Mary Perry: Brand vs. dealer in machinery marketing

From a John Deere placement to running her own agency working across manufacturers and dealers, Mary Perry has spent her career inside the machinery industry's trickiest relationship. We talk through her journey into ag marketing, and dig into the real tension between brand and dealer identity and how to balance the two!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Hello and welcome to the AgriWorks Podcast. We are here at what is a slightly windy cereals and I am joined by the lovely Mary. So I'm gonna hand straight over to you for an introduction. Can you just give me a bit of a whistle stop to your background and what you do?

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Yeah, so um my background is farming. I grew up um sort of family farming and then went to Harper, um started working in agricultural machinery, um, part of my placement, and then kind of naturally fell into that world. Um, and so uh yeah, ever since I sort of graduated from university, I've kind of started sort of well working with machinery really, um, and I then decided to then go out on my own and set up my own business, which is now six and a half years ago. Um, so um yeah, I now work with probably just over 10 clients um across the UK and Ireland, um, just doing uh marketing for yeah, agricultural machinery dealers and a few manufacturers as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Okay, let's start with that sort of difference between working in-house for a machinery company, Rand, because you've worked with some interesting ones. Yeah. Um, versus doing it sort of on the outside as such.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

It's very it's very different because obviously you're not working with one person, so it's very hard to manage expectations because I'm working with lots of different clients, as a freelance person would be. Um, so um it's it's quite different because I'm working with a multitude of brands, um, agricultural, ground care, you know. So it's it's quite hard because you've still got to keep everyone happy from a dealer perspective, you've got to keep a lot of manufacturers happy. From the manufacturer perspective, you've got to make sure the dealers are doing the right things to abide by their standards and stuff like that. So um I think my my sort of angle and my unique sort of, well, part of what I do is the fact that I have worked in those businesses. So I feel like I do understand it from the point of view of what the manufacturer needs and wants, but also I'm very passionate about the identity of the dealer and how important that is. Um, you know, I really believe that the local dealer should not be known as the John Deere dealer or the class dealer, they should be known as who they are in their own right because you know that's who the customer comes back to time and time again. So I'm extremely passionate about dealer identity, and so um I do love working, working with the dealers, but yeah, it's it's a juggle.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

I'm going to go in two different directions, but we're going to start with the dealer side because I think that's a really interesting point in that having their own that sort of idea of having their own identity, because you're right, there is such a tie-in with the brands that they sell. Yeah. Have you found going into any of those dealerships that you're kind of having to push that, or is it something they already want to do and you're just helping?

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Yeah, I think um they all I always say all the manufacturers want a piece of the pie. So um it's quite difficult sometimes, you know, some some dealers will have five manufacturers, some will have ten, and so it's quite difficult to sort of um, you know, that they they're saying to me, Mary, so-and-so wants us to do this, so-and-so wants us to do that. So I'm trying to to satisfy that. Um, but I'm trying to also make them, like kind of what you said really, is believe that how important it is that they should be pushing their own brand as awareness and and and just kind of making sure that when they're out and about um that that people know that all these brands come under the dealer, um, because like I said, you know, they might change brands tomorrow. Um, but it's the dealer brand that the customer keeps coming back to. Um, you know, I always say that the customer's not ringing up uh the manufacturer on a Sunday morning when their scraper tractor's gone down, they're ringing the local dealer. So um that's why I think you know that they the dealers I work with specifically have definitely become more aware of that, and I think they appreciate me coming in and kind of championing them as a brand as well.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Yeah, and really pushing their own voice within what is quite a lot of these brands, quite big voices kind of coming coming on top of them. What does so if we look at a relationship that you have with one of the dealers, what kind of work are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Um it can range, so a lot of people are asking for social media um because you know we know how big that is and we do see results from it. Um so um predominantly a lot of people want me to just manage their social media, they don't want to have to worry about it, and and from so a lot of manufacturers do ask um dealers to post certain content, so that would be me ensuring that that goes out and the right times and collaborating and campaigns and stuff, but then also from a from a you know content perspective of their own content um and the the dealer actually doing their own stuff, and I would also do that. So I'd go out and do content days with them to try and get a bank of content, um, and then hopefully that would last us a good, you know, a good couple of months. Um, and then um I also do a lot of like website maintenance for them, ensuring that everything's kept up to date, um, news and stuff, and because trying to ensure that they understand how important it is to keep the website up to date, you know, news from the manufacturers, news from them. Because I think dealers are really bad at shouting about their own wins. I mean, we all are, but you know, it's like it in just general. I think in general, we're not great, are we? So I think um I'm always like, no, we need let's get that on the news section, you know, because it's it's all helps in terms of that whole brand perspective. Um, so yeah, um, social media website maintenance. I do um a bit of design for the dealers as well. So I've just recently done a like a 20-page brochure for show season for one of my dealers. Um and then in general, just you know, like for someone um like a manufacturer like Doys Far, um be working with them quite closely, um, you know, in terms of campaigns and what they're trying to, you know, wanting to push out and stuff in terms of a PR perspective. So, so but kind of very vast, you know. I get calls all the time like, what do you think of this? And I'm like, oh gosh, you know, and so it's very um it's very vast, but I I love that because I feel like they put a lot of trust into me. Um, and you know, I hope I'm doing a good job of it.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

From the outside, you are that's great what goes on. Um and you're at events a lot like today.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

What's what's key from a machinery perspective in terms of that content capture whilst you're at when you're at an event, you've got to utilize the fact that you've probably got staff from all over the place in one place at one time. So, like today we've done um we've done content that we can use in a couple of weeks' time, a couple of months' time, that doesn't reference the show, that you know, doesn't so so that we can you know build batch cook, you know, a bit of content, um which will always helps. Um, but I think as well, like just in general, like being on the stand, getting stories out there on social media, making sure that you know you're showing customers that you're here. And I think as well, again, it comes back to this whole identity thing. It's it's there's real people behind this brand, they're on the stand, you can chat to them. Um, and I think that's really, really important. So, um, so just you know, communicating that really. Like we've had the the business owner chatting, saying, you know, come to our stand and stuff like that, and just so that people know that there is actually recognizable faces. And sometimes I think a lot of people get nervous to walk on a show stand, and so they might have it's an icebreaker to go, oh, I saw your video this morning on Facebook, and I just wanted to come and see. I didn't know you had that on the stand.

SPEAKER_01 7:36

Doesn't matter how many shows like this you wander around, if you get to a stand, there is that initial like absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

I'm still like I was a stand when I I know loads of people on it, and I was like, Oh, I don't know if I want to go. Like it's still it you still get that that sort of I don't know what the feeling is. I don't know what makes you hesitate. I'm glad it's not just me.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

No, not at all. I've spent most of the day doing it. Okay, um, but that putting faces to names, especially when it comes to the dealers, where as you say, they are the phone call that's made by customers when something's gone wrong or where they want advice or to get something new, yeah. To be able to have somebody answer the phone and say, ah, I've I've seen you at a show or I've seen you on socials, I think makes definitely.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

And I think, like from a manufacturer perspective, I'm working with two two global manufacturers on a UK level, and you know, we've massively seen the value in showing them as real people. Um, because as much as you want you need to be corporate to a degree, I think we're living in a w a world very digitally now where people need to see that there is a face behind a brand because we don't see that a lot. You know, when you want to call someone about your fridge, like you don't you speak to a robot or you speak to you know, so it's I think people crave that human interaction, and so I think to showcase that there is people behind the brand, even if it is a manufacturer, is really important.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

It's a really interesting concept that I was speaking to somebody else about, where you watch other industries um in terms of how they're building this sort of community that everyone keeps talking about, and everything is digital, and it's how do we turn this this into like an actual community and events coming in, and in agriculture we've kind of got it the other way around. Massively. Events like this are so yeah, and still important in the way. Absolutely. You see so many people you know, you sort of smile and wave and chat to everyone as you're going past. Yeah, we kind of then need to convert that definitely into something that's slightly more got more touch points.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Yeah, exactly. And you know, we know that the average age of a farmer is still, you know, 50s, 60s, so we've got to ensure that we still have those touch points. Um, and I think as well, like agriculture is still very much a people buy from people industry. Um, so okay, gone maybe are the days where you'd sell something off the stand, but having that awareness of your brand at a show for the farming community is still definitely important.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

And as much as, and I'm somebody that says it a lot that farms are sceptical when it comes to buying new things and new products, and they want to know what's going on and all the ins and outs of it. Purchasing decisions is still quite an emotionally driven, and a lot of that comes from the relationships that you've built with a dealer or with the person sometimes in that um dealership. Have you seen any change sort of over the six years that you've been freelance in how people are approaching buying what is quite expensive?

SPEAKER_00 10:31

Yeah, I definitely think you're right. I think, and sometimes you have to remember that some relationships will take years. Um, you know, like it's especially a big ticket item like a large horsepower tractor or something, you know, it it will it could take a couple of years, but I think as well that is the uniqueness of our industry, is that you know it's it you're in it for the long haul. Um, I think things have changed. People are using, I would say influencing decisions has definitely changed in terms of digital online YouTube, like all that sort of stuff. Like people are seeking thoughts of YouTube, TikTok, um, and and stuff like that. And I think that that's definitely changed. And so I've definitely seen a shift recently with definitely the dealers that we're doing a lot more. Um, I'm not a huge fan of doing massive sales promotion on social media because I don't think that's what it's about, it isn't what it's about, but we have seen value and we have seen sales from doing that 20% versus 80%, you know, awareness. I think that 20% sales, we have seen, you know, it work, and I think that's really shifted the dealer's perspective as well because they've had to become, you know, like I have a dealer now where they actually part of their salesman's sort of monthly target is how many videos are you sending to Mary, how many walk-rounds are you doing, how many, you know, and so it's they are now judged that is part of their job. Um, because obviously I'm working remotely with a lot of people. There is people I work with that are down the road, but then I have a dealer in Northern Ireland, so you know it's it's again managing expectations. Um, but we, you know, we just try and get as much valuable content out there as possible because we we know it works.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

And I guess that then goes into, especially on the social side, the balance between professional content that you will come out for a content day and shoot versus user-generated, whether that is a farmer that's got the piece of kit or somebody from the team getting it on a phone that's maybe not as professional as we do, but actually rough around the edges in that sense.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

And that's when sometimes, and I always say I'm not a videographer, I'm not a professional photographer, you know. Yeah, okay, I've been in marketing over 10 years now, but I'm I turn around content in a reasonable time that is polished to the degree of which it suits the people I work with. Um so you know, I'm not saying that I'm gonna do a cinematic, you know, like three-minute video of something. You know, we get stuff done, it works, we see the numbers, we we we monitor what works. Um, and so I think that that's important as well, is is you know, we don't nothing in this industry has to be too polished. And I think people like that. Like I love doing, I love including a little bit of a funny thing in a video or something. I think I did a video the other day, and um one of the salesmen ran over to put a cap on the customer of the brand, and I kept it in because I just thought it's relatable, it's funny, people like to see it.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Nobody wants to just watch a video of just like it's getting that balance right of sort of a little bit of everything so that you're painting the full picture and the full story, and I think the human element of that and the personalities behind it is is really key. You are dependent then, as you've said, on sort of the content being sent to you. How sort of back to a marketing side, I guess. How do you balance that in that kind of when it's not somebody's job getting content from um people having good relationships because you have to badge them?

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Um, but also I think as well, like I mean, WhatsApp's a huge thing, you know. We use group chats and stuff. I mean, some dealers I'm getting 150 WhatsApps every two days, you know, it's yeah, it's mad. Um, but you know, it's um it it's just it's also shoving them at works. So I think when they can see that something works, they're more inclined to do it. Some of them absolutely hate it. Every sometimes I go to a dealership, they see me arriving, and they're like, I'm going out in the van, because they just don't want to be involved at all. Um in terms of them sending me stuff, um, I just you know, I tried to have like a relationship, pick up the phone, speak to them, um, and just say, and and also, like we were saying before, there's a lot driven from the manufacturer now. So sometimes it's a case of we're being judged, we're being like the manufacturer is is judging us on whether we're gonna be promoting this product. We need to get some content done.

SPEAKER_01 14:47

So how does that work then in terms of who gets the final say with certain things? Because I guess it's brand wide.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

This whole brand guideline is like 100% all those boxes, but and that is that is probably another thing where like sometimes it's just like my mind's just mad because some clients are like Mary, you do what you need to do and we'll leave you to it, that's fine. And I have instilled my own brand guidelines for for individual clients because they just that's just not something they would do. Um, so just and gone, this is what we need to use. Um, but then for instance with the manufacturer, um, there is obviously like um, you know, bodies in Europe or um, you know, who who would who would need to have final say over things, and we obviously have all have the brand guidelines and stuff like that so that we can make sure we abide by them. Um so it's definitely dependent on the client. I'm very lucky that a lot of the people I work with kind of just trust me and leave me to it. Um but again, I think like all of I would say all of my work, even through manufacturers, has come through word of mouth. So there is a relationship there where hopefully they do put some trust in me that they know I'm not gonna stitch the map or anything like that.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

This might be a silly question and down to my lack of understanding, but is it just specific elements where it has to go through that sort of layer of approval? Yeah, it does need to be.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

No, not everything. Yeah, no. So even like you know, um some of the global guys that I'm working with, um, it's just certain bits, you know, just ensuring that um it's abiding by that aligning with their message and all that sort of stuff. So um probably I would say only 20%, you know, needs to go through them. So I'm still very much left to be independent. Um, but like with some clients, I'll have weekly meetings with them or go through what's coming up. They have access to the platform that I use to put everything out online so they can see whenever they want. You know, they don't I don't necessarily send them anything, but they've got it there if they need to log in and have a look. So, so yeah, it's definitely very dependent on who. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:51

When it comes to having spokespeople for the dealerships, you've sort of talked about there's a lot of content that they're putting together themselves. Yeah. Finding the right people.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

We definitely have dealerships where there is like one person that does everything because no one else wants to get involved. Um again, examples went to a show the other week and two of them said, I just do not want to be in video, it's not my thing. That's fine, you know, that's okay. But but yeah, it's like I said, I think it's becoming more of something they have they have to do as part of their job.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

It's something that I've been reading about that is starting to become part of people's contracts in most sort of roles where you have to kind of try and have a bit of a profile within what you're doing.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Yeah, and I think as well, like you know, service engineers, they tend to be a bit of a they don't really like doing stuff like that. But people love to see those guys. Those are the people that are on farm all the time, they're the ones that they're probably calling on a Sunday morning, you know. It's so interesting stories, yeah, exactly. So I think um I think yeah, that the you have to really manage people. And I I feel like I I try to come down to their level a little bit and just be like, I you know, I hate it too, and I'm really sorry, and I know that I'm behind the camera, but it'll just take two seconds, and you know, and you I mean you know it, you know, you're just you're just trying to be fun and not too formal. And I think as well that's where the type of content that I do does come into its own, is that I'm not trying to produce something that's you know super um corporate. Um, you know, we're trying to have fun with it. It's down to earth, yeah, and it's fun. And and again, like we do a lot of fun stuff for some of the dealers and like trend trending things and stuff like that. And again, they they say they don't love it, but they love it. You can see there's always a bit of a twinkle in their eyes when they when the videos come out.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

It's like, oh you did exactly that trends thing is really interesting because I think you can have fun with social media from that sense. Um, what have you found works really well? Is there something that you've kind of used across different businesses where you've gone, yeah, nope, that's a bit of a winning.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

I think, like, I mean, it's awful, isn't it? I go through TikTok saving loads of different ones and go, well, I can't use that for them, and I can only use that for them, and it's trying to like shift it around so everyone gets a piece of the pie, but you're like channeling fun stuff with everyone. Um, but I think I definitely think like with specifically one of the dealers, they're very game to do fun stuff. Um, so like anything that gets the whole team involved, um, you know, and some of the just fun music, and not not any dances or anything, we know, like I mean, I think one time we did a s one of the speed tours. So, like, okay, there's a guy and he just runs around houses on TikTok, he's from America, and he just does a speed tour, and it's and I was like, what is this? The salesman told me about it, and I was like, let's give it a go, you know, and we did it and it absolutely went wild. And it was just like cool, and and I think that's good as well. They I'm happy to do whatever they suggest as well, you know. If they've seen something, yeah, like, and again, I think they like that because you're open to their thoughts and ideas because you know, I don't I can't see every trend and it also gets buy-in that when you then ask them to do something, yeah, they're more willing to, but also if something that they've suggested takes off as a bit of that.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

But I also do usually take donuts with me whenever I for a content day.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

That's yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

You're only allowed one if you do that with you.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

Exactly. Watching the stuff that you produce, it it always brings it always makes me smile. You can tell that you've all enjoyed doing it. Yeah. Um and I guess you've said about saving, you're constantly saving TikToks, but how do you keep, especially with social media, those ideas going? Um it is such a constant. It is constant. Um it's very constant.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

I mean, I've constantly gotten notes, just constantly. But I do also so um I do also have a lady that for four years probably just helped me with my admin. Um, and in the last year, because I've taken on more like more work and more clients, she now helps me a little bit. So we have monthly meetings where she keeps me in check, thank God. Um, and you know, we will, yeah, she's like, Mary, send me that right now because you said you're gonna say, and you didn't, and and so um that that's helped me a lot become become more organized as well because it can be quite sporadic. And obviously, you've got 10 different clients, but not just 10 different people, you've got potentially three different salesmen in each of those 10 different clients. You've got probably five service engineers minimum, you know, you've got a parts person, you've got so you've potentially got like 15 to 20 people of each of those clients potent contacting you. So, so it it is, I mean, yeah, my WhatsApp is labelled, my notes section has every client has a running note, like, so it's just it's probably a bit chaos, really, if I'm being honest.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

How I operate a lot of things. I'm winging it, you know. I think we all are. Um so we've covered social media quite a lot, but as you mentioned at the start, there's a lot of other sort of bits to the full picture that you do when it comes to, and I know it's sort of quite specific with machinery that is. There's so much technicality to it, but translating that from what I assume you've you get given in terms of sort of specs and all of this kind of thing into something that is understandable and more not salesy because that's not what I mean, but more appealing, easily digestible.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Yeah, yeah, that that can be quite difficult. And I'm to be fair, I do lean on, you know. I okay, I have a background in machinery, I grew up in farming, but I s I don't drive tractors like I used to, so I I probably am missing a little bit of that practical practicality now in my sort of last couple of years. Um, but I would say I lean on the guys very much. I have a good relationship with, so even if it's a brand I don't work with, um, sorry, I work with the dealer, but I don't necessarily work directly with that manufacturer, I still have a good relationship with the manufacturers. I feel like I can email them, I can I can phone them and ask them, or you know, could you just go through this with me? Also does help that my husband also works in machinery, so and he is and he's engineering background, and so we're very I can just ask him as well. And I and that is such it's it's like it's so handy, but genuinely I don't think I would be where I was without him helping me with that as well, because his knowledge is you know, he's he's very knowledgeable in terms of stuff like that. But he also works for a a a global brand and and so he understands from that perspective. I mean, we have constant arguments about how the dealer, the manufacturers, yeah, but he's really it's better that means you get that frustration out as opposed to going to the actual manufacturer, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 23:35

But it's tempting.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Oh, it is, but it's so good because he kind of changes my perspective sometimes on things, and I maybe change his. So, so he's like, as much as he's my husband, he's still a huge part of of my business. And if anything happens, you know, I'm not sure about or anything, I will ring him first. I send him all my stuff to read over, like everything. So um, so yeah, that that definitely helps, you know. Like some recent press days that I did um for uh like a new telehandler. I was like, I don't quite know what this means, Dave. Can you help me? You know, because I cannot I can't understand everything. And so, and he's you know, he helps me understand what that is. So, yeah, it's it's definitely a another plus having him at home.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

And then in that sort of learning sphere from a job perspective, I mean, we both did the John Deere Ag journalism course last last year.

SPEAKER_00 24:26

Last year.

SPEAKER_01 24:28

Okay, it's gone back really quickly. Um, you just touched upon sort of press days. How does think how do things like that help yeah?

SPEAKER_00 24:37

I mean, is there anything else you do? Yeah, I mean that that that course was completely changed how I think I write, um, because I kind of saw it from a different perspective as well. And then some of the little hacks and stuff that we learnt, I think was really, really important. Um, I wouldn't say it's massively a part of my role that I hugely enjoy. I would say I love more of the social media, the digital kind of stuff like that, but but it is but it is important, especially with the manufacturers um that I work with, you know, they they want press to go out and things like that. So um I think I think stuff like that has definitely helped me. And and I've probably been really bad in my whole six and a half years of not really investing much in myself, and so doing that course for myself has shown me that it's important to do things like that to further my own knowledge, and I've still got loads to learn, and things are changing all the time, so I've got to keep up with it. Yeah, because the dealer, well, your clients are expecting you to, they expect that you know everything and you don't, you can pretend you do, exactly. I'll find out later. Exactly. Well, that's that thing you asked.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

If there's the one thing that you've taken from your sort of days working in-house from a marketing perspective, that you apply now.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

Yeah. Is there anything probably what you just said? Somebody once told me, say yes and then find out later. Um I think um, I think, like I said about that managing expectations things as well. It's just I I'm the worst critic of myself and I always feel like I'm not doing a good enough job for people. But then when I think of what I actually churn out for people, um, it's quite it's quite incredible, really, when it's just me. And then um I have Melissa who who kind of looks after more of my non-ad clients. Um, but um, but yeah, I would say I would definitely say that it's it's just sort of asking for help but also investing in yourself. Um so it's been a big learning curve and I'm still very bad at managing and juggling. I mean it doesn't help having two kids, but yeah. The juggle is can just constant. Um but um but yeah, I would say I and I think as well, I'm I mean I I asked some of my clients recently for some feedback and some reviews, and you know, they specifically said that you that you are not like a normal marketing agency because you understand our business, but you also understand dealerships, you understand agriculture, and we can't find that anywhere else. Um so um so I'm glad that they see that as well because uh hopefully it means that they are happy with the job that I'm doing.

SPEAKER_01 27:09

It's always nice to cross when you get phone calls saying well. There's one that you might not and you might not be able to answer. But going into a bit more of a personal perspective, because you run your own business, you have that balance of having to do so much marketing for other people, but getting yourself out there as well.

SPEAKER_00 27:35

Yeah, that's tough.

SPEAKER_01 27:37

You do it really well.

SPEAKER_00 27:38

Well, I feel like in the last 18 months, I've really probably a little bit with yourself after meeting you on the course, that investment in your personal brand, I think that's so important. Um, and I never really thought about that much. I feel like it's just chaos, like I'm just putting together random stuff and somehow it looks okay. Um, but I think um, like so Melissa, um, I've I've got her to help me more with my social media. So she's like today, she'd be like, Where's your sh where's your photos from cereals? Like, you know, and and so we'll because I'm you know I'm going telling her, right, this is what I'm doing this month, and I'll make sure I send you that, and then I never do, and then she, you know, so she's she's a brilliant help in terms of that. Um, but yeah, building my personal brand, I think, has been really important. And and I have never had such a busy year, so I think that's definitely helped. Um, and that's why I wanted to ask clients recently, like for reviews, because obviously that's a huge part of it, is I could say all I want about I'm great, but you know, it's like they kind of need to say it as well, exactly. So so yeah, I'd say that's probably uh very important. Yeah, it's a balance because I think I've spoken to a few people in that situation where they sort of feel guilty sometimes for putting for putting focus on their own work if they are working with a client because it's like if I post something but I've not sent them their 100%, and I feel that I've felt that recently I've been doing a bit of a TikTok series of like come with me to this, come with me to that, and I've felt like well, I've got to make sure that all the clients' content is done before I post anything about like myself because I don't want them to think, oh Mary's just posting her TikTok of her day, and she's not actually sent us anything. Um so yeah, I just um but also half of the stuff I put into stuff like that is stuff I've taken anyway. Um, and to be fair, everyone's pretty, you know, everyone's very, very relaxed with it, so they don't they don't really uh you know they're not really bothered about about me you utilising that, you know, it might just be a close-up of attractor or or whatnot. It's not anything confidential or you know, it's completely unique. So yeah, but it's just um constant. The content is constant, yeah. And that is the one thing is I'm like, can I be bothered doing this when I do so much for other people? I'm just like I feel like I'm a bit of a content machine sometimes. Um yeah, and and and seeing again, it's completely right. I see it works, so you know it's the same with my clients, they see it works and they do it more. I'm seeing it's working, so I need to do it more. Um, and I want to keep going for another six and a half years, so I need to carry it.

SPEAKER_01 30:03

Keep it going, yeah, definitely. Um, I guess on that point, where would you like to see sort of your business and what you're doing in six and a half years' time?

SPEAKER_00 30:12

I'd love to work with someone overseas. That would be like if I looked at my vision board, you know, I'd love to work with someone overseas. Um, but just keep keep what I'm keep doing what I'm doing, but keep doing it well. Um, I think I've when I think about when I started the business where I am now, I never thought, you know, it was my dream to work with a global tractor brand, and I'm doing that. And so that is a huge, huge step forward for me, and also working with brands that I get on with and personally can, you know, align with. I think um, you know, I've definitely parted ways with people over the last six years that just don't really work, and that's the beauty of being your own boss is you can do that. Um, so I think just I'd like to work with less people but do more for them. That's my goal um going forward because he can be a bit of a busy fool, and I'm definitely one of those.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

Fair enough. Okay, quick fire. Oh god piece of advice you'd give to somebody else starting out in marketing in this industry.

SPEAKER_00 31:12

Build your network. Um the people that you know, especially especially in agriculture, if that would be what someone's doing. But I suppose in any industry, um, people who it is who you know, um, very much from when I was in university to now, I am where I am today because of the placement that I did at Heartha. 100%. Like all of the clients that I have are through those sorts of people. So yeah, just be open and like I said, just say yes and learn how to do it. It's genuinely, it's it's a great piece of advice.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Favourite piece of content you've put out?

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Oh gosh. Oh my god, that's a really hard one. Um there is actually, and it's not necessarily agricultural related. Um, I did a a video for um like an aggregates company um who do like who have big trucks and they do like um stone and and topsoil and stuff like that. And I basically did a film for their website where it was just their story and like stuff, and I went to their yard and we got drone shots and we got interviews with them and stuff like that. And it was just like a I was just really proud of it. It I mean it looked really good, so I was like, did I do that? So yeah, I'm pretty proud of that. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:27

We're at an event, we're at cereals. What is your favourite agricultural event?

SPEAKER_00 32:34

Do you I do love a bit of llama. I do love llama. I do tell you. Yeah, I would say if we're talking about agriculture event, it's gotta be llamour. Oh yeah, you know, you have to pay you after whatever.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

And this is the one where you might not be okay to answer. So do you have a favourite tractor?

SPEAKER_00 32:56

I'm gonna put it out there. I have a favourite tractor. I like a fence 724. I'm nodding along as if I'm but I feel like, and I'm not saying this from a um biased perspective, I think Doy Sfarr is a brand to watch. Um interesting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

Okay. Well, thank you so much for chatting to me. It's been really interesting, and I've learned so much. It's actually been really, really nice. No, thank you. Thanks so much for joining. Thank you. To keep up with all things AgriWorks, you can follow us on social media at AgriHyphenworks on LinkedIn or at AgriConnect underscore agriworks on Facebook and Instagram. You can visit our website or you can subscribe to this podcast on your favourite channel so that you never miss an episode. Thanks again for listening. I'm Olivia, and this has been the AgriWorks Podcast.