Unlike in decades past, nailing a hand-painted plywood sign to a fencepost or running a small print ad in the local paper no longer fills out the itinerary of a cattle sale’s marketing campaign. Coffee shop or church pew whispers may flesh out some details of an upcoming cow sale, but today, this approach won’t create a successful event.
We asked a few cattle marketing experts for their advice to producers.
Angus Media
Clay Zwilling, president of Angus Media, believes cattle operations must first establish themselves by raising quality and consistent animals and then hold a strong desire to help their customers succeed. He admits marketing has changed substantially in efforts to portray these established attributes.
“Technology is the most noticeable shift, followed by a seller’s ability to reach a greater audience through digital platforms,” he says, “from how we communicate to potential buyers to providing live, real-time bidding and sale-viewing services.”
Zwilling explains the digital space contains so much noise that being able to target a specific customer is key to creating awareness. Breeders need to appear where their customers are – on the right medium at the right time.
“Although important, there isn’t a magic combination of search engine optimization (SEO) and keywords, but rather having a brand that resonates with established and potential customers,” he says. “Then when it’s brought to digital, it’s much more precise with who sees it.”
When preparing for an upcoming sale, Zwilling says it’s critical their clients clearly define the goals for both the individual event and the future. Whether establishing their brand and credibility, setting new annual gross totals, sustaining their business or simply transitioning excess cattle, a balance must be maintained.
“Goals vary based on size, scope, focus and philosophy, but cattle must work for customers,” he stresses. “While a ‘win is a win,’ highlighting even early results can be the catalyst for brand establishment.”
Not to be forgotten, Zwilling believes personal interaction is still vital to marketing.
“It’s true some buyers prefer viewing, selecting and purchasing without a personal conversation, but ultimately, sellers should engage with their buyers to establish trust and loyalty,” he says. “Simple follow-ups and a 'thank you' can go a long way in promoting future business.”
9 Clouds Digital Marketing
John Nelson, creative director at 9 Clouds Digital Marketing Agency, confirms the importance of personal interaction even though his agency offers strictly digital services to their clients.
“While the bulk of relationship building happens online, interaction happens before and after a cattle sale,” he says. “Branding is key. Having social proof of genetics and quality, knowing other producers count on them to source bulls, semen straws or embryos, provides the content and information the younger demographic values.”
Nelson says many ranchers are moving to digital platforms and asking questions about SEO, email and digital advertising. He recommends having a partnership for knowledge-sharing and monitoring the pulse of digital change.
“When people look for services online, websites need to be easy to find,” Nelson says. “Strong SEO and having the right relevant keywords on their site help them show up locally.”
He advises creating a specific landing page complete with a form to measure traffic and interest.
“Top-of-funnel awareness with reaching new people holds value, but unless you hook them with a newsletter subscription or they fill out a contact form, it’s not going to be a long-term relationship.”
These key performance indicators (KPIs) of new contacts and conversions along with their organization and tracking allow 9 Clouds to calculate returns on advertisements and dollars spent, ultimately helping measure levels of success.
