🪣 Are you filling all 4 content buckets?

Good morning, friend.

I’m sliding into the last day of February and happly maintaining my New Year’s resolution of sending one newsletter a month. Hey, better late than never.

Today’s brain dump is a quick peek into how I think about the type of content brands should be producing.

Today’s agenda:

  • Big Idea: The 4 content buckets
  • 3 digital content links worth sharing

🔦 The 4 Content Buckets You Can’t Live Without

Audience. Sales funnel. Value proposition. Distribution channels.

All of these are important to any agribusiness or agtech startup — and they’re usually the first high-level discussion points whenever I talk to a client about content strategy.

But, eventually, we dive into the real nitty gritty: what type of content are we going to produce?

And I don’t just mean asset types (blog posts, video breakdowns, long-form PDFs, etc). In these conversations, we’re talking about the core of the content:

What are we actually communicating through the vehicle that is content?

How are we making that content so delicious that readers/viewers will devour it …

And then proceed to sign up for our newsletter, subscribe to our channel, follow our account, or do whatever they have to do so they don’t miss the next time you hit publish.

Sounds intimidating, right?

Here’s the good news: there are frameworks out there to help you nail your content and know exactly what to communicate to your audience.

While I’ve seen lots of different content “types” work — and not work — in ag, I’ve never actually broken down the content categories.

Luckily, the guys over at Ship30for30 have done a much better job than I can, so we’ll steal borrow their concept of the four content buckets below — and I’ll add another layer of agriculture-specific examples for each.

First, here’s Dickie Bush’s take on how all content pieces should strive to fall into one of four buckets:

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Dickie breaks down these content categories into specific ideas, but I think it’s worth zooming out and focusing on how these could apply in our industry.

Actionable: What helpful information or tips can you bring to the table that your audience could use right now?

  • Some ag examples:

    • New hybrids hitting the market (and why they matter!) in 2025
    • The ultimate farm management software guide for growers
    • 5 rule changes at the USDA that could impact your loan decisions next year

Analytical: How can you leverage your expertise to break down a complex topic within your sector of Ag? (One way to approach this is to think of common questions your audience asks or things your customers are often confused by)?

  • Some ag examples:

    • 2024’s most purchased used planters
    • The red crown rot map: where soybeans took the biggest hit in the Corn Belt
    • Here’s how the updated VFD could impact your operation

Aspirational: What are the lessons or inspirational customer stories that make up your company’s ethos? How can you communicate “what’s possible” to your audience using real-world experience and situations?

  • Some ag examples:

    • Unique financing solutions for farmers in this tough interest rate environment
    • Zooming out: What’s the opportunity for ranchers as the U.S. beef herd hits its lowest point in 70+ years?
    • What ag distributors can learn from Sysco’s recent strategy shift

Anthropological: What’s something that your customers are always asking “why” about? How can you peel back the layers to help your audience understand how something became what it currently is?

  • Some ag examples:

    • How ag finance leaders can approach the dreaded ERP migration
    • The real metrics you should track for enzyme performance in pork production
    • Robotics equipment that won’t break the bank (and how to easily incorporate it into your farm operation)

So there you go: content doesn’t have to be so complicated.

You don’t have to stare at a blank screen, scrounging around in your brain for ideas from scratch.

Start filling your four buckets, and before you know it, people will be captivated, engaged, and eager for more.

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Digital content links worth sharing:
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Get a glass of milk for this one. With third-party cookies going to the wayside, what questions should you be asking as it relates to content decisions? Nice bite-sized summary via The Tilt that keeps it simple.

I’m all about the Distribution Era. Shoutout to Animalz for this great piece where distribution and measuring ROI is just as important as the content itself.

Because who doesn’t love a good meme? I don’t know how I’ve never seen this article before, but Mind Meld for the win.

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