What communicators can learn from farmers

Planting time comes first. Farmers have to respond to variations in the weather and get their crops into the ground at the right time. Then they have to guard and support the growing crop, which weeds, insects, and weather could threaten at critical stages. Farmers expect this, and they respond accordingly.

Eventually, it’s harvest time. The whole family goes to work bringing in the crop. Once the crops are harvested, it’s time to get ready for the next cycle. Sometimes farmers plow under the stubble from last year; sometimes they burn the fields to release nutrients for next year.

You have seasons in marketing, too. You plant your new campaign, adapting to the changing market to get it out at the right time. Once the campaign is growing, you have to guard and support it. You know that competitors, upset customers, or even suppliers will threaten your campaign, intentionally or not. You expect this and adjust the campaign in response.

Eventually, you’ll harvest the rewards: sales. Everyone in the company may have to go to work bringing in the new business. Finally, at times you will have to tear out old campaigns to make way for new, or maybe even burn the old efforts to the ground in order to move on. You may even need to completely discard your previous efforts to get ready for the next cycle.