VC Agri-Insights 2019

KNOW YOUR COMPETITION

AG-VOCATE FOR AGRICULTURE

PRACTICAL DIGITAL DYNAMICS

MEET LABS FOR LIBERTY

ISSUE 1 | 2019

Marketing Solutions for

FINDING YOUR RIGHT AUDIENCE DEVELOPING A SUCCESSION PLAN HELPING CUSTOMERS DURING TOUGH TIMES

IN THIS ISSUE It brings me great pleasure to introduce this 19th edition of Agri-Insights. New to the VistaComm team, it’s especially meaningful for me to be part of a great tradition: Bringing VistaComm’s tried and true ag marketing solutions to clients throughout the country.

Count on me to carry on!

by MATT FOLEY

After more than 20 years in the agri-marketing business, VistaComm CEO VistaComm’s objective for Agri-Insights remains: consider what our agri-business clients might be going through and provide solutions. We ALL want to get beyond the tough stuff and rise to that NEXT LEVEL. I believe business success is directly linked to a solid sales and marketing strategy. You’ll see these strategic ideas firmly supported here.

RIGHT MESSAGE, RIGHT AUDIENCE, RIGHT TIME. Believe me, after more than 25 years in the agricultural industry, this mantra is permanently etched in my mind. If you need a reminder of its importance, read “Take a Closer Look at Your Audience,” page 4, and like messages in our special digital section (page 15). On page 22, I personally give you an interesting take on the relationship between sales and marketing.

How do you talk to your best customers when times are tough? We’re there now aren’t we—you’ll want to read the feature on page 14. Do you have a succession plan for your business or farm yet? We’ve got professional solutions for this pain point on page 7.

Building brands and teams is one of my career passions. Success stories and testimonials throughout this issue will present ideas for strengthening your brand, and on page 23, VistaComm founder Bill Byrne emphasizes the importance of mentoring, empowering and building an effective workforce.

There’s more—lots of trends, tips and ideas in this issue will help elevate your agri-marketing to the NEXT LEVEL and ease those pain points. Read on and enjoy this issue of Agri-Insights!

Agri-Insights magazine is published by VistaComm, a marketing firm that helps agribusinesses communicate better and grow faster. With smart and successful clients coast-to-coast, the purpose of Agri-Insights is to provide you with a collection of the most profitable and best business practices.

Topics have been selected from VistaComm’s extensive library of solutions and profit-based experiences.

Client names and testimonials are used only when permission is granted.

For more information, visit: www.VistaComm.com Please provide address change to: VistaComm 1401 North C Avenue Sioux Falls, SD 57104 844.453.9261 All content within Agri-Insights is subject to copyrights owned by VistaComm. Any reproduction of all or part of any document found in Agri-Insights is prohibited, unless VistaComm or the copyright owner of the material has expressly granted its prior written consent to reproduce, transmit or republish the material. All other rights reserved.

©2019 VistaComm®• All Rights Reserved.

2

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

844.453.9261

CONTENTS

TARGET WITH 4 ON YOUR MARKETING Discover the importance of capturing the right audience.

NEW CUSTOMERS VIA 6 DIRECT MAIL A solid mailing list—critical for marketing success.

4

GETS THE FARM? 7 WHO 5 big tips to remember when succession planning.

FOR LIBERTY 10 LABS Helping veterans enjoy life in a new light.

10

OF GOOD 12 IMPORTANCE PHOTOGRAPHY Eye-catching pictures help get your message out there.

OUT A TOUGH 14 RIDING AG ECONOMY Your role—as customers cut corners to reduce costs.

7

DIGITAL WORKSHOP 15 ASpecial Section: Your nagging digital questions—answered!

MARKETING SUCCESS STORY 18 AClicks, metrics and ROI—customer moves farm equipment online.

THE OTHER 19 WGUYHAT’S DOING?

14

15

The fight is on for first position in your market area.

FOR 20 AG-VOCATING AGRICULTURE

DIGITAL MARKETING

22 Another unforgettable trip with the Iowa Farm Bureau.

UNIFYING SALES VECTOR ILLUSTRATION AND MARKETING To strengthen relationships and build your business.

22 VISTACOMM.COM

YOUR STAFF 23 EMPOWERING Successful ag leaders know the advantages of mentoring.

ISSUE 1 2019 AGRI-INSIGHTS

3

AUDIENCES

by Laurie Hoffman, VistaComm Vice President of Client Services and Jane Wooldridge, VistaComm Journalist

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR AUDIENCE It might be different than you think.

In your grandfather’s era of agri-business, “know your audience” meant being on a first-name basis with every Bob, Jim and Frank in the county. As business evolved through the 1970s, marketers started focusing on “demographics” as a way to know key factors such as age and income.

Fast forward to 2019, and it’s a whole new world. While it’s still important to understand the demographics of your target audience, that’s just one small aspect of the big picture. You now need to dig deeper so you can understand details about your customers, such as: • What are their most urgent concerns?

• What key factors influence their buying decisions?

• Are they dissatisfied with current products or services in your market?

AUDIENCE SEGMENTATION: ZEROING IN ON SPECIFIC TARGETS Once you gather all of the broad information about your target audience, it quickly becomes clear that there are multiple subsets within that audience. That’s why audience segmentation is so important.

The segmentation process begins with a comprehensive customer analysis to determine everything from brand preferences, to the specific type of farm operation, to the proximity of that operation. Then you can use this information to guide your content marketing strategy. For instance, if a customer only operates a crop production farm, then don’t send him information about feed. Digital marketing gives you the ability to create and deliver content specifically geared to each segment.

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE MEANS KNOWING HOWUntitled THEY USEmap TECHNOLOGY Less than 10 years ago, iPad® and Instagram were brand Data for Map Graphic new ideas. Now, ag producers regularlyreducedcounts2.xlsx have iPads and tablets on their tractors or trucks. And they’re interacting Prospect with neighbors and influencers on Instagram,Client Snapchat and other forms of social media.

FARM AND RANCH OPERATORS ARE EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY1 92% of farm or ranch operators under age 35 use and/or access social media, including Facebook at 78% and Snapchat at 72%.

Top reasons they use social media: • • •

Communicating with friends/family Getting breaking news/information Keeping up with agricultural news/trends and entertainment

1 www.siia.net/Portals/0/pdf/Connectiv/PDFs/2018AgMediaReport_FINAL.pdf?ver=2018-09-06-162913-653 2 www.cobank.com/corporate/news/ag-retailers-look-to-retool-strategy-for-success 4

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

844.453.9261

93%

of those under age 35 use a smartphone, and 85% of that group use a smartphone for visiting ag websites.1

From an ag marketer’s perspective, it’s important to know how customers use technology to interact with others, access information and make purchases. By tracking this electronic usage, you can get key indicators about their interests, likes and dislikes that you can use to create carefully targeted content. Of course, this requires you to stay nimble—adjusting as each new wave of technology impacts ag business.

IF CUSTOMERS ARE ONLINE, THAT’S WHERE YOU NEED TO BE With the next generation of farmers fully embracing technology, traditional ag retailers will need to offer

multiple avenues for farmers to connect with them. This includes everything from online chat, video calls and service scheduling, to e-commerce sites giving producers the ability to purchase products online. 2

A TRIED AND TRUE PRINCIPLE OF SOLID AG MARKETING

While the basics of knowing your audience have drastically changed over the years, the essence of the exercise remains the same: Listen. Observe. And feel your customers’ pain… or their enthusiasm. It’s more than just an exercise. It’s a unique opportunity to interact, share experiences and embrace a mutual love for agriculture.

SEE HOW YOU CAN CONNECT TO ALL OF YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

Using demographic research and various digital tools, VistaComm connected a current client to additional valuable contacts in his trade area. The result? An expanded, effective—and SOLID— marketing contact list.

Original Prospect Base New Prospects Added

VISTACOMM.COM

ISSUE 1 2019 AGRI-INSIGHTS

5

DIRECT MAIL

D I R E CT

MA IL

by Danny Andrews VistaComm Creative Services Assistant

Make

YOUR

MA IL

l i st

18

WORK

Direct mail marketing is still one of the best ways of getting your message to your customer—despite any contrary conversation you may have heard concerning alternatives. But, like all things, you can’t produce strong results without a strong base—your mailing list.

A mailing list is a critical part of any campaign. It is a direct connection to the people you want to reach with information, offers and updates. Accurate contact information is key in reaching readers, and you should constantly be seeking out good, solid contacts—potential customers—to add to your direct mail list.

One way to acquire contacts is to buy them. A purchased list can target specific demographics, geographies or even industries. Through a list provider, you can quickly have a substantial, accurate mailing list, but it’ll be at a cost.

You can keep costs down by building the list yourself.

Business vendors, past and present customers, anyone you interact with through your business can and should be added to your mailing list. However, building a large enough list takes time and, when completed, the work is just beginning.

Once you have a mailing list, you must keep it accurate.

Mail forwarding, move updates, address verification—these should be top-priority updates for all your contacts. What good is a customer you can’t reach? In a recent annual United States Postal Service (USPS) audit, it was found that 6.6 billion pieces (4.3%) of mail went undelivered because of incorrect addresses.* Can you afford to lose track of 4.3% of your customers year-over-year?

FOR MORE INFO 6

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

Building, buying and updating mailing lists can seem daunting, but with VistaComm’s help, it doesn’t have to be.

We examine your goals and options on a project-by-project basis, and if needed, we’ll find and buy a mailing list to get your information in front of the right people for the best cost. We also run our lists through a USPS-licensed database to verify address information, formatting and recipient. This database is updated monthly and runs your list against move updates, P.O. Box closures, help-mailing notices, etc., within the USPS system, and updates your list with the most accurate contact information available.

6.6B

6.6 billion pieces of mail go undelivered due to incorrect addresses

*Source: USPS (2014). “Strategies for Reducing Undeliverable as Address Mail” (MS-MA-15-006). Arlington, VA. Office of the Inspector General, USPS. www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2015/ms-ma-15-006.pdf

If you’re looking to reach new customers, retain your current ones and make sure you’re not wasting time and money, reach out and let VistaComm help.

844.453.9261

HERITAGE

MAKE 2019 THE

by Evan D. Anema, Attorney at Law VistaComm Guest Contributor

YEAR OF THE FARM SUCCESSION PLAN It’s that time of year again! Days are growing longer—farmers are itching to get back in the field full force. Farm succession plans are being dusted off and reviewed. OK, I’ll admit that the last one probably isn’t happening . . . but it should be. Successful farmers often get so focused on their daily tasks, they forget to step back and ask how all the daily toil fits into the bigger picture of their farm succession plan.

As ag producers begin a new year of farming, I want to suggest the “Top 5” things farmers should not lose sight of in furthering their farm succession plan. It just makes good agri-business sense that we’re all aware of the following important succession initiatives.

1. Select a Team of Advisors. Every farm needs to identify a team of advisors to assist in the farm succession process. These advisors typically consist, at a minimum, of the following: (1) an attorney, (2) a CPA or tax return preparer, and (3) a financial advisor. The attorney will prepare the necessary legal documents while providing valuable advice to maximize the estate while avoiding pitfalls. The CPA or tax return preparer will identify tax minimization opportunities. The financial advisor will manage financial products and analyze cash flow to ease concerns about life during retirement. And finally, these advisors will provide a system of checks and balances to ensure that the producer’s best interests are always being served.

VISTACOMM.COM

2. Create a Farm Succession Plan. Every family is unique. Every farm is unique. Consequently, every succession plan MUST be unique. Keep this in mind as friends and neighbors are consulted to see what they are doing. Notwithstanding that uniqueness, most farm succession plans typically consist of two main components: (1) an estate plan (i.e. Revocable Living Trust/Last Will and Testament) which states what will happen when the owner passes away, and (2) lifetime

58

(continued on page 8)

The average age of a U.S. farmer is 58.

Nearly 1/3 of U.S. farm operators are older than 65.

(United States Department of Agriculture)

ISSUE 1 2019 AGRI-INSIGHTS

7

YEAR OF THE FARM SUCCESSION PLAN “Every family is unique. Every farm is unique.

Consequently, every succession plan MUST be unique.” transition planning which often includes selling or gifting of assets to successor generations and may include the creation of business entities (e.g. LLCs, Corporations, Partnerships, etc.).

3. Review the Farm Succession Plan. If a farm succession plan already exists, review that plan every 1-5 years. It has been said that change is the only constant in life. Beneficiaries’ lives change, tax laws change, assets change, and the farm economy changes. All of these changes can create risks that need to be addressed and opportunities that may be available.

4. Make Sure the Estate Plan Has Asset Protection Planning. It is critical that the estate plan address potential risks following death. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the remarriage of your surviving spouse, (2) a beneficiary’s divorce, (3) a beneficiary’s unexpected death, and (4) lawsuits. The gift of asset protection is often just as important as the assets.

5. Communicate the Plan to Beneficiaries. A family meeting is a great way to ensure harmony among beneficiaries. The meeting allows for expectations to be set for what will occur at death, gives beneficiaries an opportunity to ask questions, and allows beneficiaries to meet the advisory team. When beneficiaries know what is going to happen at death and then it happens, the administration of the estate almost always goes smoothly.

71%

FOR MORE INFO 8

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

of farmers don’t have a succession plan

Evan D. Anema Attorney at Law Evan is the founding partner of Estate Planning Solutions Law Firm, LLC, in Sioux Falls, SD. His expertise includes estate planning, farm and business succession planning, probate and trust administration, advanced estate tax planning, asset protection planning, charitable planning and special needs planning.

Evan designs customized estate plans that focus on preserving family relationships and assets, as well as multi-generational planning. Evan is licensed in SD, MN and IA.

(United States Department of Agriculture)

Make 2019 the year of the farm succession plan—for yourself or your partners and patrons in agri-business. We wish all farmers, producers and their associates a safe, happy and prosperous growing season!

844.453.9261

Elevate your marketing.

Tell your story. Engage your audience. Build your brand.

Brand Development and Strategy • • • •

Discovery and assessment sessions Brand development and design Strategic planning Corporate goal setting

Content • • • • • • •

Newsletters (print & digital) Magazines Visuals: photo journalism, infographics Web and blog content Video Corporate communications Ag newsroom services

Creative • • • • • • •

Logo/brand development Direct mail marketing Advertising Sales literature Annual reports Corporate communication materials Commemorative/special publications

Digital, Web & Mobile Solutions • • • • • •

Since 1997 vistacomm.com | 605.977.2100

Web design Website/conversion optimization Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Heat mapping Pay-Per-Click (PPC)/Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Social media management

CHARITY

by Katie Nold VistaComm Journalist

REASON FOR THE FREEZIN’ There’s a reason for the freezin’ in Tolstoy. They come together in northern South Dakota, every January, to run or walk a county blacktop. Called the Tolstoy Wind Chiller 5K, it appeals to—we must be honest—unabashedly crazy, well-layered folks. They do it for service dogs, and the veterans who need them. They do it in support of Labs for Liberty.

This non-profit, 100% volunteer organization provides fully trained service dogs to special-ops military veterans. The dogs are gifted, free of charge, to their warriors.

The little 5K had its start over some post-pheasant hunt beers and steak a few years ago. While out for supper, a pair of friends—regular 5K participants—idly wondered if they were up to the challenge of organizing one themselves.

They were! After persuading a daughter with amazing graphic skills to join them, the task force was in place.

The trio swears the beer that night had nothing to do with designating January as race month.

Naming a fundraising cause was the easiest part. The three have strong love for country and close military ties.

Additionally, one of the families was already fostering Labs for Liberty (L4L) dogs.

Positioned at the finish line this year to greet the 2019 5K participants was Oakley, a stocky, brown lab with allknowing eyes. That’s where the event’s lightheartedness and life-changing sentiment truly collided. Following, is Oakley’s L4L story.

OAKLEY AND JONATHAN

Jonathan Baxter, Oakley’s warrior, will tell you that Oakley is his “spirit animal,” phrasing not commonly used by a former U.S. Army Ranger. But Jonathan was searching for a new

10

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

normal since serving his country in Iraq, during some of its most lethal years.

Now a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Arkansas, Jonathan had researched service dog options for coping with PTSD challenges. When his L4L application was accepted, something unexpected emerged.

“When I found out I was getting a service dog, I got hope again,” he says. “I didn’t exactly know how it would all unfold, there was still so much to absorb. But for the first time in a long time, just that knowledge was the beginning of being able to look forward again.”

L4L also hosts an annual pheasant hunt, with lodges and landowners vying to host some of this country’s finest. Since Jonathan’s pup was being fostered and trained in South Dakota, and Jonathan is an avid hunter, his hunt invitation also included a meet-up with his future service dog.

The scene that morning of the hunt was mass, furry chaos as 6 or 7 happy L4L dogs frolicked in anticipation of the day’s events. One of the younger chocolates emerged and practically bowled over the slight, southern-accented hunter from Arkansas. Oakley had found his Jonathan.

How did he know his new master? It is why movies are made, books are written, and lifelong memories of childhood dogs are indelible. Science will, in fact, tell you 844.453.9261

Serving Veterans, Saving Lives there is chemical connection in dog-to-person interaction.

L4L will also tell you they have seen this before, the uncanny, near-instant bonding between veteran and dog.

Then in early February, Jonathan and Oakley went through the week-long pairing process at the Labs for Liberty outpost, in Utah. They are “put to the fire,” learning to use their dog in settings that deliberately trigger the warrior master’s worst anxieties. It is not so much Service Dog 101, more like a 24/7 accelerated learning class.

“It was exhilarating, it was exhausting, and it’s more than I ever thought possible, what Oakley has already brought to

LABS FOR LIBERTY MISSION: To acknowledge, honor, and empower members of United States Special Operations Forces by providing service dogs for PTSD and physical needs.

• 84 dogs now gifted • Veterans served in 22+ states • 100+ volunteers in 6 states • 100% volunteer organization It all started July 5, 2014, when Penney was gifted to Sgt. Anthony Norris, U.S. Army. With each pairing, the Labs for Liberty (L4L) family grows. Four years ago, we had

my life,” says the Army veteran. Safe spaces are created, disconnection becomes more positively channeled, sleep becomes rest-filled and crowds become manageable again. Family life, in essence, is being given back to this beloved father of three. “Oakley is just plain awesome,” says Jonathan. “I’m in awe of him and the massive effort and support behind each of these dogs.”

And that, as the wind blows and the temperatures plummet, is why they happily run and walk on the Tolstoy Trail, every January—the reason for the freezin’.

no idea the magnitude of change this amazing family would experience. We did not fathom the ripple effects resulting from placing a pup with a veteran: lives saved, marriages healed, and happy children who once again have a mommy or daddy. Extended families were once again made complete, with hope for the future. Veterans who could again return to school and the workforce, who could enjoy aspects of daily life that we take for granted— that they went to war to defend. It is with unbridled anticipation we look forward to the coming years.

—Labs For Liberty

FOR MORE INFO

Team Wind Chiller and Labs for Liberty represent the extraordinary people and their charitable organizations we meet every day at VistaComm. Visit www.labsforliberty.org and http://sdexcellence.org/Wind_Chiller_5K_Raises_Funds_for_Labs_For_Liberty to learn more about the Wind Chiller 5K, recently named to South Dakota’s Hall of Fame, Champions for Excellence, Acts of Excellence Directory. Thank you, Katie, for sharing your wonderful story with our VistaComm clients.

VISTACOMM.COM

ISSUE 1 2019 AGRI-INSIGHTS

11

TELL A GOOD STORY

—in pictures, too.

Always keep photos interesting and current— both in your print publications and on your website. Get a good DIGITAL CAMERA and keep it handy. Cellphones will not give you the quality you need. Action photos can be more dynamic than posed headshots. Consider a nice mix of indoor and outdoor shots.

6 TIPS FOR EYE-CATCHING PHOTOS 1. Fill the frame.

2. Remove distracting elements.

3. Always focus on the eyes.

4. Watch the weather.

5. Shoot around sunrise or sunset.

6. Change your shooting angle.

12

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

If you hear a piece of information, you’ll remember 10% of it 3 days later. Add a picture —you’ll remember

65%

Source: brainrules.net/vision

COST-CUTTING

by Dave Aeilts, VistaComm Senior Journalist with Jane Wooldridge, VistaComm Journalist

FOR BETTER OR WORSE:

3 WAYS FOR RETAINING CUSTOMERS DURING TOUGH TIMES After peaking in 2013, net farm income has been on a downward slide ever since.

Until we see a turnaround, producers will continue to look for ways to cut corners and reduce input costs. As an ag marketer, that puts you in a bit of a quandary.

Do you keep pushing to squeeze every dollar possible from producers who are already struggling? The downside is that you risk pushing too hard, and alienating customers who are already hurting.

Or do you meet them where they are, and help them work their way through some of the market’s current dynamics?

Though this approach may mean sacrificing some of your own sales goals, the results will pay off in the long run.

At VistaComm, we’ve noticed some smart strategies taken by our clients to maintain—and even build—relationships during this challenging farm economy. Here are three examples: Feel their pain. There’s no reason to sugarcoat it: Making ends meet is tough right now. Several of our clients have gone to great lengths to let customers know that ag suppliers understand their situation. One client even suggested tax tips to help customers who anticipate reporting a loss for 2018. The key is to help customers find workable solutions until we come out of this cycle.

Help producers cut costs carefully. When times get tough, producers are prone to making blanket cuts. The downside of that approach is that the loss in production might be more than the amount saved by reducing input costs.

One of our clients offered the services of their agronomy and animal nutrition specialists to help customers make some calculated cuts that won’t damage their ability to produce down the road.

Sell them what they need. Producers might be a bit surprised if you suggest using a less expensive input for the short term. After all, upselling has become the standard way of the world. But when a seed company, for example, recommends one of its conventional “workhorse hybrids” instead of a newer and more expensive stacked hybrid, it shows that you’re not just trying to sell. Instead, you’re working alongside producers to get through the current challenges.

When things turn around, producers will likely reward you for sticking with them.

Though the immediate outlook for agriculture may be gloomy, we know the farm economy will rebound eventually. After all, the world population needs American farmers. The key is to work with producers during these lean times, so we can all be around to reap the rewards in the future.

14

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

844.453.9261

DIGITAL

DIGITAL INSIGHTS DIGITAL MARKETING:

HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR BUDGET THROUGH TARGETING

You know you must advertise online. Everyone is there, and it’s only going to shift further in that direction.

You keep hearing from your management team, “Our customers are getting younger and we need to be out in front of them online.”

But online advertising requires much more than just picking a few keywords and putting up some Google Ads. Anybody who has spent any amount of time in online advertising knows it’s not that simple. The internet is an amazing advertising platform. You can easily spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a month advertising online to people all over the world. The problem with that is—not everyone in the world is your customer (unless you’re Amazon)!

Most companies do not have a limitless budget to advertise to everyone. So how then do you determine where and how to advertise online?

DIGITAL MARKETING

(continued on page 16)

VECTOR ILLUSTRATION VISTACOMM.COM

ISSUE 1 2019 AGRI-INSIGHTS

15

DIGITAL INSIGHTS

(continued from page 15)

The first step is defining who your target audience is. We talked about this in our feature article beginning on page 4—Take a Closer Look at Your Audience. Knowing your audience plays a vital part in any digital marketing strategy, as well. Without knowing who your audience is and where they can be found online, you could waste thousands of dollars advertising to people who don’t care or have no interest in your products or services.

There are several tools online today that will help you precisely target your right audience to ensure you are maximizing your advertising budget.

Some will be tools that you—as an agribusiness marketer—are already familiar with. Others will pose questions as to how you might use these tools most effectively for your situation. We hope you will look to VistaComm should you have any questions.

are to deliver meaningful messages.

Through Audience Insights, you can create content that resonates with your current audience and find even more followers to tune in.

Some of the information you will learn about your audience includes: • Age and gender breakdowns • Education levels • Job titles • Relationship statuses • People’s interests and hobbies • Locations • Purchase behavior and trends

AUDIENCE INSIGHTS Audience Insights is part of Facebook’s information platform. If you have a Facebook business account, you can take advantage of information from two groups of people—people connected to your Facebook Page and people on Facebook. The more customer insights you have, the better equipped you

Find out more about Facebook’s Audience Insights so you can utilize the right audience channels, optimize your marketing spend, and deliver your content to the right people.

FUNNEL TARGETING This elementary marketing/sales tool will help you maximize your budget dollars by segmenting your audience according to where they fall in the sales funnel. Have they just started looking for a product like the one you sell? — OR — Are they ready to purchase?

The marketing funnel, as shown at left, helps you visualize the different stages your audience goes through— where they drop off without making a purchase; and what moves them to become customers. As we all learned in Marketing 101, the likelihood of a lead moving down the funnel decreases at each stage—they start dropping off the closer they get to a purchase. By nurturing and managing your audience and leads at every level in the funnel, you can convert them to paying customers.

Something else to consider: How does funnel targeting impact your marketing ROI? Well, it becomes less expensive for you to market to those few heading toward a buying decision than to get your product information out to all the “lookie-loos” at the top of the funnel—makes sense, right?

One more thing—Do not overlook the value of a happy customer. They’re the ones who generate leads and become

When River Country Coop decided to re-create our website, VistaComm was there to walk us through step-by-step. They helped with everything from Google Analytics, to the actual website, to social media. Even though our new site is launched and working great, the VistaComm digital team still follows up with us making time for all our website and digital marketing needs.

ASHLEY MEYER | Agronomist River Country Cooperative | Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota 16

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

844.453.9261

AWARENESS

CONSIDERATION

CONVERSION

LOYALTY

ADVOCACY

your brand advocate. 83% of buyers trust the recommendations of their friends and family more than they trust your marketing. Happy customers will be the most credible campaign you could ask for.

IP TARGETING IP (Internet Protocol) Targeting allows you to take offline demographics and geographic information — like age, location, home, political party, etc., to get a physical address list, and then serve digital display ads directly to every device at that address through their IP/router. This can reduce wasteful ad spend because you’re only showing your ads to those exact addresses where your target audience is.

GEOFENCING

Geofencing helps you find potential customers by targeting a particular location at a particular time using the GPS signal on mobile devices. The best way to explain this unique and valuable targeting tool is through the following example: Let’s say you are a farm implement dealer and a competitor of yours is showcasing his Spring equipment lineup. Using geofencing, you could essentially draw a circle (or fence) around your competitor’s business and collect contact information from every mobile device entering that area over a certain period of time—using the GPS signal for those mobile devices. You could then send those devices targeted banner ads featuring YOUR farm equipment business.

How IP targeting works: IP Targeting uses individual IP You provide names, addresses to target specific households. addresses and zip codes of Geofencing uses groups of IP addresses the people or businesses you to target an area. would like to receive your advertising message. This can be your list of previous customers, lost customers, potential new clients, your direct mail list and more. These addresses are then run through an IP mapping system where the IP addresses are matched with physical addresses.

Once the two addresses match, you can begin serving your display or video banner ads using the IP address of the home or business.

FOR MORE INFO VISTACOMM.COM

Marketing made measurable

VistaComm grows your business with data-driven strategies that prove your marketing is working.

We can measure your success and you can measure ours!

What we do: • • • • •

Facebook marketing Google adwords Remarketing Search engine optimization Conversion optimization

Actually, there isn’t enough room to list all the digital marketing services we provide.

Call today to set up a FREE consultation to learn exactly what VistaComm will do for you.

If you find yourself in need of anything DIGITAL, contact our experienced digital marketing team at 844.453.9261. vistacomm.com | 844.453.9261

SOLUTIONS

A Digital Marketing Case Study

DIGITAL STRATEGY HELPS EQUIPMENT DEALER

MOVE INVENTORY THE CLIENT

In 2017, VistaComm began working with one of the largest ag equipment dealers in the U.S. Our team called on the company to assess their digital marketing strategy, and we discovered several areas where they were falling short of their goals and potential. Used equipment made up a large part of their inventory, and they agreed to work with VistaComm to help them get it sold.

THE PROCESS

We discovered that although the client was already spending heavily in digital marketing, they had very little proof their dollars were providing the ROI they desired—outside of basic clicks and impressions metrics. The organization had an experienced marketing team, but lacked the capabilities to handle digital marketing. They were in the late stages of a website redesign and wanted to drive as much traffic as possible to the new site while being able to measure their ROI. VistaComm’s digital marketing team made sure the client knew every conversion and interaction point on the website in order to track online advertising efforts.

Once tracking code was in place and tested, we began building campaigns to target used equipment across multiple online channels. Through this onboarding process, we defined audience personas and key campaign geography to ensure budgets were maximized by targeting the right buyer and their interests. We set up targeted campaigns for keyword search, display ads and social media in Facebook and Instagram.

THE RESULT

As the success of the campaign grew, the client tripled the budget and allocated internal resources to work with the VistaComm team to ensure the campaign’s continued success. Call tracking systems recorded customer conversations and interactions allowing us to determine which campaigns were driving successful calls, and which campaign budgets needed to be reduced in favor of a stronger ROI. A collaborative project management workflow was created making new campaigns and creative easily accessible by both teams. VistaComm provided customized dashboard reports so the client could view campaign performance from all channels in one place and determine which were driving the most results.

The overall result of our online collaborative advertising efforts was a website traffic increase of 350% over the course of 17 months. We helped provide over 11,700 leads through trackable phone calls and form submits, and greatly reduced the amount of used inventory on their balance sheet.

18

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

GOOGLE ADS Optimized for generating phone traffic.

Budget allocation: 75% • Direct contact to dealership: 7,539 • Request for trade-in estimate: 104 • Mailing list subscription: 385 Leads driven to a specific piece of inventory.

• Used: 1,308 • Parts: 35 • New: 259 • Service: 17 • Rental: 61

BING Optimized for generating phone traffic.

Budget allocation: 4.4% • Direct contact to dealership: 281 • Request for trade-in estimate: 3 • Mailing list subscription: 64 Leads driven to a specific piece of inventory.

• Used: 188 • Parts: 17 • New: 49 • Service: 1 • Rental: 7

FACEBOOK Optimized for generating used equipment leads.

Budget allocation: 20.6% • Direct contact to dealership: 614 • Request for trade-in estimate: 26 • Locate a store: 31 Leads driven to a specific piece of inventory.

• Used: 669 • New: 82

844.453.9261

COMPETITION

by Emily Jackson VistaComm Designer/Project Manager

IT OUT ITH E W L T BAT

E G D LE

W O N K

It’s a fast and fierce business climate these days. Aggressively low margins, revolving shares of the market, a shift in generational involvement … and, the fight for the top doesn’t stop there. Competition spills over into hiring and maintaining quality talent, and more. No doubt this endless bumping of shoulders with your competition just might rub you the wrong way.

While constant dueling is certainly not unique to your industry, it doesn’t have to be the crux of your business and marketing plan. In fact, it just might be the key to keeping you in the center of the ring. While you already know that having a good sense of business self-awareness is necessary, knowing what your competition is putting out into the world can be just as crucial to your game plan.

Conducting a competitive analysis is key to keeping your company alive and alert. A competitive analysis is a report founded on research of your competitors. It reveals strengths and weaknesses, and provides insight into your competitor’s brand, which helps you assess your business’s market position. Their strengths can propel you forward with a successful strategy. Their weaknesses show missed opportunities. Combining this information can help you determine their next move—and yours.

Competitive analysis is a common foundation important to all of VistaComm’s client relationships. Recently, we asked a client to name the three businesses they were losing projects VISTACOMM.COM

to most often. Our research found each competitor had a larger staff, extensive portfolios and a long history. With this knowledge, we were able to build a strong case in favor of our client.

We crafted a strong story supported with visuals to show our client’s experience and success in the industry. We also launched a more substantial online presence to emphasize greater depth and variety in our client’s portfolio. Doing a deep dive on each competitor allowed our client to consider what truly makes their competition tick and what makes a customer take his business elsewhere.

Knowledge is power. It creates awareness, encourages differentiation and can help you further your niche. And while a competitive analysis is just one step in developing an effective marketing plan, it is clearly a critical component.

Don’t let your competition distract you from your marketing goals and objectives. Rather, use it to make informed decisions on conquering your shared market.

ISSUE 1 2019 AGRI-INSIGHTS

19

AG EXPERIENCE

by Darcy Maulsby VistaComm Staff Journalist

AG-VOCATING Top 10 Tips for Sharing Ag’s Story with Consumers Do either of these sound familiar? Activists are spreading misinformation about farming.

Myths about farming seem to carry more weight than facts. While these are top-of-mind for me here in Iowa, they’re hot topics in Europe, too, as I discovered in mid-November 2018, when I traveled to Germany for the Transatlantic Agricultural Dialogue on Consumer Engagement.

So, what do you do as an agri-business marketer to accurately tell your ag story? Here’s what I learned:

1.

2.

20

Be willing to engage. Who is telling agriculture’s story, and what are they saying? Don’t leave it to chance, said Caroline van der Plas from the Netherlands, who encouraged story with consumers, the media and lawmakers. “If you don’t share your story, others will tell it for you—and maybe inaccurately,” said van der Plas, who coordinates the Dutch social media project @boerburgertweet, which allows farmers to share their story with consumers on Twitter.

Look at ag through consumers’ eyes. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. “Also, people love to discover things,” said Janice Person, online engagement director for Bayer CropScience. “They don’t want to be lectured to.” Create a sense of wonder, added Person, who noted that sharing knowledge can inspire this sense of wonder.

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

3.

Tell a different side of the story. While most consumers have heard about organic farming, they rarely hear about other types of production. “It’s easy for people to think there’s only one side of the story or one way to farm, unless you share a different perspective,” Person said.

4.

Focus on the moveable middle. Activists are loud, but they are still a minority, said Nadine Henke, an ag-vocate from Germany. “There are still a lot of people in the middle, but few understand modern agriculture. We can reach out to them.”

5.

Find inspiring ag-vocates. There are many agvocates to follow online, including Derek Klingenberg (Farmer Derek @KlingenbergFarm on Twitter), a Kansas rancher whose popular YouTube videos show him playing his trombone to call his cows. “We have different crops and livestock and various ways of

844.453.9261

WORLDWIDE:

“People love to discover things.

They don’t want to be lectured to.” Your ag story can inspire this sense of wonder.

farming, so our stories are all different,” Person said.

“What ag-vocates have in common is their decision to tell their story and make a positive impact.”

6.

Never underestimate face-to-face conversations. While social media gets a lot of attention, it’s not the only place to tell ag’s story, Person said. “Some of the most important conservations still take place in person.”

7.

Show how technology can be part of the solution. “Most people like to be modern,” Person said. Share the story of modern ag by showing how technology is helping protect the environment with solutions like precision spraying.

VISTACOMM.COM

8.

Stay on track. Always be respectful of your audience, but don’t devote too much time to people who only want to argue. “The longer you engage with activists, the less time you have to tell your story,” Caroline van der Plas said.

9.

Build trust. What’s the ultimate goal of telling ag’s story? Building trust. “It’s all relationship-based, and trusted relationships are so important,” Person said.

10. Take the long view.

Communication is never a once-and-done deal, Person said. “What can you do in the next year to tell your ag story?”

ISSUE 1 2019 AGRI-INSIGHTS

21

CULTURE

by Matt Foley VistaComm CEO

BRIDGING THE BETWEEN GAP

SALES AND MARKETING It is my belief that the success of any business is directly linked to a solid sales and marketing strategy. And creating this solid strategy begins with completely unifying sales and marketing while developing an unbreakable culture.

Unifying Sales and Marketing

For a number of businesses, the function of sales and the function of marketing operate independently of each other. Sales has valuable insight into your customer and the challenges they face; marketing has the skills to create and deliver valuable tactics to your audience enticing them to act by purchasing your products or services. Both functions are strong and critical operational components for any company—think of the force they could create if they worked in tandem.

You, as an agribusiness professional know your audience/ your customer; we as VistaComm marketing experts know how to reach them and get them to support your business. We are also positioned to be a solid part of your team and are built to help you develop a successful marketing strategy.

Developing an Unbreakable Culture

Every company has a story to tell. Your story involves everything you are, everything you do and your overall message. Everyone and everything—your employees, clients, business associates, vendors, products, services— all play a role in your story, and ultimately, they influence

22

AGRI-INSIGHTS ISSUE 1 2019

your position in the marketplace. Do your customers and employees know your company story? What you ARE needs to become the culture of your business and everyone involved should be able to tell your story in the same way.

Every day, VistaComm helps agribusiness companies from coast to coast discover and tell their story, making it part of their culture.

In these two thoughts, I’ve given you a lot to think about, but I truly believe that only by unifying your sales and marketing while developing an unbreakable culture will you be able to capture your audience, strengthen your relationships, and build your business. I look forward to talking to you more about it in the future.

More About Matt: With an agricultural career that spans more than 25 years, Matt is accustomed to change and transition. He grew up in the seed business and has experienced mergers, acquisitions, shifts—both up and down—in the ag economy, great crop years and some not so great—throughout the Corn Belt. VistaComm welcomes Matt, now at the helm as CEO with another exciting transition ahead for him and a bright future in sight for VistaComm.

844.453.9261

FINAL SAY EMPOWERMENT IS A TRAIT OF

GOOD LEADERS

by Bill Byrne VistaComm Founder

In our last issue of Agri-Insights, VistaComm’s Emily Jackson presented helpful insight into a pain point we hear from so many of you: How can I build an effective workforce?

Once you’ve hired the perfect employee, how can you be a good mentor? What can you do to mold a strong, talented employee into an effective management support for your future business objectives?

We asked VistaComm founder Bill Byrne for his insight on the topic, and here’s his take on The Art of Empowerment.

It’s powerful when everybody wins.”

We have difficulty empowering others. Our professional world centers on ourselves and our own abilities. Delegation is infrequent—empowerment unusual. Successful leaders, however, have learned the advantages of including others in their exciting world. Not only are associates involved, they participate in achievement they can call their own.

These leaders work to make others around them feel strong, responsible and needed. They keep the scoreboard in sight, the team names always posted. Success isn’t lonely in this environment. It’s exciting when everyone wins.

When people are given the liberty to use their ability, talent put to use on behalf of the company increases, positive feelings become contagious, people help each other succeed, and achievement rises to heights not found in most organizations.

Empowerment requires giving, a trait typical of good leaders. It’s not, however, a trait typical to managers who seek to sustain and increase their importance by diminishing that of others.

VISTACOMM.COM

I’m a corporate dropout. Early in my professional career, I experienced life in the unempowered lane. It wasn’t fun.

Having sorted out my thoughts over the years, I now understand that my corporate experience consisted of responsibility without authority. The “branch manager” title I held wasn’t much more than that—a title. Our office was run by a CEO-seeker at headquarters more intent on building his personal reputation than empowering those reporting to him.

I watched him dig tunnels under the working environment of my peers. It was a painful yet enlightening and educational experience. I learned all about being unempowered. I vowed to remember what it felt like to have large responsibility with little authority.

Empower others by inviting all employees to join the team. Help them keep score. Involve them in the free enterprise system and the feelings of responsibility and importance that go with it. Allow learning through failure. When accomplishments are made, be willing to say, “You did it.”

ISSUE 1 2019 AGRI-INSIGHTS

23

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID

VISTACOMM

1401 North C Avenue Sioux Falls, SD 57104 www.VistaComm.com

by Burke Perry VistaComm Senior Journalist

THE TRAVELS OF THE KING CORN, THE KING OF CROPS. Yes, soybeans may have briefly stolen the title in 2018, but it’s likely that corn will regain the crown in 2019. There are few places in America where corn is not grown. Even citydwellers plant sweet corn in community gardens.

In corn country, we watch with anticipation each year as the “little soldiers” (as my farmer friend likes to call emerging corn plants) mature into the towering rows that provided James Earl Jones a doorway to adventure in Field of Dreams.

Come harvest, the country comes alive with combines, tractors, wagons and semis, hauling their golden cargo to… where exactly? Where does all that corn go?

This infographic explains where our U.S. corn crop travels after it leaves the field—and what happens when it reaches its destination.

U.S. Corn Exports/Leading Markets 2016-17 (million bushels)

548

Japan

533

S Korea

220

Columbia

186

Peru

118

Taiwan

117

Saudi Arabia 84 Guatemala 39 Costa Rica

32

Canada

28

Other

388

Total

2,293

Corn Usage by Segment 2017 (million bushels)

4,282

Fuel Ethanol (30.1%)

1,459

Food, Seed & Industrial (FSI) (10.1%)

5,375

Feed & Residual (37.6%)

1,243 DDGs (8.7%)

1,925 Exports (13.5%)

Resource: The World of Corn 2018, the National Corn Growers Association.

Mexico