Are you creating the right content and growing your reach without getting farm sales? Maybe what you need is a few short adjustments away.
I hear this all the time, “I’ve been posting every single day but not getting any results…”
When I scroll through Instagram looking at farms’ content, one of the biggest opportunities for most is simply sharpening their Instagram profiles. I go to their profile, and their bio is so confusing. Their website URL is missing. They don’t have any pinned posts or highlights on their page, and their profile picture isn’t aligned.
Your Instagram profile is prime real estate for your farm, so it’s worthwhile to understand the key features that drive results—followers, likes, website clicks, and sales.
Failure to optimize your Instagram profile will result in frustration and burnout before you achieve your goals and vision. And that isn’t what I want for you, so let’s fix it!
Now, before we get into how to craft your Instagram profile, we need to revisit our goals.
What is the goal of your Instagram page? To get more farm sales? To get more CSA memberships? To drive your followers to show up at the farmers market or visit your farm store?
Our aim will reflect that goal, so begin with the end in mind.
Your Instagram profile picture is the face of your brand. It appears on your profile and everywhere you comment and post–including your stories. Make it simple, memorable, and representative of your brand, and keep text at a minimum, as it’s hard to read.
I like to opt for something simple. For example, if you are a CSA farm and your name is “Full Moon Farms,”—have a full moon logo with a carrot or some type of veggie.
Take Local Line’s logo, for instance—it’s simple, hints at what they offer, has no text and is professional. If your farm needs logo and branding assistance, get started with Local Line.
Your bio, especially on Instagram, is some of the most important real estate on social media. Be precise to ensure it clearly represents your values, product offering, ideal customer, and markets you serve. This is where your brand story comes in handy.
If you are local only, include who you serve—or if you ship nationwide, say it. Visitors should be able to know instantly what markets you serve so they know whether or not they are in the right place.
Include a link in your Instagram bio (like Local Line does above) so visitors can learn more about your brand and find your products more easily. However, ensure your website doesn’t make these four design mistakes.
Pinned posts and highlights on Instagram offer new visitors a way to “do their homework” on your brand when they first come across your content.
You can create content specifically for this area so that anytime someone new visits your profile, they have a straightforward way to learn more about what you do and who you are. This is usually one of the most underutilized features I notice.
Once you clean up and sharpen your Instagram profile, you will notice a significant increase in conversions of profile visits. It may not result in an immediate farm sales bump, but it will result in clearer communication and increased followers because new visitors will better understand who you are and what you do.
@simplerootsmaui has a clean logo, and its Instagram feed includes quality images. Their bio is precise, highlighting what kind of farm they run, where they serve, and what they sell. If you click their profile URL, they also link to relevant resources (i.e., online farm store, website, guides).
@siskiyoufarmco's logo is simple, and the text is large enough for reading. They also have a memorable slogan and share social proof in their bio. They link straight to their website to order/learn more and have a consistent theme in their Instagram feed.
@laughingbuddhanursery has an eye-catching logo that captures the essence of their farm name. Their bio includes how many producers they support and what type of fulfillment they offer for online orders. They also include a URL that links out to their website, order schedule, and other valuable resources. They even include story highlights, one being a ‘Kate Cooks’ segment!
@argusfarmstop includes a photo of their physical storefront as their profile picture and provides information, including their location and market schedules, in their bio. They also include a URL link that shares more useful resources to learn/shop from them. Like the previous example, they include highlights to engage with their followers.
Browse around Instagram and search farms similar to yours to see how others set up their profiles. There is never a perfect way to do it, but understand that there are very wrong ways to do it—ones that confuse visitors and don’t get them to engage and act.
We know that tackling all the components of a successful digital marketing strategy can be overwhelming and frustrating. From website design and optimizing each social profile to creating content and writing copy, Local Line is here for you.
