GreenWave Resource
GreenWave’s Seaweed Source
Lesson 4
Outreach to New Customers
Back to: Market Your Business
Web Presence
One other place you’ll want to go to connect with new prospective customers is The Internet. To market online, at a minimum you’ll need:
A website. Unfortunately, having a Facebook page doesn’t count. Having an actual website makes you appear legitimate to both wholesale and retail customers alike. And it doesn’t have to be complicated — start with a simple landing page, and work up to a more full-fledged site over time. Squarespace and Wix are great beginner-friendly options.
An email marketing tool. Email marketing software is ‘e-newsletters’ on steroids. These systems make it easy to create and “push” content to people, and come with analytical tools you can use to evaluate and improve your marketing. For example, you can send messages at different times of day, with different subject lines, and to different groups, and measure what gets results. To do this, of course, you’re going to need peoples’ email addresses. So make sure that any time you’re in front of customers, either in real life or online, you’re collecting those email addresses. Remember, the bigger the top of your funnel, the more people are going to make it to the bottom and actually make a purchase.
A social media account. Facebook does count for this one — but only if your target demographic uses it! While hardly anyone has time to be active on every social media platform, being intentional about selecting the service your customers use goes a long way. For example, Facebook is a great choice if your customers are Boomers, but Instagram is a better choice for Millennials, and TikTok is the best option for GenZ. Like your website, you can start slow by claiming your username and making a profile, even if you don’t use it immediately. Once you do start using it, consistency is key. Pick a cadence for creating content, and stick to it. And remember: it’s called social for a reason! The goal is interactivity. Tag people in your photos, like and comment on what others post, and share things that are authentically brand- and values-aligned.
Learn More
For more information on websites, social media, and direct marketing, we recommend checking out Local Line’s library of e-books and guides written specifically for farmers.
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