Marketing is a lot of things, but confusing doesn’t need to be one of them.
If you sell to farmers, you’re probably hearing more about leads, landing pages, CTAs, and SEO than ever before. But what do all those marketing terms mean?
We work with ag input companies every day; equipment dealers, manufacturers, seed dealers, fertilizer suppliers, and we know you’re not interested in theory. You want results, and you don’t have time to decode jargon.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common marketing terms, explained in language that makes sense for people who don’t work in marketing.
1. Lead
A lead is a potential customer. Someone who downloaded a soil health guide, filled out a contact form, or called asking about bulk pricing. They’re interested. They’re not sold yet. But they’re in the pipeline.
2. Landing Page
This is a focused web page built for one job: collect a lead. Think of it like a clean sell sheet that lives online. No menu. No clutter. Just one product, one message, and a form or button to take action.
3. Call to Action (CTA)
A CTA tells your customer what to do next:
- “Request a Quote”
- “Find a Rep”
- “See Pricing”
It’s the digital version of, “You want to try it on your beans this season?”
4. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is what helps your business show up when farmers Google:
- “Soybean inoculant near me”
- “Starter fertilizer for sandy soils”
- “Biologicals that work in no-till”
If your site isn’t showing up, you’re losing free traffic.
5. PPC (Pay-Per-Click Advertising)
This is paid advertising on Google or social platforms. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Think of it like a trade show booth. You pay for the right audience to see you, and then you wait for the walk-ups.
6. Impressions
This is how many times your ad or post was seen. It doesn’t mean they clicked. It just means it appeared in front of them, like seeing your logo at a field day.
7. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR tells you how many people actually clicked after seeing your ad or post. If 1,000 farmers saw it and 50 clicked, that’s a 5% CTR. It’s one of the best ways to measure if your messaging is working.
8. Organic vs. Paid Traffic
- Organic = You earned it. Farmer searched and found you naturally through Google or social.
- Paid = You paid for the click through an ad.
Both matter. One is slow but builds long-term value. The other is fast but costs money every time.
9. Conversion
A conversion is when someone does what you wanted:
- Fills out a form
- Subscribes to your email list
- Downloads your trial guide
Conversions are how you turn interest into opportunity.
10. Funnel
This is the path farmers take from hearing about your product to actually using it:
- Awareness – they see an ad or read a blog
- Interest – they visit your site
- Decision – they call, message, or buy
11. Local SEO
If you serve specific counties or regions, your business should show up when farmers near you search:
“Where can I buy foliar nitrogen in [my town]?”
Local SEO helps your Google Business listing show up on the map with accurate info, reviews, and directions.
12. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
A CRM helps you track all the contacts, conversations, and follow-ups with growers and dealers. No more sticky notes or guessing who you talked to. It’s a digital notebook with lead tracking.
13. Bounce Rate
This means someone visited your site and left right away. High bounce rates usually mean your site was slow, confusing, or didn’t answer what they were looking for. It’s like someone walking into your office and turning around.
14. Mobile Optimization
Most farmers are on their phones. If your site doesn’t work well on mobile, you’re missing a huge chunk of your audience. It needs to load fast, look clean, and be easy to click—even with dirty gloves.
15. Back-links
These are links from other websites pointing to yours. If a trusted ag blog, dealer site, or industry partner links to your page, it signals authority to Google—and helps boost your rankings.
16. Blog Content
Blog posts answer real farmer questions:
- “What’s the best biological for compacted soils?”
- “How do I time nitrogen in a dry spring?”
When your content answers those questions, Google sends traffic your way. Blog content builds trust and visibility, without running another ad.
17. Email Marketing
Email is still one of the best ways to stay in front of farmers. Short updates, trial data, or a seasonal reminder can turn a past customer into a current one.
18. Analytics
This is how you track what’s working. Which pages got the most clicks? Which ads turned into leads? It’s like a yield map, but for your marketing.
19. Schema Markup
This helps Google better understand your site. It tells search engines:
- This is a business
- This is a product
- This is our location
Adding schema helps your search listings show more details, like ratings, hours, and contact info.
20. Engagement
On social media, engagement is everything. Likes, shares, comments, saves; these tell the algorithm that people care. The more they engage, the more visibility you get. It’s not just about going viral, it’s about being relevant.
You Don’t Need to Be a Marketer
You need a partner who can explain the digital world in plain language and help you use it to grow your business. At Fastline Marketing Group, we help ag input companies get real results from SEO, social, email, and advertising.
You don’t have to learn the lingo. You just need someone who speaks ag and marketing.
Want help?
Let’s talk.
