Aug 4, 2020

Learn marketing tips for profitability in 2020 Great Lakes EXPO farm marketing keynote

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many growers and businesses are looking to enhance the online experience for their customers. At the virtual 2020 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO, the Farm Marketing keynote and subsequent workshops will help take a look at what changes growers can be implementing today to improve their digital business.

Charlotte Smith, owner of 3 Cow Marketing, will be the keynote speaker for the 2020 Farm Marketing program at the Great Lakes EXPO. Smith’s unique depth of experience, from owning and operating a farm to her status as a certified mindset coach, will provide growers with unique insight into how they can utilize digital tools to help grow their business.

“I’ve had a farm for 11 years, and people are always asking how I was sold out at much higher prices,” Smith said. “It was because of my marketing skills. It’s what works in today’s online world for any type of farm business.”

Smith’s keynote, titled “3 Steps to Your Profitable Farm,” will help teach farmers and growers several different ways to capitalize on online marketing to grow their operations and their business — from learning the number one “mindset roadblock” to finding ideal customers that are willing to pay higher-than-average prices.

For the “mindset roadblock,” Smith noted that she could teach growers everything they needed to know about marketing — but if they didn’t “believe they could do it,” it wouldn’t ultimately be profitable.

“I realized that I could teach them all of the ‘how-to,’ but if they still doubted it would work or lacked confidence, they weren’t going to do the work or show up in a way that is going to be profitable for their business,” Smith said. “So not only do I coach them on the how-to, but I also coach them on the mindset of how to lead a profitable business.”

While Smith noted that her farm marketing keynote would largely be aimed at those who are selling direct-to-consumer, she also said that there are benefits across the board for growers of all types, including wholesalers.

Both attendees and exhibitors at conferences in the past have said they appreciate what Smith is able to bring to the table — both on a direct-to-consumer and commercial level.  “I hear a lot that it will help their relationships with wholesalers they do business with,” Smith said. “I don’t want to say it’s geared toward them specifically, but I can tell you I get a lot of feedback that they have benefitted from the sessions, as well.”

As far as attending events like the Great Lakes EXPO, Smith said networking possibilities, as well as the workshops and sessions, are incredibly important to growers of all types.

“The connections I make with others in the industry or similar industries, is invaluable,” Smith said. “The doors that open whenever I get to go to a conference or EXPO and engage in-person… you just can’t predict the connections you’ll make and what they’ll lead to.”

To learn more about the 2020 Great Lakes EXPO, visit www.glexpo.com.