15 Way To Increase Sales At Your Next Farmer’s Market

If you’re a local farmer, backyard farmer, or community farmer, participating in your local farmer’s market is a smart marketing strategy. Like all live events for small business owners, farmer’s markets bring your customers to you. Once those customers are at the main event, the trick is to get them to your stand. Here are fifteen easy ways you can create evergreen signage that travels with your display from event to event.

Custom Brand Your Booth
Don’t overlook the power of creating a local food brand. With our DIY design tool, you can easily combine images and shapes that cement themselves in the minds, hearts – and taste buds – of your target market. A recognizable brand will make it easier for them to locate you at the next fresh food event.
Invite People To Your Stand
If the venue allows, design posters, postcards, and flyers you can strategically place around the inside and outside of the venue and on the road leading to it to create a paper trail that leads right to your display.
Create A Mini-Farm Experience
Every farmer in attendance will have the fruits and vegetables shoppers are looking for. Turn your display from an ordinary table into a realistic looking mini farm with potting soil and mini gardening tools.
Use Social Media To Your Advantage
Start the shopping experience early by offering a freebie or other incentive to your online audience.
Forge An Online Strategic Partnership
Try reaching out to local foodies, fitness centers, and other clean eating enthusiasts who have their finger on the pulse of your ideal consumers but are not your competition.
Forge An Offline Strategic Partnership
If you’ll sell veggies only, partner with another farmer’s market vendor who only sells fruit. If you sell both, partner with a vendor who sells beverages or baked goods. Each of you sends shoppers to the other’s booth – a win/win.
Have An Attention-Grabbing Display
Use banners and tent canopies that stand out from the other vendors. Also, make it easy for shoppers to see what they’re getting and what it will cost with easy-to-read table tents and table signs.
Tell Shoppers How To Use Your Produce
Design business cards and postcards you give away with each purchase. Customize them with recipes, pairing suggestions, freezer meals, or entire menus.
Put Your Best Produce On Display
Consumers are drawn to bright, shiny apples and plump, juicy looking oranges. Put your best-looking fruit on display and watch the foot traffic roll in.
Sell Your Worst Looking Produce, Too
There’s an entire movement afoot that sells ugly produce. Yep. Just because produce is oddly shaped, doesn’t mean it isn’t just as tasty as the pretty stuff. Market it for its unusual look, pair it with the recipe cards from tip #7, and watch it fly off the shelves.
Make Your Tables Pretty
Use branded table covers, farm crates, skillets, and other bright, colorful display options to make your display a standout.
Put Your People Skills On Display
Man your farmer’s market booth with the friendliest members of your selling team. Browsers and shoppers love to talk food suggestions and a friendly smile will go a long way.
Create Special Packages
Design posters and postcards that promote your offer to create special product bundles for caterers and personal chefs. Add an optional delivery service, and you’re in business.
Speak In A Special Language
Design DIY marketing materials that speak the specific language – and boast the benefits of – specialized foodie groups like vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free eaters, paleo dieters, and keto enthusiasts.
Keep Selling After The Market Closes
Create DIY marketing materials that boost your brand and its online presence. Offer an after-event delivery service that tells shoppers how to keep your produce coming to their doors even after the main event is over.