(This is the second of 5 principles of farm web marketing that I've developed over years of working with farmers. Read more about the principles here.)

You have a farm website! Great! Now what?

No existing or potential customers will ever find your site unless you tell them about it. Compelling content and beautiful design will only get you so far: you need visitors.

This is an on-going process, but some basic ideas include:

• Put a link to your website in the footer of all farm emails. That means every email you send contains a link to your website and is a constant source of promotion. List your farm in online farm directories like Local Harvest, Eat Wild, or the many local directories that state agricultural associations have set up.
• Mailing list
• Business Cards
• Website flyer at farmers markets

Try to get feedback on how new customers found you: this will give you encouragement that you are doing the right kinds of promotion or it will give you ideas of new avenues to explore.

Be creative and remember to be yourself while you do it!

We recommend carving a morning or afternoon out of your busy schedule as dedicated marketing time. Maybe it is Tuesday morning: write & send the newsletter, post to the blog, update the website, or create new relationships with people that may be able to connect folks to the farm. If time is not set aside, it will get consumed with the day-to-day work of farming. There will always be a semi-crisis on the farm and if those every day crises are allowed to distract from marketing, the long term investment of promoting the farm will never happen!

This is one of truths of web marketing and probably any kind of marketing: promotion is not a mad dash to the finish line. It is a long-term habit that you cultivate -- the benefits will accrue over time and, if you do it effectively and consistently, one day everyone will know about your farm!

Read all 5 principles of farm web marketing