Heather Gorringe - Around the World in 80 Megabytes.

Blogging for Small Business

I am in NYC and yesterday had a conversation with Social Media Enthusiasts (and consultants)  Connie Reece and  Anna Farmery. We were talking about whether or not a small business who only wanted to market locally could benefit from a blog. Here are our conclusions based on running a Fish and Chip shop in the UK:

1: The blog will help your search rankings in google and so if someone wants to know where the nearest or best Fish and Chip shop is when they google it your blog will help get you to the top.

2: If you have particular points that makes your fish and chip shop special your blog is a good way to communicate that added value. For example how fresh is your fish, what oil do you use, where are your potatoes from etc. All these elements are important if you want to communicate why you are in business and share that with your potential customers

3: People move around physically more these days and so in your town the percentage of visitors will probably be higher - your global web presence can access these customers who are looking for that special taste....

4: Your blog is free to set up and run. Provided you have internet access (and if you dont - just get it for the knowledge that is already available online - please) you can set up your blog (which will be your website) free and it takes about 10 minutes to get started.

5: Comments: Encourage your customers to comment on their meal not only to back up your marketing but so that you can find out what is cool (or not) about your product. Ask if in doubt:
Whats the most authentic way of eating your fish and chips - in the paper - on a plate? 
How many calories do we need to run off to offset the meal? !
Which fish is the best? Can I have sustainable fish - should I ask for Pollock?
Which evening is fish and chip night for the family and why..

6: Become a leader in your area. mmmm....a fish and chip shop expert? Why not? If a newspaper or your local radio station wants to talk about fish and chips - where do you think they will start...its google. If you are there and have an authentic voice it will be you they interview.

7: Warning: If you are not operating with good business practises, one where you are willing to share your values and be transparent - best not to talk about it... The only problem with that is that your customers have full access to the web and it may very well be they are already spreading the word about your shop.

Best fish and chips I have ever had? Harveys Fish Bar in Looe in Cornwall. What about you?

On tour again

Yippeeee - one Nuffield Scholar back on the road again. I am in New York City, and really looking forward to two events - Blogher and Blogger Social. I am looking forward to meeting friends that I have met online and new social media enthusiasts. In particular I am looking to hear about any experiences of how rural organisations and communities are using social media to benefit their members.

In the UK as the farming community has declined in numbers a lot of the member organisations are finding it difficult to keep going and their websites do not deliver. Many farmers have yet to see the relevance to their business of web based communication...

and yet

In The Economist
"More than 90% of marketing departments will launch a social media campaign such as a blog in 2008,according to Lewis PR, a United State based global agency. By 2009 two thirds of marketers will set aside up to 25% of their budgets for online social media."

Not one to ignore me thinks.....

Social Media Experiment Number TWO!

We're having lots of fun making the World's first "Social Media" mail order catalogue. If you would like more details you can check out my blog here: www.heathergorringe.com.

and so we move on....

This is lots of fun. Folk from around the world playing a part in our catalogue, our reviews, our product development...

Well....step two

We are now looking for some new designs and slogans for our Wiggly T-Shirts. Something a little bit quirky, maybe a little bit irreverent and definitely fun! Facebook Groupy April has set us on our way and there is a great idea from Pete Galley for a Ricardo poster too but we need MORE!

Can you help us with a witty slogan or design? If so, why not enter it for our Design us a T-Shirt Competition and you could see it on a T-Shirt near you soon.

Each design we use will be attributed to its designer, who will also receive £150 worth of Wiggly Vouchers to spend as they wish. The competiton is open to absolutely any age group.

Your topic should be something appropriate for Wiggly Wigglers, but that doesn't mean you are limited to worms.... certainly not!

You may want to bear in mind the late, great Anita Roddick's advice about T-Shirts for women from episode 56 of the Wiggly Podcast: "any great graphic that goes on the front, in terms of where women's breasts are, just isn't going to work - but it's cool to put it on the back."

Pammie, one of our latest Wiggly Team Members, is waiting to hear from you with your ideas. If you would like to take part, you need to email your entry to [email protected] by Friday 14th December. If your entry can't be sent in a digital format please post it to:
Pam Parry, Wiggly Wigglers, Lower Blakemere Farm, Blakemere, Herefordshire HR2 9PX

Have YOUR say in PRINT

This is your chance to have your say! ~And for me to experiment with all the things I learnt in the US of A with regard to Social Media and Podchef and Pigs!

As you may well of noticed that old Wiggly company is pretty keen on Social Media, and Blogging, and Podcasting, and Twittering, and wotnotiness.

Well, - me dears this ol farm in rural Herefordshire now wants to be the first to put together a conventional paper catalogue using Social Media!

What does that all mean? We want YOU to get involved, write articles, send in photos and drawings, design product if you are in the mood, and we will use these articles and items in our catalogue and on our website.

Whats in it for me? I hear you cry.

Well, one thing is for sure, you must write whatever you like and I certainly wont want to sway that by any attempt at the old bribery...(!) On the other hand I most definitely will not let any contribution used go by without a good old thank you, and a plug for your cause or your blog or whatever it is you want to promote to our 160k readers. I think this is quite an exciting project and so will be wheeling in the full force of the Wiggly media promotion campaign to enthuse about your contributions from all over the world to help to change the way we garden!

If that sounds fair enough to you here is what I am looking for:

1: Perhaps you have experience of a product that Wiggly Wigglers is selling or could sell (our next catalogue aims at The Farmer in You so extends our growing and harvesting range). Can you review that product? Have you got a piccy of you using it?

2: Maybe you would like to write a "How To" For example we would love a "How to Make your own bird seed fat feed" or similar. What about a "How to make a Christmas wreath using native hedging"?

3: Spread this news. Could you blog this idea, or share this with your facebook friends to see if other folk are enthusiastic about making the first ever collaberative Wiggly catalogue, and have some relevant musing to share to encourage folk to find "The Farmer in THEM!!

If you would like anymore guidance - think the idea is a corker, or a rubbish one, let me know what you think. I'll put this up on the facebook discussion section, or you can message me, or email me [email protected].

uk. I dont suppose we'll be able to use every single contribution but we will be doing our best.

Wiggle ON dear groupy

Heather

PS AH HA
The catch:
The deadline for this project is Friday 30th November (sharp intake of breath is audible). Think about it - if I gave you a deadline of next July you'd start the last week in June....you would...you know you would....

Cherie and the Cheriecast

One of the highlights of my life, let alone my Nuffield Scholarship was staying with Cherie in Michigan.
Cherie started her own podcast after her husband was killed last year, the podcast takes a frank look at how life changes after losing a spouse, working when one should be retired, dealing with aging parents and a host of other subjects people face on a daily basis. Its aim is to reach out for people and help people cope and share the experiences. The Cherie life story is pretty traumatic on times but her strength of character is a complete inspiration, along with her sense of humour, and her faith.

After Bob was killed when his truck was hit by a train, Cherie had to continue running the grocery delivery business. However, this is no ordinary veggie box scheme, or mobile grocer. Cherie and Bob built probably the most niche market you can think of in produce.

Cherie supplies produce to the Amish community in Northern Indiana. This business supplies the Amish community exclusively rather than the non Amish. Here is a profile of her niche customer base.

• The Amish appreciate good food and fresh produce rather than the processed food in the supermarket
• The average order value of a drop to an Amish family is probably quadruple what you would expect to deliver on a veggie van here in the UK because they have the skills and enthusiasm (and time) to "can" product - to us in the UK they preserve peaches and make sauces and jams in jars. This saves them a lot of money, in fact we had to source frozen fruit and it was 12 times more expensive than the fresh when it was in season!
• The climate means that the growing season is limited and so extra produce has to be bought in from somewhere and as The Amish rely on horses and a horse practically can only travel a two way 30 mile round trip in a day it makes sense to rely on a delivery van.

Cherie has built her business on personal relationships with folks in a naturally private community. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and the customers have ended up being completely supportive to her on a personal level since Bob died and been patient and adaptable.

Cherie's marketing meets her customers' needs. She provides a simple list and will source product specially. She is welcoming and friendly, efficient and offers advice on what fruit to use for what use. I loved being on the van and the Amish folk were so welcoming.

More about the Amish shortly but in the meantime listen to Cherie telling the World on her podcast how she cleaned the house ready for me to stay !!!! By the way it was immaculate Cherie, I thank you!

The Archers available as a Podcast!

BBC Radio 4 long running radio series The Archers is finally available as a podcast, and has shot to Number Two in the iTunes charts.

Now bearing in mind that The Wiggly Podcast is like The Archers - but real (and funny) and The Archers Podcast is like the Wiggly Podcast (but not real), if you are listening to one you will almost certainly enjoy the other!

If you would like to share your enthusiasm for the Wiggly Podcast - why not mention it in a review on iTunes for the Archers - or email those folks for us and let them know how the shows compare!

Here's our pigs - photo taken by Michael Maloney.

And here is one of Monty's Pigcasts on the podcast - a weekly fact on pigs

Pigs are supposed to be able to smell the wind. So if a pig was seen running around with straw in its mouth, windy weather was thought to be on the way.

 

The Green Governor

Well done to Anne Howe who has become a Green Governor at her local school. And what a great example of Social Media, Real Life and Word of Mouth Marketing taking place. Hope they manage to reduce their waste.

If your school wants to go green you need Ricardo on your Team!

My snapshots (on my mobile) at Benziger Family Winery

Benziger Winery hand pick the grapes; their "farm shop" was something else: the tractor and tram ride was clean (please make notes Farmer Phil...), the scenery was stunning. Benziger Family Winery is about 80 acres in a bowl shape which makes different wine flavours due to the amount of sun and the soil

Stormhoek may be the Winery making best use of Social Media - but for "on the ground" engagement Benziger must be near the top!

There's no doubt about it Stormhoek along with Hugh MacLeod are the leading winery using Social Media to promote their brand. So much so that they are selling wine into Silicon Valley right under the noses of the Californian wineries in Nappa and Sonoma Valleys. However for a case study for "on the ground" marketing and engagement surely near the top of the list must be Benziger. Family Winery.

Benziger. Family Winery. This is a wonderful tag line, and its true. There were seven brothers and sisters involved in this winery. They built and sold the substancial Glen Ellen label, and now have built an extremely impressive winery label - Benziger, that employs around 200 people and has a network of around 40 growers.

There were a few particularly interesting points:

It was one of the few wineries that had a tractor and trailer (tram) ride that was charged for ($10), and yet they were really well booked up. There were 28 seats and they run 10 rides a day. The tour takes 45 minutes. (and this was key to have an enthusiastic interest from the public throughout.)
Our guide was Patrick who told me he loves his job and used to work in a bar. He now loves the scenery and the people. He was a great guide, full of enthusiasm, and very knowledgable. Interestingly he was not the farmer himself but that did not detract in anyway from my enjoyment.

As this is a biodynamic winery (and that is really unusual) I spent some time asking the folks who paid about their motivation to go on the ride.  Many  of the people on the tour remarked that although they were interested in knowing a bit more about "Biodynamic farming" the main motivation seemed to be nostalgia.

"Well my dear I was brought up on a farm and my husband was a dairy farmer. The farm's long gone. It was a hard life..."

"I once drove a plough and harrows like those."

"What a beautiful place to work, I remember visiting a farm..."

I also asked them about choosing a ride that you paid for rather than the free tours that were available on neighbouring farms: "I dont feel I HAVE to buy because I have paid for the tour so there's no pressure"
Of course I tracked this particular customer and she walked out with 2 bottles of wine and spent $65.

I asked the till operator her thoughts on it:

"Most folks come to have a ride - but they really enjoy the biodynamic aspect.",

and Bob one of the extensive team of wine salesman:

"Most folks buy once they've been on the tour and then the tasting" except on the weekend - then many folks just come for the ride."

This was a fantastic study in marketing, and the wine? I dont have much of a clue about wine - except I know what I dont like, but this wine was scrummy....and I bought 6 bottles. Each bottle was more expensive than any other bottle of wine I have bought before. (except champagne in the Ritz when we won Best Small Business in the UK...)

And....it was worth every penny.

Have you ever had a farm tour that was memorable - good or bad?
I'd love to hear your memories.
For the full photo album of Benziger go to my Facebook profile or see the next post full of piccys.

Case Study - Stormhoek and Hugh McLeod

If you are a farmer and in any doubt of the power of blogging and social media you should check out Stormhoek and what Hugh McLeod achieved with the brand. Stormhoek went from being a 50k case winery in 2005 to a targeted 280k cases in 2007 using a budget of £20k.

Watch his presentation here and be prepared to be BLOWN away...(we were pleased to be mentioned on the Web Pitch alongside two of Hugh McLeod's blogs English Cut and Stormhoek)

There are so many great points in here its a "Heather DONT miss" online episode, and by the way this beats Eastenders any day in my book.