Marketing with Little Budget & Little Time

Laura Swanson

Manager, Manzanita Farmers Market

Different Types of Marketing for Various Geographic Areas

Magic of Marketing or The Mystery of Marketing,

Or Making Marketing Look Easy

Brief History of Marketing – The Good Ol’ Days…

Top Marketing Dilemmas/Questions

Marketing Your Market – to Vendors & to Shoppers

• Two different Approaches

Challenges of Getting Right Mix of Vendors to Your Market

• Manzanita’s Unique Situation – Friday evening market

Referrals from Current Vendors

• Call, email, visit – work to get those coveted vendors

• Surveys/Visitor Counts/Revenue numbers

Tillamook County Farmers Market Network

• Working together: Manzanita, Tillamook, Neskowin, Pacific City

• Strength in numbers; joint advertising

• New “passport” program

Incredible food/ag programs in Tillamook & Clatsop Counties

• Food Roots & North Coast Food Web, North Coast Food Guide

• Partners, Collaborations

Marketing to Shoppers – Branding/Image

• SWOT- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

• KISS- Keep It Simple, (stupid!)

Demographics/Psychographics – Different Tactics for Different Age

Groups

• Four Words That are Shifting Communications & Fundraising:– Community

– Duty

– Entrepreneurial

– Identity

GAME:Match the World that Describes

Generations

• Matures – 68 & older

• Boomers – 49-67

• Generation X – 33-48

• Millennials/Generation Y – 32 & younger

Easiest Marketing Target – Current Shoppers

• Task – Getting Them to Come More Often, Visit Other Markets

OFMA: Map/Listings!

• Resources..– Farmers Market Networks

Growing/Attracting NEW Shoppers

• Identify Who They Are

PUBLIC RELATIONS #1 – No cost/Low cost marketing

• BONUS – Farmers Markets are Newsworthy… Everything About Local Food – Top Trending Issue

• LOCAL MEDIA SPONSERS – Signage, mentions at market etc. = Free Public Service Announcements spots on radio stations; ad spaces in newspapers..

• Listings in ALL/ANY Farmers Market directories (most/many are free)

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Snapchat, Vines, Blogs, Others?

• Look back at Demographics – Who Do You Want/Need to Reach?

#1 – Facebook

• Wider group – people in their 20’s to 70+

#2 – Instagram (Hashtags #)

• Younger demographic; visuals/photos!

#3 – Twitter

#4 –YouTube

#5 – The Others: Pinterest, Snapchat, Vines, Tumblr…

Time Sucking …

• Look for Posting Short cuts – Time savings:– Facebook, schedule postings; post on several/all at the

same time.• Whole Session on Social Media usage, ideas, concepts.

• Bottom line – Make it PART of Marketing

Websites … Blogs

E-mail Newsletter – Constant Contact

• Weekly “What’s Fresh at the Market”

• Coordinate w/ Vendors – communicate about “specials”– Copy/Paste into Website Blog; Facebook page, etc.

After Technology Overload…

• Yoga

• Deep Breathing

• Beach time

By the way: Don’t Forget About…

• Traditional Advertising– Newspapers

– Radio

– Flyers/Posters

Guerilla Marketing Techniques – 100s of Ideas..

• Graphic Arts Students to design Market Flyer/poster (or a local artist

• Kids Booth Activities – staffed by older kids

• Demonstrations/Unique Displays

• Rotating Booths … change it up; different vendors, bring different shoppers

• Partnerships/collaborations/sponsorships – off season event involvement

• Turning “negatives” into Positives– Example: No Dogs in the Market @ Manzanita

Ways to Evaluate Your Marketing – ASK!

• Surveys – Vendors, Shoppers, Community

• Survey Monkey; online & at Market

• Dot Surveys

• OFMA Resources; OSU Resources

Information Overload?

• Identify staff, volunteer, board members w/ a knack for marketing

• Divide & Conquer – You don’t have to do it all…

• But, you do have to “Just Do It”… and Keep Doing it… & do it over and over again.

Questions?

THANK

YOU!