AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOCIATION - THE BUSINESS BREED

MEDIA MINUTE

Your Biggest Selling Point: You

Weave together tools like video and social media to set yourself apart.

By Miranda Reiman, Director of Digital Content and Strategy

October 22, 2024

Growing up, I could’ve bought cowboy boots anywhere. My Minnesota farm was 15 minutes away from a Fleet and Farm, there was a fancy Western store in the closest mall and we got a half dozen catalogs in the mail. 

Yet each year we’d pick a day in the summer to make a trip down to Buffalo Center, Iowa, to Weaver’s Leather Store. 

Walking in, the narrow space was floor-to-ceiling boots, but it wasn’t just the options that compelled us to drive across the state line on back county roads to get to the small-town Main Street. 

It was a toss-up whether we’d be greeted first by the owner himself or the store cat, who had become a familiar presence. I could mention my size, my intended purpose for the footwear, even colors or comfort requirements, and Leroy Weaver would reappear with options.

Ever need boots resoled or repaired? There was no one better. In fact, long after I moved away, we’d haul boots back home, my mom would get them to Weavers and she’d return them to us as good as new.  

Meeting our regional manager intern, Tyler Murray, this summer, he mentioned he was from a “small town in north-central Iowa.” He figured I wouldn’t know it. Little did Tyler know that Buffalo Center has been on my map my whole life. 

We chatted about Weaver’s. The store is still there, 90-some-year-old Leroy is still there and they still have a cat. It remains the best place in the region to buy boots. We both smiled. 

You see, it’s not just the product and the service that sell you on this boot shop — part of the draw is the story. It’s in the details of customers they know by name. It’s the fourth-generation sons returning to the business and their “saving soles since the 1930s” tagline. 

Sharing your story

I am telling you about a small-town store from my childhood memories to illustrate a point: You have that same magic. Maybe your herd is a long-held family tradition, or maybe it’s the pulled-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps start. Perhaps you have overcome adversity or served the same client base for a half a century.

Whatever your story, it’s part of what you have to sell, because if we’re being honest, people can buy Angus bulls anywhere.

Help potential customers get to know you by sharing more of yourself. Get involved with (or more active on) social media. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat to do more than alert followers when your salebook is ready. 

Show people the highs and lows, like the effort it takes to get through calving season but also the miracle of it all. There’s something so relatable about simple Saturday nights and the joy of raising your family on the ranch. People want to know how you juggle tasks and the care you take making your next mating selections. 

Video is another powerful tool to help people see beyond the expected marketing messages to what makes you unique. They can hear your voice, see your operation in action and feel a connection. It doesn’t have to be highly produced, just authentic. 

If you’re not sure where to start or want professional storytellers to help, give us a call or visit our new www.AngusMedia.org to see examples of the ways we’ve brought out the best for other breeders.

Because when I think about Weaver’s, it’s not just the smell of leather wrapped in a friendly “hello.” It’s also the first place I think of when it comes to buying boots. 

Miranda Reiman headshot

Miranda Reiman, Director of Digital Content and Strategy

September 2024 Angus Journal Cover

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