Agritourism Marketing

Question 1

_________ is the process of determining what customers want, and of using that information to produce and sell a good or service to satisfy that want” (Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Board). _________ includes identification of your customer base; a clear description of the goods, services, and experiences offered; and advertising and promotion of your agritourism business.

Answer 1

Marketing

Question 2

Identify customers coming to your area for similar attractions. Such information may be found through agritourism associations, regional tourism councils, or local chambers of commerce and other outlets. Be specific in identifying the group of consumers you wish to target.

Answer 2

Who are your customers?

Question 3

What are the eight (8) common demographic characteristics:

Answer 3

• Age
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Education
• Occupation
• Employment status
• Income
• Family status

Question 4

What types of agritourism activities are popular or increasing in popularity? Notice where growth is taking place in the industry and the types of activities and goods consumers are seeking. What changes and developments in the agritourism market might be expected in the foreseeable future?

Answer 4

Become familiar with your market

Question 5

What makes your agritourism business unique? What would set you apart from competitors? Some examples: a farm/ranch operated by your family for generations with unique heritage components; a unique location with attractive amenities; specialized attributes of your products or services, such as organic produce or meat, raising exotic animals, or unique activities available.

Answer 5

Your niche

Question 6

A rule of thumb for a beginning agritourism operation is that 10 to 30 percent of gross revenues should be invested in marketing.

Answer 6

Budget

Question 7

What is the Four P’s?

Answer 7

• Product
• Place
• Price
• Promotion

Question 8

Is there a market for what you are selling? Is there some way to change your goods or services to more adequately address a consumer demand? The quality of your staff and their training is also an important consideration in agritourism.

Answer 8

Product

Question 9

Is your location one that is easily found by consumers? Will potential customers notice your agritourism business in passing? Are there other beneficial aspects to your location such as impressive natural scenery?

Answer 9

Place

Question 10

Balance the price charged for your goods and services between the need to attract customers and maximize sales, and the need for those sales to yield a profit.

Answer 10

Price

Question 11

Where and how to promote and advertise your business are important considerations. Advertising in agritourism and similar businesses has traditionally come mostly from customer to customer word-of-mouth communications. Advertising through various forms of media (websites, brochures, etc.) can also be effective in getting the word out about your agritourism operation. Membership in agritourism organizations and business associations, such as your local chamber of commerce, can help publicize your business and inform consumers specifically seeking the goods and services you offer. The popularity and usefulness of the internet can make it an effective place to market your business if used properly.

Answer 11

Promotion

Question 12

Give examples of promotional tactics:

Answer 12

• Signs along the highway
• Brochures/flyers at visitors’ centers, community centers, etc.
• Samples
• Charity/local event donations
• Event sponsorships
• Speaking engagements
• Booth at events
• Social media presence and activity
• Press releases to local media
• Publish a blog

Question 13

As of February 2019, the four most widely used social media sites in the U.S. were:

Answer 13

1. YouTube
2. Facebook
3. Instagram
4. Pinterest

Question 14

______ _____ is often the first place many people now turn to when looking for ideas on what to do or researching places or businesses to visit. While consumers are engaged in their decision-making process, as a business, you want your online presences, content, and messaging to be up to date, accessible at all times, and aligned across all platforms.

Answer 14

Social Media

Question 15

Give at least five (5) Digital and Social media practices.

Answer 15

1. Be responsive to questions and comments
2. Use photos and videos to engage your online community
3. Regularly post to your social media accounts
4. Ensuring your website is easy to navigate
5. Develop a mix of content types (promotional, information, entertaining, etc.)

Question 16

This sort of approach is typically common at an industry promotion level – think wine, beer, ice cream trails – but research has shown that consumers visit multiple businesses/places when they travel to a location. Consumer knowledge about the destinations available to visit en route to your location, as part of a trail, or from your location if it is a base (such as a farm stay) can entice consumers to make the decision to visit.

Answer 16

Collaborative Marketing

Question 17

As agritourism businesses generally depend on repeat customers, building and maintaining a good _______ ____ for email and direct mailings to your customers is important.

Answer 17

Contact List

Question 18

Creating a favorable public image is important both in attracting customers and in maintaining the ability to draw support from your community. In addition to providing customers, your community can provide you with potential business partnerships, promotion, and publicity. Others in your community can provide goods and services needed for your operation.

Answer 18

Image and Partnerships in your Community

Question 19

Recognizing the strength of your own stories and communicating them to the media, community members, visitors, and others is important for efficiently and effectively marketing your business.

Answer 19

Public Relations

Question 20

A vital aspect of marketing that is often overlooked is __________. Consumer needs and desires change, people move or experience life changes, and marketing tools (such as digital and social media platforms) evolve. Identifying evaluation metrics and collecting data on each of those metrics is essential.

Answer 20

Evaluating and Learning from Your Marketing Successes (and Failures)

Question 21

Evaluation tools include:

Answer 21

• Transaction Data
• Surveys
• In-person communication