. Digitally, a lead magnet on your website is the most effective way to collect emails.
A lead magnet is a free resource or offer given to website visitors in exchange for their contact information.
Often lead magnets appear as pop-ups for visitors to your site. They may also be featured as part of a digital ad campaign.
However the lead magnet appears, it should be enticing enough to inspire someone to give you their email in exchange for it. Visitors are giving you a valuable piece of personal information (their email), so you’ll want to give them something high quality.
Here are some of our favorite lead magnets for farmers.
Simple Lead Magnets for Farmers
A lead magnet doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to capture a site visitor’s attention and feel valuable enough for them to exchange for their email address. Here are some simple and effective lead magnets:
Discount Code - A discount code, such as a dollar amount or percentage off the visitor’s first order, is a tried and true lead magnet. Who among us hasn’t given their email in exchange for a discount?
This lead magnet works best when you send the code in an immediate followup email. That way, the visitor begins engaging with your emails which makes later sends less likely to end up in their spam folder.
Favorite Recipe - Offering a single, favorite recipe that highlights products from the farm is another simple lead magnet. Format the recipe using Canva or another software, to make it branded, beautiful, and perfect for hanging on the fridge.
Quiz - Some email service providers, such as Drip, make it simple to add a pop up quiz to your website. Visitors are invited to take the quiz to find the perfect new cut of beef to try or their veggie personality. Then, instead of getting the results right away, they are prompted to enter their email.
Guides Make Great Farm Lead Magnets
As a farmer, you have lots of knowledge to share with your site visitors. They may not recognize all the vegetables or cuts of meat that you offer and need tips on how to prepare them. Creating a guide as a lead magnet is a great way to share your expertise and collect email addresses.
Vegetable Guide - Create a guide to a specific vegetable that the farm is known for, is in season, or customers often have questions about. This is a great way to showcase your expertise and help customers make the most of your product.
An example of a successful vegetable guide is, “A Guide to Your Greens: who to freeze, who to eat fresh, and how to REALLY get all the dirt off.”
Vegetable Storage Guide - If you offer a variety of vegetables or a CSA where people get many vegetables at once, a vegetable storage guide is a great lead magnet. No one wants to let vegetables go bad!
Regional Planting Guide - A lead magnet doesn’t have to be an advertisement for your products. Offering your knowledge for free is a great way to build trust with potential customers.
Many people who shop directly with farmers also have their own gardens. Share a regional planting guide to help their plants thrive.
Frozen Meat Guide - Make potential customers feel at ease with frozen meat by creating a frozen meat guide as your lead magnet. Share food safety information, tips on defrosting meat, and a bit of freezer tetris advice to encourage people to make a purchase.
Creative Lead Magnet Ideas for Farmers
The sky’s the limit when it comes to lead magnets. As long as you’re offering something with value to your site visitors, you can get as creative as you like.
Cookbooks - Instead of limiting yourself to a single recipe, create an entire cookbook of easy weeknight meals, farm favorite recipes, or seasonal vegetable delights.
Jokes - One of our clients had great success with a lead magnet made up of their very best farmer jokes. Who doesn’t need some more laughs?
Coloring Page - If you, or someone on your team, is an artist, you can create a farm-centric coloring page. Coloring pages can be geared towards children or adults, just make sure to align the audience with your ideal customer.
Videos - A video lead magnet can be a great way to build connections with potential customers. Offer a virtual tour of the farm, a video demonstration of a recipe, or a tip for gardening. Make sure that the video content is well produced and provides information that can’t easily be found elsewhere.
If you’re planning to utilize email as part of your marketing strategy this year, make sure you create a great lead magnet to build your list. Create a landing page or a pop up offering any of the above ideas.
