In August 2018, the St. Louis Farmers Market received a promotional grant from the Eastern Michigan Council of Governments. The Market’s Manager, Linda Bader went to the SBDC for help with a marketing plan and the SBDC was able to offer Bader some ideas about how to best use the promotional funds and target the right audience.
Assistance was provided in the areas of market research, social media promotion, website search engine optimization, and demographics. In light of these suggestions, the market started a #FreshIsBetter social media campaign with a target audience of those who prefer canned, convenience foods. This campaign helped the St. Louis Farmers Market Facebook page reach over 1,000 followers.
The St. Louis Farmers Market is now able to better target both consumers and vendors and is able to better utilize their promotional activities. The market is open every Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m. from June through October and Music is featured at the market every week from 3 to 5 p.m.