Social media tips for agritech startups by Ellie.
The agritech startup scene is exciting and fast-paced in many ways; it is also hard work. You may have a fantastic service or product that you believe can solve problems or make processes more accessible. Digital marketing is essential in facilitating communication with potential and existing customers. Agritech startups need to become heard and recognised; this is where digital marketing comes into play. Simply put, making money and growing in the startup world is difficult without engaging in marketing. But you must get the marketing right, as every pound counts.
A question to ask yourself is if a tree falls in the woods, and no one is there, does it make a sound? In the marketing world, the answer is no.
We now live in a digital world where targeted communication is easier than ever, allowing businesses to reach the right people at the right time with the right product or service. Businesses' market has changed, steering more toward a digital marketing approach. Only a few years ago, marketing campaigns needed huge budgets and had virtually no ability to target. Increased accessibility to digital marketing is great news for startups; now, return on investment is measurable due to analytical tools and target marketing.
Here are some of Ellie's top tips for agritech startups looking to take their social media marketing to the next level.
Create a social media plan
You probably wouldn't create a new product or service without a business plan, so why would you leap into social media feet first without a plan? Without a plan, you have no clear goals of what you are trying to achieve or whether you are getting a return on investment.
Each platform (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.) needs a plan. Understanding what works best to create targeted content and generate engagement is essential.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Why are we using this platform?
Who is my target audience?
What message am I trying to tell?
What kind of content works best on this platform?
How can I make my content unique?
How often do we want to post?
What is the competition doing?
Be consistent
Create a content calendar for each platform to keep track of posts; posting content regularly (twice a week) on each platform is a good start. Create your content calendar around expected upcoming events both internally and externally.
Ensure that your brand image, message, frequency and hashtags are consistent. Quality is often better than quantity; for example, posting rich content on one or two platforms is much more effective than trying to maintain five different platforms, which could lead to inconsistency.
Stand out
Aim to create engaging and exciting content. Millions of people and posts saturate social media feeds. It is crucial to stand out from the crowd by creating compelling content. Make sure to fix up the formats and include a variety of images/videos/gifs/words, not just one.
"What is good content?" You may be wondering that the term is subjective and depends on the platform you are using, but I have created some examples:
Media:
Use videos and gifs. Social media has moved more towards video content, thanks to the rise of Instagram reels and Tiktok.
Static imagery should have a clear vision and not include many words (this is what the caption is for).
Personalise! Include your staff; it is an excellent way for your audience to get to know the faces behind the brand.
Trends:
Ensure you are up-to-date with the latest digital and social media trends; this helps you create appropriate content that resonates over time.
Storytelling:
Develop a brand voice and audience engagement through storytelling.
It is a creative way to convey your message without seeming like you are trying to sell sell sell.
Engagement
Focus on building a community with a personal feeling to engage with your followers. The benefit of social media marketing is that it allows you to talk directly to your customers and followers. Focus on building relationships over time; ways to achieve this:
Re-posting customer content.
Mention followers in posts and stories.
Like and respond to comments and tags.
Create quizzes and polls.
Live streaming.
Engage with other agritech entrepreneurs and influencers.
Analyse and track performance over time
Once a month, spend time creating an analytical report so you can track and compare over time. Thankfully, most social media platforms track your metrics for you. Use the data and statistics to assess what is working well and what isn't; this will allow you to analyse your strategy and continue to drive performance effectively.
We hope that these social media tips by Ellie will help you and your agritech startup!
Got a question? Email Ellie today at ellie.wait@niab.com.