How To Boost CSA Engagement – and Grow Revenue with One Recurring Email

New LFM Feature: automatically generate a “What’s in the Box” Email.

Effective communication with your farm share customers is key to keeping them coming back season after season. Do you keep your customers in the loop after they sign up for your shares?

If you aren’t already sending a “What’s in the Box” email—start now. Not only does this email let your customers know what to expect in their upcoming share, it’s also an opportunity for you to build engagement and grow revenue.

To help our customers save time in their busiest seasons, Local Food Marketplace has recently added a feature that automates this process. Customers licensing the subscription module can schedule an email that will generate and send this email for all customers and share types. Interested in licensing the subscriptions module? Contact us today!

What’s a “What’s in the Box” Email?

A few days before farm shares are ready for pickup or delivery, send out an email that lets them know what local products you’ll include in their “box” this week.

Sending a “What’s in the Box” message before each share reminds customers to confirm their orders and to pickup their shares. Consistent emails also help further establish your organization as an exciting part of their weekly or monthly routine. Many shoppers look out for this email before planning meals for the week! The more that customers engage with your products in this way, the more likely they’ll be to sign up next season.

Combine this email with other materials that set CSA customers up for success. For example, post recipes on your website so that shoppers can get ideas for what to do with the food they order from you!

Customizable Farm Shares

If you offer customizable farm shares, use this email to remind members to make their final product selections. The “What’s in the Box” email should include a list of substitution options, and a link back to your storefront to customize their farm share.

By bringing customers back to your online storefront to customize their shares, not only will they be happier with the final contents of their box, they’ll also be more likely to add more items to their order.

Customers appreciate flexibility to accommodate their preferences, as well as transparency and communication through this consistent email.

Local Food Marketplace believes that transparency with your customer is key. That’s why we’re helping to streamline your process with automated emails. To learn more about how LFM’s software can grow your business, schedule a demo today.

 

Increasing CSA Engagement

To recap, here’s how sending a “What’s in the Box” email can help keep your CSA members engaged:

• • Drum up excitement for their upcoming farm share
  • Encourage members to visit you site – and add more products to their order
  • Establish communication from your farm as a consistent (and exciting!) part of their weekly routine

Looking for more ways to grow your business and save time? Check out some free resources for farmers and food hubs:

• • • Read about how LFM helps one food hub work with over 50 producers:
      • “What helps is that LFM is organized in a way that as producers, we list inventory ourselves, set prices, and describe our own products. We maintain the transparency of sourcing—you can see where every product comes from and customers value that.” –Kate Donald, Stout Oak Farm
    • Looking to save time? Here’s how to gain 20 hours a week.
    • Check out our free Guide to CSA Retention
    • Want to keep up with all things Local Food Marketplace? Join our email list!