The Giving Season is Approaching!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! September through December is the peak time to market your products, experiences, and animals. Pick one thing to market hard or spread your marketing prowess throughout the giving season.
Here is your monthly checklist:
September
Kicking off with National Alpaca Farm Days (NAFD) at the end of this month, we know farms open for NAFD are teaming with visitors who share their experiences online. There’s no better advertising than that!
- Register for NAFD and take advantage of marketing materials.
- Think about partnering with other businesses to offer a weekend experience that includes food, drink, activities, and, of course, alpacas!
- List your event on Facebook events, your business page, your website, and any local calendars so people find you when searching for things to do.
- Ask visitors to write reviews on Google, Trip Advisor, and Yelp!
- Offer small feed sacks for a few dollars or a percentage off products if spending more than $50.
October
If you haven’t participated in #alpactober, plan to do so this year. AOA gives prompts for what to post on each of the 14 days during this month. But you can post any day and use the hashtag #alpactober.
Add in #fiberfridays, which is year-round, and promote all aspects of alpaca fiber. Remember, if you want to increase your following and impact, consistency counts.
November
This is the prime gift-buying month.
- Promote farm tours and get people into your store.
- If you have an online store, make sure it’s up-to-date, optimized, and hosts beautiful photos of your products. Visitors don’t stay on old sites. They want the ultimate shopping experience. Using Shopify or another optimized shopping platform is worth it.
- As November comes to a close, push hard for Small Business Saturday (SBS), November 30, 2024. SBS is a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. On this day last year, consumers spent $17 billion. Think about partnering with other small businesses in your area to promote and deliver to eager buyers!
- Offer businesses a place to host their holiday staff parties. String some lights, set some tables, add music and you have a party! Let them get their caterer or partner with a food truck and local brewery and/or winery.
- Bring in a florist to offer make-and-take fall arrangements while your alpacas graze nearby.
December
Finally, it’s ho, ho, ho and the race to Christmas. We don’t need to tell you why finishing the year strong is so important to your business sales.
- Think about contacting larger businesses in your area and offering two or three bundles of sustainable products for corporate gifts. Aren’t people tired of mugs, water bottles, and salami? Maybe not, but a cozy pair of socks in that mix when you partner with others makes it unique and lasting.
- Decorate the barn, serve hot chocolate, and bring people in for a festive holiday weekend. Have some alpaca ornaments on hand for stocking stuffers!
We hope this energizes you to jump into your marketing plans with both feet. The possibilities are endless. Send us photos of your events or tag us in your social media posts so we can share your story with others. Don’t forget to ask visitors to review you and to use the hashtag #yourfarmname and any others listed above.
Happy holiday season. We are so very grateful for you.
