Agriculture marketing playbook and strategies to increase sales

Key takeaways

• Farm buyers research for weeks or months and involve owners, managers, agronomists and accountants, so marketing has to serve every stage and every decision-maker.
• Online buying is growing: USDA reports that half of U.S. farms bought agricultural inputs online in 2025, up 18% from 2023, and 85% have internet access.
• Equipment demand is soft, with AEM data showing 2025 U.S. tractor sales down 10% and combine sales down 36%, which raises the value of proof, financing clarity and service messaging.
• Search, YouTube demos, trade publications, detailed product pages and published field data build trust before the first sales call.
• Trade shows, dealer support programs and tracking cost per sale and lifetime value turn marketing into measurable growth.

Agricultural equipment and product companies sell to informed buyers making large investments, where relationships drive repeat business. Whether you sell tractors, irrigation systems, crop protection, seed, fertilizer or precision ag technology, your marketing should follow how these buyers decide. This playbook explains what works, why, and how to build a program that grows sales.

What does each step of the agricultural buyer’s purchasing process look like?

The agricultural buying process moves from identifying a need through research, shortlisting, purchase terms and post-sale support, usually over weeks or months. A grower considering a new planting system or a fleet manager replacing equipment reads specs, studies field reports, talks with other operators and reviews financing before calling a dealer.

Several people weigh in. Choosing a combine or precision ag software can involve the farm owner, operations manager, agronomist and accountant, so marketing has to answer each person’s questions.

Buyers also research online more than ever. The USDA’s August 2025 Technology Use report found that 85% of U.S. farms have internet access, 82% have a smartphone and 50% bought agricultural inputs online in 2025, an 18% increase from 2023.

Five stages buyers move through:

• Need. Replacing equipment, raising yields, cutting input costs or meeting new regulations. Content at this stage should connect your product to the problem.
• Research. Buyers compare specs, brands and reviews. Product pages, downloadable spec sheets and third-party reviews shape opinions before contact.
• Shortlist. Buyers request demos, visits or sales conversations. Case studies, performance data and reliability evidence persuade here.
• Purchase terms. Financing, dealer support, parts and service often decide the sale. Clear ownership cost and support information speeds decisions.
• Ownership. Training, service reminders and email keep your brand in mind for the next purchase and referrals.

What makes an agricultural brand stand out to equipment and product buyers?

An agricultural brand stands out by proving reliability, parts and service coverage, real-world results, technical expertise and the right certifications. Buyers are risk-averse and need confidence your brand will support them during planting and harvest, when downtime costs the most.

Competition is crowded, with major manufacturers, regional dealers, specialty suppliers and ag tech companies chasing the same buyers. Demand is also under pressure: the Association of Equipment Manufacturers reported that U.S. tractor sales fell 10% in 2025 and combine sales fell 36%, as tight margins and high interest rates delayed purchases. In a slower market, buyers scrutinize every claim.

Five brand elements equipment buyers weigh:

• Reliability evidence. Publish uptime figures, warranty terms and mean time between failures, not general promises.
• Service and parts coverage. Present your dealer network, response times and parts inventory as selling points.
• Operator results in similar conditions. Testimonials with fuel savings, yield gains or hours saved carry more weight than company claims.
• Category expertise. Technical guides and data show your team understands agronomy and operations.
• Visible certifications. EPA registration, OMRI listing for organic inputs and CE marking for export markets should be easy to find on product pages.

Which digital channels reach agricultural buyers most effectively?

SEO, Google Ads with remarketing, YouTube, LinkedIn, trade publication websites and email reach agricultural buyers most effectively because buyers use them at each research stage before contacting sales. The right mix depends on your products and customers, but these channels work for most companies in the sector.

Six channels for agriculture companies:

At Emulent, we often see equipment companies underinvest in YouTube while competitors build libraries of field demonstration videos that rank in search for years.

How does content marketing build authority and speed up buying decisions?

Content marketing builds authority by answering buyers’ technical questions in specific, real-world terms, which lets your sales team spend time closing rather than educating. Generic descriptions don’t set you apart; detailed guides, performance data and maintenance advice do.

Five content types that perform well:

• Detailed product pages. Go beyond the spec sheet with application notes, compatible accessories, operating ranges and links to technical documents. Thin pages send buyers elsewhere.
• Application guides. Choosing nozzle types for herbicide application, sizing a pivot system or selecting planter setups for different soils makes your brand a reference and ranks for question-based searches.
• Honest comparisons. Comparisons against competing products or between configurations in your line build credibility and keep evaluators on your site.
• Maintenance and service content. Service interval checklists and troubleshooting guides help current customers and show prospects what support looks like.
• Field data and trial results. Publish university trials, independent studies and controlled comparisons. Agricultural buyers know how to read agronomic data, and showing it signals confidence in your claims.

Our content strategy team helps agriculture companies plan this kind of library.

What role do trade shows and in-person events play in agriculture marketing?

Trade shows and in-person events remain one of the strongest sales channels in agriculture because they put target buyers in front of working products. Events such as the Farm Progress Show, Commodity Classic, World Ag Expo and dealer open houses pay off when you plan the work before, during and after the show.

Five ways to get more from trade shows:

• Pre-show promotion. Use email, social media and ads to announce your booth and featured products, and book meetings in advance so booth time goes to qualified buyers.
• Live demonstrations. Show equipment operating in a field setting or a working model at the booth. Buyers respond to seeing it run.
• Lead capture with notes. Record which products each visitor asked about so follow-up addresses their question rather than repeating a generic newsletter.
• Dealer and distributor meetings. Schedule time with channel partners to review sales, introduce products and resolve support or inventory issues.
• Follow-up within 48 hours. Have email and phone sequences ready before the show closes. Interest fades quickly after the event.

How do dealer and distributor relationships affect your marketing strategy?

Dealer and distributor relationships shape your marketing because you have to win over channel partners and end buyers at the same time. Dealers carry competing lines and focus on what’s easiest and most profitable to sell, so co-marketing, sales tools, training and lead generation earn your products more of their attention.

Five ways to strengthen dealer performance:

• Co-op advertising. Return a share of purchase volume as co-op funds for local radio, print, digital or events that feature your brand.
• Sales tools. Current brochures, comparison guides, ROI calculators and spec documents help dealer sales teams explain your value consistently.
• Dealer locator and lead routing. Make it easy to find the nearest dealer and route web inquiries quickly. Slow routing wastes leads your marketing already earned.
• Product training. Online modules, in-person clinics and certification help dealers sell confidently and answer questions without escalating.
• Territory demand generation. Digital campaigns, trade placements and targeted social ads in dealer markets send informed buyers through their doors.

How do you measure whether your agriculture marketing is producing results?

Measure agriculture marketing by tracking traffic by source, lead volume and quality by channel, cost per lead and per sale, dealer sell-through and customer lifetime value. These figures show where to invest next and make the case for a larger budget.

Five measures to track:

• Traffic by source. Know whether visitors come from organic search, ads, email, social or trade publication referrals.
• Lead volume and quality by channel. A channel producing many weak leads may be worth less than one producing fewer qualified contacts.
• Cost per lead and per sale. These give a fair basis for comparing channels.
• Dealer sell-through. Slow movement off dealer lots compared with competing lines points to a positioning or support problem.
• Customer lifetime value. Parts, service agreements, upgrades and replacements add up. Knowing the full value of a customer tells you how much you can spend to win one.

How can Emulent help you increase agriculture sales?

Emulent helps agriculture companies build marketing programs that match how buyers research and purchase, covering SEO, content, trade show campaigns, dealer support and digital advertising. Companies that combine digital presence, content, partner support and lead generation usually outperform those relying only on relationships and shows.

Relationships still count, and in a down equipment cycle no campaign will make a buyer replace a machine they can keep running. Marketing’s job is to make sure your brand is the one they call when they’re ready. Contact Emulent to build or strengthen your agriculture marketing program.