Before the introduction of digital marketing, fresh produce professionals relied solely on sales performance to help us gauge if our products were being purchased and presumably, consumed. If the customer ordered more produce for their store or restaurant, we knew our products were in demand. Yes, we looked to research companies to help us formulate more conclusions relative to market penetration and analysis and understand the considerations that consumers were making at the moment that they were putting our product into their cart. But we didn’t have a true connection or daily conversation with consumers of the products that we grow and sell.
Now with the shift towards digital marketing methods and integration into digital media on a regular basis, things have changed. The consumer has changed. Consumers do more than purchase products: they research, poll, share, connect and evangelize their experience with the world in just seconds through blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. And we, as produce marketers, have the ability to lead consumers to recognize, trust and seek out our brands when given the opportunity to choose them at the supermarket or in a restaurant.
Inbound marketing is a methodology that will guide us to better understand who our audience is and make us more thoughtful in our approach so that we can expect a better return on our efforts. This type of marketing was created to address the ongoing digital nature of our society, putting the consumers or customers in control. With inbound marketing, you will be able to attract, connect with, convert and delight consumers into choosing your brand and products each and every time they make a food decision. Not only that, but you will be able to build brand ambassadors on behalf of your products- people that become evangelists on behalf of your brand, praising you without being told to do so.
Before, reaching consumers on such a large scale was reserved for the big consumer packaged goods and center store food items with big budgets and long shelf lives. Not anymore – inbound marketing is an affordable way to influence and engage organically on a grand scale, helping us to ultimately increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. You only need to be willing to take advantage of digital marketing opportunities and work smarter.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not! Download our latest ebook, Intro to Inbound Marketing, and learn the secrets to attracting, connecting, converting and delighting fresh produce consumers into evangelizing on behalf of your brand. You will not only learn the building blocks to how this strategy works for fresh produce brands, but you will also discover how inbound can make YOU a better marketer. Are you ready?
