Does Your Rural Business Need a Marketing Plan?

Running a rural business rarely leaves much time for marketing.

There are customers to look after, jobs to complete, staff to manage and a long list of things that need doing. Marketing can easily become something you get around to when you have a spare hour — which, of course, rarely happens.

You might update your website when something changes, order a new brochure when you run out, send an email when you remember and start thinking about advertising when you need more enquiries.

None of these things are necessarily wrong.

The problem is that without a plan, your marketing can quickly become reactive rather than strategic.

What is a marketing plan?

A marketing plan is simply a clear idea of what you want your marketing to achieve and what you're going to do to get there.

It doesn't need to be a complicated 50-page document.

For a rural business, it might simply set out:

• What you want to achieve

• Who you're trying to reach

• What services or products you want to promote

• What makes your business different

• Which marketing channels you need to use

• What needs updating

• When campaigns should happen

• What marketing materials you need

• How you're going to measure whether it's working

The important thing is that your marketing has direction.

Are you marketing reactively?

A good way to tell whether you need a marketing plan is to look at how you currently make marketing decisions.

Do any of these sound familiar?

“We need a new brochure - ours has run out.”

“We should probably update the website at some point.”

“We haven't sent an email for months.”

“We need some advertising for this event.”

“We haven't really thought about next month's marketing yet.”v

If so, you're not alone.

Many small businesses operate this way, particularly when the owner is responsible for almost everything.

But constantly reacting to what needs doing means you're often marketing around immediate problems rather than working towards longer-term goals.

Start with your business objectives

Marketing shouldn't exist simply for the sake of marketing.

Before deciding what you need to do, think about what you actually want to achieve.

Perhaps you want to:

• Generate more enquiries

• Increase sales of a particular service

• Launch something new

• Reach a new customer group

• Improve your professional image

• Build awareness of your business

• Increase repeat business

• Fill quieter periods

• Support your sales team

Your objectives should influence your marketing activity.

For example, if your main goal is generating enquiries for a particular service, your website, marketing materials and campaigns should all help support that goal.

Know who you're trying to reach

One of the biggest marketing mistakes is trying to speak to everyone.

Your ideal customer might be a farmer, landowner, equestrian business, agricultural company, rural professional or another type of rural customer.

The more clearly you understand them, the easier it becomes to decide what your marketing should say.

Think about:

• What problems do they have?

• What do they need help with?

• What questions do they ask?

• What influences their buying decisions?

• Why would they choose you?

• What might stop them from getting in touch?

Good marketing isn't about talking endlessly about your business.

It's about showing the right people why your business is relevant to them.

Your marketing should work together

Your website, brochures, adverts, email campaigns and other marketing materials shouldn't feel like completely separate pieces of your business.

They should feel connected.

Your branding should be consistent.

Your messaging should make sense.

Your services should be clearly explained.

And wherever possible, each piece of marketing should support the others.

Someone might first see an advert, visit your website, download a brochure and then contact you.

If every part of that journey looks and feels different, you can lose some of the trust you've worked hard to build.

A good marketing plan considers the whole customer journey, rather than looking at each piece of marketing in isolation.

Think about the year ahead

One of the simplest ways to improve your marketing is to look ahead.

Are there particular times of year when certain services become more relevant?

Do you attend agricultural shows or trade events?

Do you have seasonal products or services?

Are there quieter periods when you'd like to generate more enquiries?

Are you planning a new service or product launch?

Do you need new brochures, exhibition materials or other printed items before an event?

Planning these things in advance means you're not trying to produce everything at the last minute.

It also gives your marketing a much better chance of being joined up.

Don't underestimate your marketing materials

Your website isn't the only thing representing your business.

Depending on what you do, customers may also come across:

• Brochures

• Flyers

• Business cards

• Advertisements

• Exhibition displays

• Presentation documents

• Product sheets

• Signage

• Email communications

Every one of these is an opportunity to reinforce your brand.

If your website looks professional but your printed materials look outdated, the experience can feel inconsistent.

A marketing plan should therefore consider both your digital and physical marketing.

You don't have to do everything yourself

Having a marketing plan doesn't mean you need to become a full-time marketer.

In fact, one of the biggest benefits of having a plan is understanding what actually needs to be done - and what could be handed over to someone else.

For a busy rural business, that might mean getting support with:

• Marketing planning

• Website updates

• Website design

• Marketing campaigns

• Email marketing

• Brochures and printed materials

• Advertising

• Content

• Design work

• Keeping your brand consistent

Instead of trying to find time for every marketing job yourself, you can have someone helping to keep things moving.

Marketing should be consistent, not constant

You don't necessarily need to be marketing your business every day.

What matters more is having a consistent approach.

Your customers should continue to see and hear from your business throughout the year, rather than only when you need more work.

That could mean planning your marketing activity monthly or quarterly and making sure the important jobs are actually completed.

Consistency helps build familiarity.

And familiarity helps build trust.

When was the last time you reviewed your marketing?

If you can't remember the last time you properly looked at your marketing, it may be time for a review.

Ask yourself:

Does our website still reflect what we offer?

Does our branding look consistent?

Are we communicating with the right customers?

Are we promoting the services we actually want to sell?

Do our marketing materials still look professional?

Do we have a plan for the next few months?

Who is responsible for making sure all of this happens?

If the answer to the last question is “I'll get around to it”, you're probably not alone.

Your marketing should support your business - not become another job

A good marketing plan doesn't need to make your business more complicated.

It should do the opposite.

It should give you clarity about what needs to happen, when it needs to happen and why you're doing it.

At Digital Rural, we work with agricultural, equine and rural businesses to provide practical marketing support alongside the day-to-day running of their businesses.

From ongoing marketing support and website work to campaigns and marketing materials, we can help bring your marketing together and keep it moving.

If your marketing has become something you keep meaning to get around to, it might be time for a better plan. Get in touch with Digital Rural to discuss how we could support your business.