Merchandising... The most bang for your buck

[DLD]

When we go out looking for cattle (and we do that alot), a trip (whether it's an afternoon or a few days) is usually centered around someone we've had personal contact with. Then we look on the net, and in current club calf and breed magazines to see if we can find more places to look along the way... Nobody's going to come look if they don't know about you.

Business cards are essential - I don't care whether they're cheap or fancy, if I meet you and am interested in your cattle, you need to be able to give me something with your name, location and contact info on it that I can put in my pocket and file away when I get home. Caps are great - buyers always appreciate them, but they'd better be nice if you expect anyone to wear 'em where they'll do you any good, and lets be honest - unless I'm working for you at the moment, I'm wearing my cap, not yours. Pens are fine, but I categorize them with peanuts - they might make a few more people stop for a moment at your display, but once they stop to grab a handful, it's up to you and your cattle to sell 'em something, or they'll just disappear.

Webpages are great, if you keep them updated. The more good pictures on them, the better. And they need to be easy to find, too. I know it costs money, but linking them through as many sites like this as you can pays, I believe.

Magazine ads are important, too. I'd go so far as to say they're essential for seriously promoting an AI bull or a production sale, if you really want to get the most out of it. Those ads where a group of people in the same area show a map with each of their locations seem to work really well - it's been a long time since I've been in on one, but I believe it was a great investment every time I have.


But in the end what counts is getting your good cattle out for people to see. Every time I've consigned cattle to a sale somewhere, I get way more traffic at home for the next year or so afterwards. Same goes for showing yourself or selling one that ends up being succesful in the show ring, at least as far as selling show calves and higher end seedstock goes. It doesn't take a $50,000 rig to get 'em there, either, btw. It's not cheap, but if you want to sell show cattle, you and your cattle are gonna have to make it to some shows somehow.

Reputation is everything. If  buyers are happy and succesful with your cattle, no matter whether it's a commercial bull or a show steer, they'll be back, and most of them will tell others about you. If they're unhappy, they're gonna tell even more people, so always follow up, and do what you can (within reason) to make them happy.

David

 

[red]

DLD- great information! Really some good advice for us all to take to heart.
Repeat business & word of mouth is one of the best forms of advertizing you can have. i think that a happy customer will bring you more business that any ad could ever. Same thing of course goes for an unhappy buyer. I think that is the long run if you stand behind your product, follow through w/ your buyers & treat them right it will pay you down the road for a long time!
I think this has been discussed before but do you offer help to buyers after they've taken the calf/animal home? Do you help w/ fitting, give breeding advice or just any general help? That too is something that you need to decide & perhapes even figure in on your selling price.

Red

 

[RKBinOK]

I have to agree with the rest of the replies...my agreement comes from two sides of the deal however. Having been in the purebred and club calf business my entire life and coming along as a 5th generation breeder, I remember the old days marketing prior to Internet. Yep, way back when we all had to rely on breed journals, regional publications, etc. However that is a thing of the past to SOME EXTENT. Also, having managed sales and having worked in livestock advertising, I have seen the change in marketing strategies evolve.

The internet is the way to go...get yourself a website on a well travelled host. Pay the money for the hosting service so that you will indeed catch traffic from all aspects of the industry. Update often, keep plenty of fresh pictures on your site, and give all the information possible. Put ALL of your contact information on there as well. Some don't put their email addresses on their sites, but I feel that is mistake. They say that they figure if customers are truly serious, they will call. Personally, I don't mind sorting through the "tire kickers". One never knows when one of them will become a very valuable customer.

With all of that said, I do still think there is a place for advertising money spent with the right publications. When we have sales approaching, we will run an ad in the Show Circuit or similar publications. Depending on the nature of the sale, we will run in the breed journals. However, unlike the old days where we would run a full page four color every month 3 months out from the sale, now we run 1 time, 1` month out and let the ad direct people to the website. We tend now to spend more of the print advertising money on regional and local publications. I managed a bull sale this year in which we spent some money advertising in little local newspapers...it worked. We sold several bulls into places that we otherwise would not have touched.

Long story short, you will get the most bang for your buck with a good website from a well travelled host. Spend that first year's money there, and from then on, add to it just a little with some regional and specialized campaigns fitting the specific needs.

 

[JSchroeder]

There are some things that will put you ahead of the pack right from the start in addition to the great advice already in this thread.

Rules

DO NOT listen to anybody who tells you they’re the “most visited”, “biggest”, or “premier” cattle site on the net.  The people who make those claims think they still have their market dominance they had five years ago.  They also design sites like it’s five years ago.

DO NOT listen to people bragging about their technology, look at the technology.  The people who brag that they have the best don’t.

DO visit each of the designers and look at their designs.

DO NOT try to do your own site if this is the first time you’ve done it.  It’s a waste of your time and won’t help your business.

DO NOT put up less than stellar pictures.  Bad pictures are worse than no pictures.

Who do I want to design my site?

After reviewing and rating over 300 sites done by various designers, my opinion on quality goes like this…

Top Tier
Angus Productions and Browarny – Browarny has been producing some amazing sites lately that have an extremely professional fee.

Second Tier
Ranch House Designs and EDJE – Both very strong designers and certainly worth the money.  At one time EDJE was a large step behind but they’ve improved the quality of their designs significantly.  Ranch House Designs has maintained a pretty consistent level of quality for a few years now.

Budget Designers
Showsteers.com and Cattle Today – Get a copy of Frontpage and have your smart nephew/niece do the site instead. 

There are plenty of others that are getting started now but don’t have too large a portfolio to get an accurate view of quality.

Brochureware

Do not get stuck in the old idea that your website needs to look like your magazine ads.  Thanks the prevalence of web designers who are magazine designers at heart, this is a common theme in cattle sites.

Get a site that is constantly updated, possibly with a blog.  NEW FRESH content is essential.

Pictures

If you haven’t taken pictures yourself before, find somebody locally who has done good pics of their cattle and offer them something to come take pictures of yours.

You will think pictures you take are better than they actually are just like you think your cattle and kids are better than they actually are.

Where will my site get noticed?

We surveyed about 200 people last year before developing Cattle.com to find out where people go to in order to find animals.  These were all people that were showing at either the San Antonio or Houston breeding or market steer shows.

EDJE had a distinct advantage amongst that demographic and very few of them mentioned Showsteers.com.  The breeding guys mentioned Cattle Today more often than other sites.  Other than that, it was fairly mixed in terms of what sites people visited.

Regarding “market share”, based on stats from Quantcast and Compete.com (Alexa is useless), it’s something like this…

44% - Cattle Today Network of Sites
13% - Showsteers.com (dropping fast)
13% - EDJE Sites
10% - CattlePages.com
7% - ClubCalves.com
6% - Cattle.com
3% - Cattle-Fax.com
1.5% - TexasShowCattle.com
1.1% - Steerplanet.com (but skyrocketing due to you guys defecting from Showsteers.com)

Adwords

This is the key to marketing online now.  I almost didn’t even mention it because it’s so flat out effective that I don’t really want more competition for the ad space.  For the same money you’ll spend on a few links in those huge directories, you can get a guaranteed 1,000+ actually targeted visitors to your site.

If you ignore everything else I said, listen to me regarding Adwords.  Look into it.  Trust me.   


jeff schroeder
[email protected]

 

[shortyjock89]

This is some awesome info..we are planning on gettin a website this year and all this info is basically answering most of the questions. All this info is great, especially since its from a relatively un-biased source!

 

[knabe]

here's a format i haven't seen mentioned.

http://superiorlivestock.com/videocatalog/lotlist.sla?c=SL

also, jim leachman has been in marketing a very long time as he was around at ankony in early 70's.
http://lists.dpi.qld.gov.au/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A0=aussie-composite-beef-net&F=P 
http://lists.dpi.qld.gov.au/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?A2=ind0403&L=aussie-composite-beef-net&F=P&P=70
is a site i found looking for what else the leachmans are doing, lots of local slang

i believe you can get a newsletter from browarny's.  they are also trying to do a better job with video with increased frame size and resolution.  if you can't get the newsletter, and want one, i can email it to red.  They might charge for it, i don't know, so i don't feel that comfortable just sending it out.  it's kind of cumbersome to click through, but they do a pretty good job.

 

[genes]

I don't think they charge for it, because I got one last week, and I'm pretty darn cheap  ;D  I think I maybe just registered at their site or something.

Put ALL of your contact information on there as well. Some don't put their email addresses on their sites, but I feel that is mistake. They say that they figure if customers are truly serious, they will call. Personally, I don't mind sorting through the "tire kickers". One never knows when one of them will become a very valuable customer.

I fully agree.  While we may not be the norm, there are people out there shy about phoning strangers, and email is really nice for making first contact.  Yes you might get some of the tire kickers, but after a few, you'll probably form a few fairly standard responses you can copy and paste, adjust as necessary.

Ok websites are available to anyone who wants them.....but print media is a little different, and you really have to take that into consideration if you are looking to the commercial market rather than the purebred or clubby.  Some commercial guys will get the odd breed journal, but it's definitely not just a given like for the purebred breeders.  So I wouldn't our too many $$ into them, unless it is specifically like a "sire issue" or "commercial issue" that they put in wider circulation to commercial breeders.    I would probably put focus on your local farm papers and stuff.  If they have photo ads, try that.  Sometimes we also get flyers from big commercial bull suppliers stuck into out Western Producer (farm paper), which are nice, but probably very expensive, and depending what publication you put them with, might only be so targeted.  But if you even just have a nice flyer to put in feed stores and have with you to give people, that would be good.

 

[red]

(welcome) Jeff!

Thanks for the great information! If anyone knows cattle sites you probably have the most info & experience! Thanks for the great stats!

Red

 

[DLD]

I think this has been discussed before but do you offer help to buyers after they've taken the calf/animal home? Do you help w/ fitting, give breeding advice or just any general help? That too is something that you need to decide & perhapes even figure in on your selling price.

Red

Thanks, Red.

Yes, we do offer to help our buyers - some want it and some don't, but the best steady repeat customers are the ones that we do help quite a bit. It does vary alot with how much help they need/want, and obviously how far away they are. If our buyers are succesful with our cattle, then our program is succesful, so it's up to us as breeders/sellers to do everything we can to help our buyers attain that success.

 

[DL]

Good information, esp Jeff but (who me a but??) I would like to add a couple of things

I designed my own web site - I knew exactly what I wanted - and EDJE then did the web work - I pestered them until it was what I wanted and I do the same with the updates - I have a vision of what I want that sometimes is hard to translate into words - My point being in addition to knkowing your market know how you want to portray yourself and your operation. Have an idea and have them follow it through...

For the price of a 1/4 page ad in our state cattlemen's magazine I can have a web site for a year - I thought that was a good deal

I can tell a Ranch House Design site before I see her logo - they generally reflect RHD not necessarily the producer -

When I look at a lot of cattle web sites they all look alike - you can't tell one from the other - clones are legal in the web market - sure the colors may be different but pretty much the verbage and the pictures are the same.

Everyone talkes about "professional pictures" and I guess if you are selling high dollar show heifers or promoting a bull that is important - but frankly I get real sick real quick of looking at side views of hairy balck thick straight perfectly groomed heifers and for that matter "winners" - that  is nice but what do your cows really look like?

buy your own domain name - it is cheap $25/year - if I have to write down 47 different numbers, letters and slashes and I don't find your darn site I likely won't be back.

email - yes and answer it.

Educate people about your cattle, your philosophy and anything else you think is important - if you don't stand out in a crowd you blend it.....

 

[genes]

Everyone talkes about "professional pictures" and I guess if you are selling high dollar show heifers or promoting a bull that is important - but frankly I get real sick real quick of looking at side views of hairy balck thick straight perfectly groomed heifers and for that matter "winners" - that  is nice but what do your cows really look like?

Ah yes....DL I was one of the ones that advised quality pictures, but I didn't say anything about perfect fitting or show pictures.  For a person selling only show animals, that's appropriate, but as you say, people selling breeding animals, especially commercial ones, should probably have something else.  Rather, what I meant about quality of pictures was (1) The literal quality....fuzzy pictures or ones where the cow looks like she is the mile down the road won't cut it.  If your camera isn't up to this, you will have to find someone's who is.  (2) Pictures that flatter your animals.  Trust me there are angles that can make your best cow look like a reject donkey (trust me I know because I seem to have managed to take them all  ;D).

 

[shorthorns r us]

GOOD pictures are tough and time consuming but invaluable.

 

[red]

I agree w/ Genes on the good pictures. Too many times I have looked through a magizine, web site or sale catalog & shuddered by the bad pictures. Since many times this is your first chance at a good impression you need it to count. You don't need the super dooper fitted job but you sure need them standing right & clean.
Not sure about the RHD, I think her work is some the best as far as getting the point across. Remember the "Red Headed StepChild"?
I think if you have time, some good taste (that might be  subjective), the know how on doing it, you can put together a site of your own. Trouble is sometimes we try to cram too much into a website so that it becomes much like reading a book.

Red

 

[DL]

I agree w/ Genes on the good pictures. Too many times I have looked through a magizine, web site or sale catalog & shuddered by the bad pictures. Since many times this is your first chance at a good impression you need it to count. You don't need the super dooper fitted job but you sure need them standing right & clean.
Not sure about the RHD, I think her work is some the best as far as getting the point across. Remember the "Red Headed StepChild"?

Red

Not that I don't think you are the BEST Red, but Red Headed Step Child was an ad not a web page and certainly wouldn't sell a program (I actually didn't like the ad)

In regards to pictures - sure there are angles that make your cows look weirder than others, but I think a good, unretouched picture of a cow in a pasture (at the right angle etc) tells more about a program than all the black hairy side retouched views.....I guess it depends on the point you are trying to make (are you selling a program or "high dollar show animals", who is your target audience?) and in regards to time to design a web site - it is the idea, the concept - not the physical doing it  that I was talking about - IMHO if you don't have time to create a concept or a philosophy or whatever your web site won't necessarily reflect who you are or what you have to market......

 

[red]

Ah, so true on the Ad! I guess I remember Eastern Sky's site. RHD did it & it certainly reflects Malinda's personality.  I guess it just gets down to whether or not you can design a web page. Many can't & they might as well use someone that does a good job.

I like picture of cattle in the pasture a lot better than those that are all glittered up. but if you have bad or porr pictures you might as well not post them. Once again if you can't do it yourself & many can't, get someone that can do a good job.

Red

When is the next game?

 

[afhm]

In my opinion the ads by the company you mention Red are way to busy.  The animal(s) get(s) lost in all of the corny clip art.  Some flashiness is OK but to me they go way overboard.  What does having a picture of a kid picking his nose have to do with selling semen?  Remember the aged old rule when advertising KISS (keep it simple stupid) get to the point.  Highlight your product not the clipart.  I think a website is the best advertising medium.  Some of the magazines like The Showbox don't come out in time or early enought in the month to do any good.  For example during the Houston Livestock Show there were many boxes of March issue of The Showbox out for people to pick up during the steer show the 1 st week of March yet it didn't come in the mail til the last week of March.  Sure did all of the people that were advertising sales in early to mid March.  Another example the April showbox finally came on the 28th, 3 days later I got my May Show Circuit so I almost got 2 months of Show Circuit before 1 month of The Showbox.  If I had placed an ad in either issue I would have been very upset.

 

[red]

(lol) I do have to agree about the ads. I have to laugh at the amount of work, time & money that goes into a bull ad!
I guess I still like an ad that shows the bull, some offspring, stats, bloodlines, carrier status if needed, & the contact information.

Red

 

[shorthorns r us]

rachel and crew did there job with that add.  whether he replaces heatwave or becomes the next great flop, he has top of mind awareness.  in three years you will still remember that picture, then the bull, then lautner, then another of his bulls, and finally you might just order some lautner semen.

 

[Jill]

100% agree, I love that ad and I don't care who you are or what walk of life you come from each and everyone of us can relate that ad to someone when you see that picture, I will probably never forget that one, it makes me laugh every time I see it.

I don't mean to offend anyone, this is just my opinion and there seems to be a big difference of opinion on this subject.  I would like to go back to the picture thing, I don't agree at all with DLs statement, this is all based on what your market is. 
When I go to a web site, I want to see your program.  If I'm looking for show cattle I want to see what you have for sale now(I don't care what already sold last week), what your past winners were, pictures of your donors up close enough I can see them, and I would like a list of what they have produced.  If I am looking for a bull I want to see where he came from, sire and dam, any test station data on similar bred animals, and ultrasound data is a plus.  When Ali (wasn't called that there, but I can't remember the original name) sold in Denver Cowan's had a picture of the cow he was out of and 3-4 other pictures of progeny that cow had produced, I'm not sure why people are so amazed that he looks this good as a mature bull, the proof was already there the day he was born.  A picture of a cow in the pasture makes for a pretty scenic shot, but it doesn't tell me squat about your program.

Picture no no in my book, don't put up a crappy picture of a 2 week old muddy calf and expect me to be interested in your program.  Every time I flip through a magazine and see one of those I just am amazed that people think that looks good.  That calf may be fabulous, but pictures are not 3 dimensional and what the viewer sees is just a scrawny calf.

 

[DL]

rachel and crew did there job with that add.  whether he replaces heatwave or becomes the next great flop, he has top of mind awareness.  in three years you will still remember that picture, then the bull, then lautner, then another of his bulls, and finally you might just order some lautner semen.

I'm not intending to argue here but I do disagree - and still think it depends on  yout market - show me a snotty nosed kid with his finger up his nose, butt of a bull, no pedigree, no EPDs, no genetic test data - I don't care how cute you may think the kid is - I won't buy that semen.

Re Ali - you would have a pretty good idea what he would look like by knowing his pedigree Energizer out of a Legacy show heifer bred by Hartman.

I agree with Jill about the muddy calf - but disagree about the cows in the field - if I know the pedigree (from the web iste) and get other info from the site (ie BCS, frame score, diet, BW, WW, creep, test data, etc) or a link to the breed site (ie EPDs), a  picture of an individual cow tells me a lot about the breeding program - how the cows look in the "real" world -

a memorable ad doesn't necessarily make for repeat customers. Again I think it depends on your market - if you goal is to sell club calves (or club calf semen) your appeoach should be different than if your goal is to sell breeding stock (or semen)....JMO - worth 2 cents and a cup of coffee in MI