Bull Advertising

     How many breeders need a bull the first time they see your advertisement?

     Bull buying decisions, like farm trucks, farm equipment and the like are major purchases and seldom made on impulse. This type of buying decisions are arrived at months or years in advance of the actual purchase. Breeders who do not understand or accept this can make costly advertising mistakes.

     Your potential bull customers will start planning purchases when their first calves are born and continue it through and past weaning. Think of your own situation! Do you start planning your breeding program for the following year almost from the time your cows are bred? The chance of an advertiser changing your mind at the last minute is remote.

     Are you one of those many livestock advertisers still clinging to the belief that your advertising should work like grocery store advertising? Run an ad today, expect results tomorrow! Remember grocery and department stores stock thousands of items that are purchased regularly. When retail stores advertise specials in the daily newspaper their main goal is to get customers into the store with the hope that they will buy additional goods, or at least find that the store is a good place to shop.

     All you have to sell is cattle, and only a small number at that. Not wise to offer bulls at below cost to create traffic to your farm or ranch. Good advertising needs to build awareness by making favorable and lasting impressions on potential customers. All the while keeping in mind that even the most memorable advertising impressions fade with time. That is why advertising frequency is so important in selling seedstock bulls. Before your potential customers forget, hit them with another impression and be sure it builds upon the last one.

     Remember in most cases from first impression (ad) to an actual purchase of a bull, your customer's buying cycle is measured in months or years, not days or weeks. Make sure your advertising schedule takes this into account.