Content Marketing Helps Animal Nutrition Companies Be a Resource to Customers
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- April 2, 2019
If you're a company in the animal industry, you should create content that positions you as an industry expert so that customers facing challenges come to you as the go-to resource.
Evolving market trends are driving significant change across the global animal ag industry. As producers grapple with these changes, animal nutrition companies need to be a resource to their customers. And, not only through products, research and service, but through best practices to help customers address these challenges as well.
Take the consumer focus on natural products, and how it has moved through the supply chain to drive alternative feeding strategies for farmed animals. While producers must first find animal nutrition products in this category, they also need help with how to incorporate those products into their feed rations and advice on the correct storage equipment.
Animal nutrition companies must be educators and resources for information to help their customers solve the challenges they’re facing – whether it’s animal nutrition and feeding strategies, or ways to improve animal health or housing.
How? Content, content, content.
1. Find out the topics for which you can be a source for education.
Marketing, Sales and Technical Teams need to work together to outline what information would be of most use to your customers.
- What questions are the Sales and Technical Teams getting regularly?
- What challenges do your customers seem to be having the hardest time solving?
- Where do the customers say they are looking for help?
Build content such as webinars, videos, and online or printed guides that offer help addressing those challenges – and make sure the content’s not just about your relevant products.
2. Find out how best to deliver that education.
What’s your customer’s typical journey? Do they start with online research, or do they talk to their local retailer first? It’s probably a mix of online and offline discovery, so make sure you build content customized to each type of education channel and sales channel.
We recently did a content marketing audit for an animal nutrition company that included talking with several sales reps about their current marketing materials. One of the responses that struck me most was that the brochures were beautiful, but the font was too small to read in a dimly lit dairy barn and therefore of no use. It’s so important to work across functions with Marketing, Sales and Tech Teams so that you’re not missing the mark and creating content that doesn’t help convert the sale. Listen to our podcast on sales and marketing alignment.
Trade issues, regulation and consumer preferences are pushing the animal ag industry through significant changes. That disruption also means opportunity for growth for animal nutrition companies that can become the trusted partner and educational resource for your customers.
