My Digital Farmer Podcast

Want to learn from a seasoned CSA veteran farmer? Then you'll want to listen to this episode! Cassie shares how she has adopted many digital marketing strategies in her business -- what's worked and what hasn't. It's a goldmine of wisdom!

When is the BEST time to sell your CSA? Is there one? My answer is unequivocally yes. As a marketer, you are always trying to get the right product, at the right price, at the right place, at the right time. So how do you figure out when that time is?

Are you doing a sales push to get your CSA members to renew early? If so, did you know there are some things you can be doing NOW to "grease the wheels" to get them in the right mindset to say "yes?" I share what those things are in this episode.

In this episode, I interview Farmer Sarah Judd of Meadow Lynn Farms. She shares how she used my early bird sales formula to help her get more of her CSA members to commit to her farm earlier than ever before -- giving her peace of mind over her winter break.

I interview CSA meat farmer Sharon Mauzy! She and I talk through how she found her first group of customers (a BRILLIANT strategy!) and how she took that small group and turned them into a loyal following.

If you're planning to do an early renewal registration period this season before November, then I recommend you make sure you do THIS. A quick tip!

Wish you could raise your product price, but worried about how it will be received? In this podcast, we walk around this predicament in detail, and I share some strategies for how to do it so your customers take it well.

If you're a local business, one of the top ways customers will find you is through Google. In this episode, we talk about claiming your free "Google My Business" listing, what information to include so you can be found more easily.

Are you thinking about creating a wait list for next CSA season already? I used to say, "Don't do it! They don't convert!" But in these COVID times, I now say GO FOR IT -- as long as you do THIS.

I know you seed your veggies. But are you "seeding" your products? In this episode, I share 7 ways you can use the marketing concept of "seeding" to build brand awareness and turn leads into sales.

Kurt & I have decided to homeschool this year. As I've been researching this new terrain, I began to notice all kinds of "marketing strategies" in the homeschooling industry. What were they doing to help me feel ready to spend $500 on curriculum resources? I share my observations and 9 marketing applications that you can apply to ANY business.

In this podcast, I teach you the "four limiteds" -- how to sweeten your offer 4 different ways so that your prospect will feel motivated to buy now.

In the age of COVID, it's awfully hard to build a sense of community and excitement, when you can't physically interact with your customers.... Or is it? In this episode, I share how we are using all kinds of creative weekly contests to jazz things up and get our customers excited.

A year ago I invested in a video email app after hearing about it from one of my podcast influencers I follow. In this episode, I share 7 ways you can use a tool like this to help you connect with future customers, convert them into buyers, and provide great service.

So you've got all these new CSA members this year. What do you need to do to help them achieve success with your CSA product? In this episode, I share my specific curriculum we teach to our CSA rookies to help get them to mastery faster.

So you have an email list. Now what? In this episode, I talk you through the value of an email "Nurture" sequence -- what they are, what kinds of things go in them, and how they can help you grow the know, like, and trust factor with your leads.

In this episode, we talk about the acronym "KLT," what it stands for, and why it's imperative that you build a strategy around it if you want to develop a strong customer base. I also share examples of how to build KLT into your marketing funnels.

In this interview, Dan talks about the three businesses (CSA, seed company, and Farmer Spreadsheet Academy) he's founded over his lifetime, and the entrepreneurial lessons he's learned along the way.

Now that you've got all these new CSA members, how do you onboard them and set the right expectations? Answer: a member handbook. We talk what goes inside this bad boy...

Are your customers getting tired of your brand? Have you done anything NEW lately? In this episode, we discuss the principle that your customers are always growing, and share some ideas for how to keep customer momentum alive in your business.

So your CSA is sold out thanks to COVID. Now what? Are you trying the "wait list" method? In this episode, I tell you why a wait list may not be your best bet, and offer another alternative that's more likely to convert long-term. DON'T miss this episode.

Customers are HOT for farm products right now. So are you using this reality to get them onto your email list? In this episode I share just how simple it is to build a simple lead generation strategy that will eventually turn into paying customers.

In this podcast episode, I talk about how we can be inviting our audience into the "bigger mission" of the local food movement. This "old" message suddenly feels more relevant than ever. Let's use this opportunity available in COVID to help people identify with a deeper purpose with long-term implications.

In this episode, I interview Karli Miller Hornick from Main Street Farms. She shares how her deep customer research helped her pivot her messaging and grow her CSA from 100 to 350 in one year.

Have you been thinking about adding on share types to your CSA product suite? Are you wondering how to do it? In this episode, I share my experience with add-on products, how we set them up, and what you need to think about.

Feeling anxious about your business? With COVID-19 taking over the economy and dominating the air waves and messaging, it's easy to get sucked into the landscape of fear it has created. As farmers, how can we resist the urge to see the glass even emptier than before? Can we find opportunity in our landscape of fear?

CSA retention. It's the holy grail of CSA farmers. I know for a fact that Facebook groups are a key driver behind my 81% return rate. What happens in these social spaces that enhances the CSA experience? As we face uncertain times of COVID-19 isolation and fear, groups are more powerful than ever. I share 3 ways a group can help your customers feel success.

Wondering if e-commerce or an online store might be right for you? Looking for advice on how to get started? In this episode, I invite Cole Jones from Local Line, an ecommerce platform for farmers, to share his wisdom on how to successfully leverage this platform and keep the sales coming.

When it comes down to it, there are three ways to increase your retail revenue on the farm. I used to spend most of my time on just one of them. In this episode, I share what the 3 ways are, and I suggest which one you should be concentrating on to maximize your profits.

This week, I feature Carrie Sedlack on the show. I interview her specifically about a new project she is spearheading -- a national CSA network called the "CSA Innovation Network." We talk through how this project came to be, what its goals are, and how CSA farmers will be able to specifically benefit. I've become a collaborator on this project, so I'm especially keen to help it succeed.

Just getting started with CSA? Wondering how the heck to find your first customers? In this episode, I share tips from OTHER CSA farmers who have walked this road before you. You'll learn how MOST of us got started and get specific ideas for where to begin.

What if you were a travel guide, engineering your client through a prescribed "perfect" journey through your brand? What stops would you craft along the way to make sure they experienced success as quickly as possible? That's what this episode is all about. Learn how to map out your brand's customer experience.

What happens immediately after someone buys your signature product? If all they get is a confirmation email, then this episode is for you. We talk through why an email welcome sequence can be a super powerful way to onboard your customer, and I share my exact template for how to build your own.

I bought a new air fryer last month. The "unboxing" experience was so top-notch, that I decided to make an entire episode about it. In this tutorial, I'm going to challenge you to think about how you are engineering the moments AFTER a person buys your product. Excite your customer and you'll have them coming back for more.

What can a haunted corn maze teach you about marketing? Turns out... a lot! In this episode, I share the concept of "pre-framing" your customer journey, and how to build doorways in your brand.

Pricing your CSA can be tricky. It's not just a matter of expenses, profit margins and knowing what the market can handle. There's a psychological and emotional component to pricing. In this episode we talk about why a person might think, "It's too expensive," and help you find the price that "feels just right."

Testimonials are a super simple way to start increasing your sales. But are you using them?! Sometimes we don't always know where to put them. In this episode I share 12 easy places you could be placing testimonials to help your buyers say YES.

Be honest... how often do you look at the reviews on Amazon before buying a product? (Every time, right?!) Testimonials are one of the primary triggers to getting someone to buy your CSA. In this episode we talk about how to find great testimonials...

Part of building out a new website is choosing your platform. This can often get farmers stuck in their tracks because it feels overwhelming. In this episode I go through 6 questions to consider so that you choose the right platform for you.

Can you describe what you do in a nutshell? That's your tagline. Don't make it complicated or fancy academic language. Keep it simple. In this training, I share the 3 parts of a great farm tagline that will help you draw in new customers.

Are you talking too much about yourself in your marketing? In this episode I share an a-ha moment for our farm that fundamentally pivoted how we marketed our farm. In this episode, you'll learn what this mindset shift is and how it will clarify your strategy.

How well do you know your customers? Using telephone interviews is a great way to do market research. In this episode, I talk you through how to identify your best customers to research using telephone interviews. The result will blow your mind.

Website redesign... did you just groan? Building a website message can feel overwhelming. But it's absolutely critical to finding new customers. In the episode we talk about 6 common website mistakes so you can fix them!

If you want to be effective at marketing, you'll need to learn to think and talk like a cave man. In this episode, I teach you the three questions your messaging MUST answer to keep your customer from getting confused.

Today's guest is Michael Kilpatrick, host of the Thriving Farmer Podcast. Michael shares his tips for how to make the most out of a farming conference and leverage the networking opportunities at these events.

You are NOT selling just vegetables. As a CSA farmer, you're actually selling something a WHOLE lot more valuable. In this episode, I talk you through what that is, and why it's imperative that you change your messaging to focus on it.

A well-written customer survey can give you valuable intel to help you better understand who your ideal customer is, how they think, and what they value. I share my tips for how to craft a great survey that will actually help you write better marketing.

Trying to figure out what kinds of stuff you should be building for your marketing strategy? In this episode, I share my list of the top 10 marketing assets I think matter most. Use this list to guide your first steps in building out your plan.

Look inside the great CSAs, and you'll likely find specific mechanisms in their business that "surprise and delight" their customers. In this episode, we talk about the power of the surprise and delight factor and how it looks in practice for your farm.

Bulk buyers are my quintessential buyer. When I realized the amount of income these CSA members were generating for me, I began to ask myself: "How can I turn more of my CSA members people into this kind of buyer?" In this episode I share my framework.