I need some fresh ideas for market promotions. Do you have any suggestions?
Do you have any ideas for educational sessions?
Do you have any ideas for fundraisers?
I need help with advertising. Do you have any suggestions that are low cost?
I have never written a press release. Do you have some suggestions as to how to go about writing one and getting it published?
I need some fresh ideas for market promotions. Do you have any suggestions?
Hold cooking demonstrations: soup, stir fry, hot apple cider with spices, or grilling. Local community, state or private colleges may have culinary programs where students are willing to practice their skills at the market.
Start a guest chef program using local restaurant talent or cookbook authors. Have a book signing for the authors. If you have a local bookstore, ask them to co-sponsor the event.
Promote health programs such as 5-a-day.
Promote awareness days such as Earth Day.
How about red, white and blueberries for the Fourth of July?
In the fall there are autumn and pumpkin festivals, add a scarecrow contest.
Have the same special event, the same day once a month. Art at the Market on the 1st Saturday, Bluegrass Jam on the 2nd Saturday or a Bake Sale on the 3rd Saturday.
Do you have any ideas for educational sessions?
Hold Project Fresh education sessions and coupon distribution at the market.
Have a Master Gardener information booth with mini-workshop sessions.
Hold mini markets at a school or church.
Do you have any ideas for fundraisers?
Hold raffles for a market basket or maybe you can get a handmade quilt donated. Use the filled out raffle cards for a mailing list.
Have a bake sale table once a month.
Have a market hospitality booth with newsletters, coffee and a donation basket.
I need help with advertising. Do you have any suggestions that are low cost?
Run a small column in the paper every week listing what’s in season at the market and promoting any events.
Write guest columns in the off season discussing why purchasing locally produced food and produce is beneficial to the economy as well as peoples health.
Adopt a local TV or radio station as the markets “voice” and have them broadcast the demonstrations or other events “Live from the market”.
Web sites are usually inexpensive or free forms of advertising. But remember to keep the information current. It is very easy to forget that the information is out there and bad information can make a very unhappy customer.
I have never written a press release. Do you have some suggestions as to how to go about writing one and getting it published?
Write the release not only for the public but for the writer or editor who will receive your release. If it is intriguing, you may get contacted for a feature story.
When should you send a press release? Send it for any unique event at the market - the market is opening or closing for the season; the market won an award; the market is offering classes or workshops; a festival will be held; ideas on how to use fresh produce offered at the market; a new, unique vendor offering. Make sure you give a few weeks lead time for events.
Format: lead with the basics, throw in a few facts and put the least important information at the end in case it gets cut off. Always include a title for the author, market location, date and time of operation and a phone number. Include a picture if you can, with a caption.
Send the release to everyone! TV, Radio, local newspapers, don’t forget the monthly shopping guides and free newspapers. Determine their preferred method for receiving the release: e-mail, fax or surface mail. You may want to send to multiple people at the same media outlet: news editor, food editor and community news editor for example.
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