Social media and digital marketing have become the fastest channels in which customers connect in a local food system. Googling "grass fed beef" or "farmers market near me" is how new customers are finding your business- or not even at all. If you have no digital presence, it may be very hard to grow your local business. Consumers are connecting with your business beyond the local food channel (farmers markets, restaurants, grocery stores, and others). If they have found your social media presence, than they are expecting you to tell your story. This built in audience is also how you get the word out on a new product, a field day, a new drop off of your produce, half-shares of beef for sale, and better to provide authenticity. As others have said before, social media and digital marketing are some of the easiest ways to stay connected with your customers.

But, how do you get started? And if you already have social media and digital marketing presence how can you translate a like into a sale? If you have an idea or want to be a part of the local food system, how can you determine what is needed? This is where deeper roots comes into play.

The Deeper Roots Blog is meant to assist those in the local food system determine how to navigate market channels, tell your story, find your customers, explore your niche, grow your business, and connect in the emerging digital landscape. Each week, I will cover a topic that has relevancy to those looking to sell or already a part of the food system. You might be a farmer who sells at farmers markets. You could be baking bread for for local restaurants. You offer CSAs subscriptions shares. You cook jams/jellies and value added products. You raise livestock for meat. This curriculum is designed for individuals who rely on an outlet beyond the digital landscaping.

These topics will include:

Telling and selling your story

Finding your markets

Interpreting food trends and using Google alerts

Conducting market research in the local foods system

Understanding your current and future customers

Deciding on the right social medias

Facebook advertising

Instagram advertising

Google advertising

Using Google Business

Enhancing your SEO

Working with Influencers

Interacting with followers/fans

Creating effective posts/images

Incorporating Instagram TV and Facebook Live

….and more to come!

Deeper Roots will be created through these topics. Roots that help you find customers. Roots that help you create a network. Roots that expand your business further.

New posts drop on Fridays. At the end of the blog post will be a call to action. Root work if you will… You will also find pdfs of these posts at the top each week. Future plans will include downloadable podcast of that week's topic.

This week's root work: Thinking about your business. How do people find you if they were to search online? If you offer grass fed beef in rockford, search those collective terms. If you are a bakery that sells at farmers markets, use terms that get close to those products. This will be the start of determining what you need to work on and what you are already doing a good job on.

Looking forward to helping you take root in your local food system!

Grant McCarty

Questions? Comments? Need assistance?

gmccarty@illinois.edu/815-986-4357