Marketing ideas you can use to sell your fishing business this ember month
Many fish farmers have plenty of fish but they struggle to sell. The problem is not the fish. The problem is the marketing message. Most farmers keep posting fresh fish available. That message is too common. To sell in bulk and to sell fingerlings, you need different angles.
For fishery, there are 2 different businesses. The first is table size fish for people who want to eat or resell. The second is fingerlings for people who want to start fish farming. The customers are not the same, so the angles must be different.
For table size fish in bulk, there are 4 good angles for ember months.
The first angle is for cold room owners and market resellers. Every December, fish becomes scarce and price goes up. The message is that smart cold rooms book their fish early. If they book 500 kilograms in October and lock the price, they can sell in December at a higher price and make good profit. This angle gives the farmer cash early and gives the reseller security.
The second angle is for people doing events. December is full of weddings, burials and parties. Nobody wants to serve small fish that will bring shame. The message is that big table size fish will make the event look good. The farmer can offer an event pack of 100 big fishes, already killed, cleaned and delivered to the venue.
The third angle is fish sharing contribution. In many cities, women do contribution to share fish for December. 10 women can contribute money together and share 200 kilograms. The message is to organize the sharing now before December rush. This angle helps the farmer sell large quantity at once because 1 delivery brings 10 customers.
The fourth angle is for hotels, restaurants and bars. These businesses lose customers when they say there is no fish, especially on December 31. The message is to partner with a farm that can supply 50 kilograms every week from October till January at the same size and same price. This gives the business peace of mind.
For fingerlings, the customer is different. He does not want to eat fish. He wants to make money from fish. So the angles must focus on money and survival.
The first angle for fingerlings is future December money. People who made money selling fish last December bought their fingerlings in October last year. If someone wants to make money next December, he must buy fingerlings now. If he waits till January, he will miss the next ember season. The farmer can add free feed and free training to help.
The second angle is fear of fake fingerlings. Many people have bought weak fingerlings that died after 2 weeks. That is their biggest fear. The message is that good fingerlings are active, already eating, and have high survival rate. The farmer should show video of the fingerlings feeding and jumping before the customer pays, and follow up for 2 weeks.
The third angle is starting small from the backyard. Many people think they need 2 million naira to start fish farming. That is not true. They can start with 200 fingerlings in 2 tanks at the back of the house. In 5 months it can bring good profit. This angle is good for civil servants and housewives. The farmer can offer a starter pack of 200 juveniles, a small tank, feed and a simple guide.
In summary, fish business in ember months will sell faster if the farmer stops selling fish and starts selling reasons. For bulk buyers, sell profit, event honour, and organized sharing. For fingerlings buyers, sell future money, trust, and easy start. Same fish farm, different angles, more sales.
