February 2024 Farm Marketing News
This month's farm marketing news includes a straightforward explanation of new email rules, plus Shopify updates, and more. Scroll down to meet our newest marketing consultant, Brooklyn!
Want to be the first to find out about the latest in farm marketing news and updates from Grapevine? Sign up for our newsletter!
2024 APPPA conference
Jacy and Brooklyn had a blast at the APPPA conference last month, and especially enjoyed meeting many of you in real life!
Understanding New Email Rules
In case you missed it in previous newsletters, Google and Yahoo’s new requirements for email senders took effect this month. If you don't follow them, you risk customers not receiving your emails.
There are a handful of key rules that apply to farms and others who send marketing emails or transactional, order-related emails:
Custom address: Use a custom email address @ your domain. No more sending from addresses @gmail or @yahoo.
Authentication: Be sure that your custom email address has been set up with authentication (SPF or DKIM).
Spam: Keep your rates of recipient-reported spam very, very low. You can do this by following longtime best practices, including never adding subscribers who have not chosen to opt in for marketing emails.
If you’re a Drip user, you may have been inundated with emails about DMARC. DMARC email authentication is only required for businesses sending more than 5,000 emails a day to Gmail accounts, so it's okay to keep sending emails this month without it. However, it is smart to have in place in order to support email deliverability — the rate at which emails actually reach your customers’ inboxes. So it’s a good idea to configure DMARC when you have a chance. (Read more about ways to land in inboxes.)
Starting in June, Google will also require one-click unsubscribe for marketing emails, but not for transactional emails. This is automatically covered by most major email marketing platforms. (Sending mass emails directly from your email account has been a no-no for a long time, so if you’re still doing that now, this is your sign that it's time to switch to a platform!)
You can see the full list of rules in Google Help.
Need a hand?
If you’re an active Grapevine client, or if you have a bank of pre-paid hours, we can help with technical settings right away.
If we haven’t worked together yet, or if it's been a while, we’ll fit you in as soon as possible within the constraints of the waitlist.
Most email marketing platforms and email providers also offer free support on this!
More Farm Marketing News + Tips
Shopify Updates
Shopify has announced a number of new updates, including:
New checkout design. Shopify says their new one-page design reduces checkout time by 4 seconds. This may support stronger conversion rate (the rate at which web visitors are converted to customers), and has automatically been updated across Shopify websites. Shopify already claims to have higher conversion rates than other e-commerce platforms based on a 2023 study.
Updated POS Terminal. Shopify has released a new payment terminal with full-featured customer display that can support custom images and logos. It also enables email marketing email opt-in and digital receipts.
Automated address validation. Shopify now automatically validates addresses at checkout so you can avoid failed deliveries.
Technical assistance opportunities to expand SNAP Online and SNAP Match
Learn more about technical assistance opportunities to expand SNAP Online and SNAP Match with online merchants in your community. Join Local Food Marketplace on March 5th as they share how LFM and Forage have teamed up to support eligible SNAP merchants accept SNAP Online on LFM. Register online.
VAPG Application Period is Open
In case you missed it, the Value-added Producer Grant (VAPG) application period is officially open for the 2023-2024 season. We've seen this grant be a game-changer for many of the farms we work with!
Explore grant resources on our website: learn about the basics, find a grant writing consultant, and request a VAPG marketing plan or free letter of support.
What We've Been Up To
Custom Shopify Website
We collaborated closely with Abby from Apple Creek Farm in to design a new e-commerce website. The new site features custom design, a recipe section, farm news and events, and thoughtful product configuration. Check it out!
Food Hub Logo
We recently designed an enamel-pin inspired logo for Central Coast Food Web, a food hub located in Oregon. Take a look!
Custom Wordpress Website
Our team collaborated with Indiana State Nutrition Action Committee (SNAC) to build a custom website with robust calendar and resources for the community as well as info for partners. Take a peek!
“Thank you all so much. We really love it and we appreciate you and your team's hard work. It has been an absolute pleasure building this website with you and improving how we communicate about our group’s goal and purpose. I feel like it is user friendly and easy to read. People love the look of it and how it is laid out :)”
— Julia Brunnemer, Indiana SNAC
Want to Work With Us?
Our waitlist currently stretches into May for many types of projects, including marketing strategy, advertising, SEO, email/SMS automations, and e-commerce websites.
To get started, you can download our latest pricing guide, which also includes a link to schedule a call.
Meet Brooklyn!
Give Brooklyn a warm welcome! As our newest Marketing Consultant, she focuses on supporting our clients with marketing strategy, e-commerce websites, email marketing, digital ads, and more!
📍Where are you located? Sunny San Diego, California
✨What’s your favorite thing about working for Grapevine? Working with an incredible team and all of our amazing clients! Everyone at Grapevine is so talented and I really enjoy getting to know producers from all over who are doing such vital work for people and planet!
📈What were you doing prior to working at Grapevine? I worked at a small regenerative organic farm where I managed their CSA and e-commerce sales.
🍓What are your favorite fruits and veggies of each season? Working at farms has spoiled me with the privilege and delight of eating seasonally! In the springtime I love eating sugar snap peas and strawberries, in the summer months you can find me eating stone fruit, berries, and heirloom tomatoes, in autumn I love apples, persimmons, and kabocha squash, and in the winter I enjoy mandarins and kale!
⚽ What do you like to do in your free time? I love baking, hiking and camping with my husband, gardening, reading, exploring new restaurants and cafes, and spending time with loved ones! I'm passionate about local food, sustainability, health and wellness, natural childbirth, and indigenous knowledge!
✨ If you could travel to one place in the world right now, where would it be and why? Japan! My husband was born and raised there, but I've never been. I'm fascinated by Japanese culture!
📚 What was the last good podcast you listened to? My favorite podcast right now is called Chews Wisely by Caroline Nelson of Little Creek Lamb & Beef.
🍽️ Who would be your ideal dinner guest? My great-grandparents who emigrated from Syria; I never got to meet them.
✨ What’s your favorite holiday? Christmas!
More Local Food Marketing Resources
