EFFECTIVE MARKETING PRACTISES FOR NIGERIAN POULTRY FARMERS
After the initial planning stage, once business plans have been written, feasibility studies have been condicted, and of course, prospective customers have been identified, the next crucial step for you as a new poultry farmer apart from executing your plans, is to sustain and grow your poultry business. This post will guide you through the best marketing strategies to achieve this.
Poultry farming is quite common in Nigeria. It is not merely about growing birds and picking eggs. Have you wondered where your customers will come from? Or the best ways to expand beyond your immediate circle of family, friends, and acquaintances? Perhaps you haven’t even thought about how people who do not know about your poultry farm will hear of it. The answer to lies in strategic marketing! Your marketing strategy should have been developed even before production begins!
When marketing poultry products, it is most essential to keep your options open and explore different strategies to see what works best for you. Here are the most proven methods that are common used by Nigerian poultry farmers:
- Social media platforms
Many Nigerian poultry farmers have turned to social media platforms, especially Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram to market their poultry products. Among these,, Facebook has been proven time and time again to be the cheapest and most effective. It is common to find groups and pages on Facebook run by poultry farmers whose aim is to attract a large number of followers, some of whom will hopefully become retailers and wholesalers of their poultry products. Towards achieving this goal, the owners of these pages make irresistible offers to their potential retailers and wholesalers. Examples of these offers may include provision of promotional media materials (pictures, videos, flyers, and captions) for retailers to use on their own social media, free educational classes on poultry farming, or a promise of a consistent supply of fresh produce.
- Leveraging personal relationships
Nigerians are known for their social nature. Word of mouth alone is enough to make a startup poultry farm a big deal in its immediate area. So, leverage the relationship you have with your family members, friends, neighbours, your favourite local sellers, your church, and your virtual community. Find a way to talk about your poultry farm, no matter where you are. People have been proven to trust word-of-mouth even more than marketing ads. According to Nielsen, the percentage of people that trust word of mouth referrals is 92%. Therefore, ensure that your poultry farm produce is fresh and healthy. Always deliver fresh eggs, and neat healthy chickens. This will win the hearts of prospects and encourage them to buy from you. From there, they proudly show off their purchase to their network, thereby achieving word-of-mouth marketing!
- Brand recognition and Packaging
Besides its fundamental purpose of providing protection and safely ensconcing your farm products (especially eggs, feed, and supplements), packaging also plays a vital role in promoting your brand identity. Everything about your package matters: the colour of the package container, it’s eco-friendliness, and its durability. but what is most important is your package’s ability to identify your brand to prospective customers.
Packaging and brand recognition go hand-in-hand. Your packaging should have unique features that are easily recognisable, and can quickly become attributed to your brand. Your packaging should also provide additional information about its contents. The more unique and informative your packaging is, the more your brand stands out. Imagine a reusable package for eggs that includes information on all the various meals eggs can be used for, and their nutritional information. People may buy from you just to own and show off your unique package to their friends! Sales and brand recognition achieved!
- Transparency and traceability
According to Forbes, “Transparency highlights the great work you do, while producing credibility for your practice”. People like to know the origin of their products, so make sure your poultry farm is traceable and accessible to customers. This way, people can be assured of the quality and safety of what they are consuming. After all, seeing is believing.
A good reputation builds trust, and strengthens loyalty. If you are primarily using word-of-mouth marketing, consider sharing not only your successes, but also the challenges you’ve faced and how you overcame them. Make your customers feel safe in your honesty, and they will stick by you, and tell others about your products!
Around 42% of Nigeria’s population are directly or indirectly involved in poultry farming, and the numbers are sure to increase as the years go by. Effective marketing is essential for the growth and sustainability of your poultry farm. Therefore, leverage social media, personal relationships, packaging and brand identity, and maintain transparency to reach a wider audience, and establish a loyal customer base. Once you implement these strategies and more, your poultry business will thrive regardless of it’s competition!
