Leveraging Your Story

1. Increase Sales andUse Social Media Leveraging Your Story Robin B. Crowder

2. rbcrowder@21acres.org

3. rbcrowder@21acres.org

4. “The most successful businesses will be the ones that can put information in a narrative context to help engage customers and keep them engaged.” -- PR Newswire rbcrowder@21acres.org

5. Leveraging Your Farm Story to:1. Foster Relationships 2. Gain Trust 3. Build Loyalty 4. Create Community 5. Secure Customers rbcrowder@21acres.org

6. Marketplace Chaos Storytelling is more essential than ever: • Big box stores offering more Organic products • Grocery stores established in most places • Home produce delivery gaining traction • Consumers inundated with messages • Farmers markets are highly competitive rbcrowder@21acres.org

7. Tell NOT Sell -- Constructing Narratives Constructing narratives (telling stories) helps customers connect and differentiate from competitors – ultimately encouraging customers to participate, communicate and share information with others. rbcrowder@21acres.org

8. #1 Business Skill in the Next Five Years LinkedIn: “Fact is, no one cares about your marketing goals. But everyone likes a good story. The businesses that can tell one…will have increasing advantage…what stands out has to be increasingly compelling… Stories make ideas stick.” rbcrowder@21acres.org

9. Why Storytelling works Research shows customers want to be involved in the brands they love in order to: • feel like explorersdiscovering something special • feel a connection with the brand • feel valuable to the brand • feel their purchases make a difference to the brand rbcrowder@21acres.org

10. Role of Value Propositions in Storytelling Tell stories to cascade from a Value Proposition and carry marketing efforts and effectively Show customers why to buy from you rather than competitors rbcrowder@21acres.org

11. Branding: What is a value proposition? Promise of value –statement that: • explains how your product solves problems or improves situations • delivers specific benefits • tells customers why they should buy from you rbcrowder@21acres.org

12. Customer Segmentation Deeply define who your customers are to effectively use your value proposition. What makes these groups unique? What buying habits do they employ? What attributes do they have?What stories will resonate? • Market shoppers • Wholesale buyers • CSA customers • On-farm customers rbcrowder@21acres.org

13. Consumer Research • Findings from The Hartman Group's Shopping Topography 2012research showed that fewer than half of primary grocery shoppers (44 percent) normally prepare a shopping list prior to a trip to the supermarket or grocery store. rbcrowder@21acres.org

14. Consumer Research • Consumers think less about shopping per se than about what else they're trying to accomplish • 62 percent of shoppers with children say theirchildren influence their purchases rbcrowder@21acres.org

15. Consumer Research Consumers are bombarded – Every minute, every day: 48 hours of new video on YouTube; 684,000 pieces on content on FB Cut through chaos, deliver value proposition and tell stories • People look for trusted sources to filter and make sense of it all • Share only relevant information of value with customers Convey expertise, build trust = valuable brand Examples: recipes, varieties, planting….others? rbcrowder@21acres.org

16. Consumer Buying Cycle 1. Pre-shop: Plan|Want|Need 2. During: Find|Ponder|Buy 3. Post-shop: Enjoy|Dislike|Forgot Customers use many tools for evaluating during the buying process Research shows stories, anecdotes, metaphors are more memorable than data.” Hartman Group: Shopping Topography 2012 Report, The Hartman Group rbcrowder@21acres.org

17. 2 Channel Streams: Farm and Market Enter Consumer Buying Cycle: Proprietary farm channels • Website, Blog • Social media • YouTube • Earned media • Paid advertising • Newsletter/listservs • Wholesale relationships rbcrowder@21acres.org

18. 2 Channel Streams: Farm and Market Enter Consumer Buying Cycle: Proprietary market channels • Onsite • Website • Social media • Newsletter/listservs • YouTube • Earned media • Paid advertising • Wholesale relationships rbcrowder@21acres.org

19. Enabling Storytelling by Others • Provide variable rewards – reward customersfor engaging • Customers will spend more time with you, participating….sharing • Give a gift to share with others…everyone likes to be a giver/hero • Host contests, provide rewards • Reinforce good behavior rbcrowder@21acres.org

20. Evolution of Storytelling Thru Social Media First: Social, relationship-based networks like FB dominated Now, social web is interest-based and highly visual Visual Networks driving consumers to discover products and brands in a distinct processBig 3: Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr FB and Twitter focus on immediacy Big 3 are “evergreen” rbcrowder@21acres.org

21. Strength of Images: FB, Twitter, Big 3 Farmers Market Channels and Proprietary Farm Market Channels Social Media changes: • FB – Photos larger, image posts more prominent53% more Likes, 104% more comments, 84% more click-thrus • Twitter – Now shows photos automatically • Instagram – Image based, link, share, build a profile • Pinterest – Image based, 88% growth rate 70 million users • Websites and Blogs – Image supported, increases stickiness rbcrowder@21acres.org

22. Storytelling on FB rbcrowder@21acres.org

23. Facebook changes Facebook changed algorithm in News Feed in early Dec. 2013, brand posts are appearing less often 21 acres example –426 organic reach12,000+ reach for a $60 spend = 20 new “Likes” rbcrowder@21acres.org

24. Storytelling on Twitter Ideal for real time engagement Communicate quickly Brevity rules -- 140 characters Perfect for telling an evolving stor Use for promotions, last minute news Limited supply of asparagus, come to Market before noon Strawberry festival today – we’ll hold your bags while you have fun Baby lamb born today. Mama Betsy is proud. Send us your suggestions for a name. rbcrowder@21acres.org

25. Big 3: Storytelling on Pinterest Pins can drive traffic 40 days+ Pinterest is “evergreen” rbcrowder@21acres.org

26. Pinterest-Perfect Picture Photo from Paula Deen, “Aunt Peggy’s Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad.” Repinned307,000 times, liked 8,000 times, and commented upon 300 times. “In other words, that image killed it,” says Curalate CEO Apu Gupta. No human faces: Images without faces get repinned more often.Pinterestis a network of things Little background: Pinterest includes loads of photos shot against a plain white background. When an artificial background rises above 40 percent of image area, repins are typically halved or quartered. Multiple colors: Images with multiple dominant colors garner more than 3x the replies as images with one. Lots of red: Predominantly red or orange images get twice the repins of predominately blue. Moderate light and color: Performance falls off at the extremes. Images with 50 percent color saturation got repinned4x as often as images with 100 percent saturation, and 10 times as often as totally desaturated(B&W) images. A similar dynamic for brightness; very light and very dark images are, repinned1/20 as often as images with medium lightness. Portrait style: Images did best in a vertical orientation. http://www.wired.com/business/2013/06/this-is-the-perfect-pinterest-picture/rbcrowder@21acres.org

27. Big 3: Storytelling on Instagram Easy mobile app – link to FB – hashtags are king Create demand helping customers imagine new ideas Stimulate user-generated content: Invite followers to post Create before and after comparisons – Loaded truck = empty truck Seasons on the farm Introduce employees and characters on the farm rbcrowder@21acres.org

28. Big 3: Storytelling on Tumblr Easy blog platform – hashtags are king Micro-blogging, image heavy, excellent video integration Perfect for reaching young, hip, savvy (about half under 25) Visually tell the story of the farm with brief vignettes supported with photos and video rbcrowder@21acres.org

29. Getting Started -- Beginning Storytelling Stories are evolving, fluid, grow in depth and meaning and reinforce value proposition • Classic Stories, Lessons, Quotes • Educational Stories • Trending New stories • Customer Stories • Personal Stories • Cooking and Recipes rbcrowder@21acres.org

30. Share Personal History – Relevance • Family? Single? Couple? • Foreign service/Peace Corps? • Professional background? • Colleges and universities? • Travel/Live abroad? • Retired? • Military background? How does history reinforce Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

31. How did you learn to farm? • Apprenticeship? • Family? • Mentorship? • School? • Internship? How does it reinforce Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

32. Interesting characters on your farm • People – elderly, children • Volunteers • Neighbors • Interns How do they reinforce Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

33. History of the Farm • Land -- stewardship practices (buffers, barriers, treatments….) • Trusts, development rights • Certifications • Business Structure • Equipment History? Breakdown, run great? (story of the truck) How does this reinforce Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

34. Story of the Truck rbcrowder@21acres.org

35. Features of your farm • Barn, Sheds, Outbuildings • Wildlife • Trees • Fences • Apiary • Root cellars • Asphalt Paving • Hills, creeks, vistas How do these convey Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

36. Animals on the Farm • Bees • Bunnies • Birds • Livestock • Spiders How do they reinforce Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

37. Farming Practices • Certified Salmon Safe • Certified Organic • Chemical-free • Conventional • IPM • GMO-free • Biodynamic • Permaculture How do they reinforce Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

38. Value-added products • Ingredients come from the farm? If not, where else? • How did the recipe come about? • What are the ingredients? • Where are they crafted? • Who designed the labels? • Where are they stored? • When are they available? How do they reinforce Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

39. Convey success stories • Where else do you sell? • How can customers find you? • Who else buys your products? • Connect with other producers – stories of overlap, cooperation How does this reinforce your Value Proposition? rbcrowder@21acres.org

40. Strategic Staffing for Storytelling Hire people who can tell the story and convey the value proposition – If they haven’t worked on the farm make sure they do Hire for the busiest time of the day –pay appropriately rbcrowder@21acres.org

41. Sales Techniques for Storytelling • Question-based selling,uncover needs and wants Shopping for a recipe? Tonight’s dinner? • Ask open-ended questions Tell me what you’re looking for • Establish the right relationships Work for a series of small “yeses” Sample and give product away Give customers a reason to come back rbcrowder@21acres.org

42. Sales Techniques for Storytelling • Find new ways to build on relationships • Treat customers better than family • Special offers that relate (announce and celebrate) • Don’t compete on price (stories differentiate pricing) • Use your Value Proposition (show distinctions) • Sample! rbcrowder@21acres.org

43. Zucchini Tell Stories Challenge: A Facebook post A Tweet A farm story A recipe A call to action Product sign Blog post rbcrowder@21acres.org

44. Zucchini Tell Stories rbcrowder@21acres.org

45. Zucchini Tell Stories rbcrowder@21acres.org

46. Easy Resources for Storytelling • Socialmediaexaminer.com • Copyblogger.com • Mashable.com • Fast Company • 60secondmarketer.com rbcrowder@21acres.org

47. Increase Sales and Use Social Media Leveraging Your Story Robin B. Crowder