English 
The agricultural industry is expensive. Allocating cash for advertising is therefore often a contentious subject, especially when the approach is unconventional. Additionally, when you change your marketing platform, finding the right balance between strategy and audience is a daunting task. For this reason, businesses tend to stick to what they know to avoid wasting money on something they think might not work. But, will advertising in your favourite magazine continue to yield the positive outcome it did in the past? In might not. The reason is that traditional print advertising, although still widely used, is extremely limited in its reach when compared to online advertising outcomes. And, the best part about marketing online is that you reach a wider audience with less budget.
Lower costs yet a wider reach
The agricultural community has embraced social media for both social and some business endeavours. Farmers use online platforms to communicate with friends, like minded individuals and organisations, and to spread agricultural news and tips. It only makes sense that advertising your business online is the logical next step.
A platform that has revolutionised online marketing is Facebook. The platform implemented tools such as ‘boosted posts’ that allow one to set an exact budget and time for your ad to run. And they do not stop there. Facebook allows you to target a very specific audience that you pick according to location, interests, age and more. And when the ad is running, you can see exactly how many people have seen it and how they reacted to it. With a tool like this, it is no wonder that online advertising outdoes the traditional method.
Stay current with online marketing
Although traditional marketing still has some value, it is outdated. Yes, many traditionalists in the ad industry will argue that millions still watch TV and listen to the radio. But the reality is that almost everyone spends at least a few minutes a day on the internet as well. The Space Station revealed that on average, 22% of South Africans spend more than five hours on the Internet per day, higher than radio (13%) and TV (12%).
Now, the cost of advertising on TV can cost tens of thousands for a few seconds. Furthermore, the most targeting one can expect is to place an advert in a timeslot during which your desired audience demographic might be tuned in.
Compare this to spending around R1 000 per month on a Google or other online platform where you can set the audience you want to reach almost exactly. With numbers like this, there is really no need to wonder if you should give it a try.
But why are we talking about the online space in the first place? Well, it’s simple. We as a farming community need to embrace change a little faster than we are. We need to look at new ways of saving costs and farming more profitably. Businesses like Oté are taking the step toward change for a better, more profitable industry by offering opportunities for purchasing inputs via the online space. By embracing new trends, we are able to provide farmers product they already know at a price they can afford.
Please head over to our website to see how you can start saving by purchasing online today.