It’s not you, it’s your platform strategy. Find out who’s really worth your time.
Let’s play matchmaker. You’ve got a great ag brand, a killer product, high-quality content and a budget to spend on paid social. What else do you need? The right social media platform. But picking between Meta, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok is a little bit like swiping through dating profiles. Each platform is promising in its own way, but the match has to be right for your brand, audience, and goals.
So let’s cut through the confusion. Here’s your guide to platform matchmaking in the ag industry. No awkward small talk required.
Meta: The old reliable
Vibe: Familiar, versatile and always down for a good conversation
Good for: Broad awareness, lead gen, retargeting
Meta (aka Facebook and Instagram) might not be the new kid on the block, but it’s still the most widely used social platform for rural Americans. According to the Pew Research Center survey of social media usage, 74% of rural Americans use Facebook.
Meta’s mass reach, combined with targeting options like geography, interests, job title (hello, farm managers) and behavior or email list upload, makes it a good go-to option for ag marketers.
Meta is great if you:
- Want to reach rural and semi-rural audiences in volume
- Need to stretch a smaller ad budget
- Love playing with different formats like carousels, videos, lead forms or Stories
Just beware: Organic reach is a ghost town, and your content needs to be native-feeling, not salesy. Think real-life footage from the field, not polished commercials.
Best use case: Mid-funnel education and retargeting with lead ads
YouTube: The visual storyteller
Vibe: Thoughtful, visual and ready to teach you something
Good for: Building brand awareness, educating with longer-form content
Farmers and ag professionals love YouTube. The Pew Research survey found that it is the most popular platform among rural users with 84% of them going to YouTube. What’s more, it's heavily favored among all age groups. It’s where they go for tutorials, demos and reviews.
The ag audience isn’t just watching YouTube. They are searching it as well. YouTube processes billions of searches each month as the second most visited site online behind Google. That makes it a powerful search engine in its own right.
If you’ve got good video content or the budget to make it, YouTube is a goldmine for brand storytelling. If you want a good example, see how Zoetis partnered with livestock influencers to promote Draxxin’s use in respiratory health, turning technical information into watchable, relatable content.
YouTube is great if you:
- Have educational or how-to video content
- Want to drive consideration for a higher-priced product
- Need to build long-term trust and familiarity
Warning: It’s not for quick wins. But if you play the long game and optimize your targeting, you’ll find highly qualified viewers.
Best use case: Top-funnel education and mid-funnel product consideration
LinkedIn: The business casual option
Vibe: Professional and focused (most of the time)
Good for: Reaching decision-makers and B2B buyers
LinkedIn isn’t just a recruiting tool. It’s growing in importance for B2B outreach, agribusiness professionals and anyone making capital or strategic input decisions. In fact, 4 out of 5 LinkedIn users drive business decisions, and it’s one of the best platforms for audience targeting based on job title and industry.
This is your go-to if you’re targeting business leaders. Sponsored content, lead gen forms and conversation ads can all work well here. Remember that while this is a professional platform, don’t be afraid to show a little personality. Ag professional doesn’t mean robot.
LinkedIn is great if you:
- Sell B2B products or services in ag
- Have thought leadership content to promote
- Want to reach high-level decision makers
Caution: It’s pricey. CPMs here are higher than anywhere else, so make sure your audience size and creative justify the investment.
Best use case: Bottom-funnel lead gen for B2B offerings
TikTok: The wild card
Vibe: Trendy, unpredictable and surprisingly insightful
Good for: Building brand affinity and entertaining your way into people’s hearts
You didn’t expect TikTok to show up here, did you? But make no mistake, #AgTok is real. Farmers and the ag community are getting in on the action. While the platform is highly popular among Gen Z, it sees a strong representation almost evenly across all ages under 50.
If you’ve got bold creative chops, or a partnership with an influencer who does, TikTok can be a powerful awareness and engagement tool.
TikTok is great if you:
- Have a strong brand personality
- Are willing to test and learn quickly
- Want to reach younger producers or ag-adjacent audiences
One catch: Don’t show up here in a suit and tie. Authenticity wins here. You need native-style content that feels fun, real and a little unpolished.
Best use case: Top-funnel brand awareness and influencer collabs
The platform mix for ag brands
The truth is, you probably won’t choose just one platform to advertise your brand because your audience doesn’t just live on one social media platform. They scroll, search, swipe and click in different places depending on what they need when they need it. That’s why a full-funnel strategy is the best way to help you meet your goals. It works best when your platforms work together. Here’s an example of how to mix platforms for a full-funnel approach:
- Top funnel: YouTube for storytelling + TikTok for reach
- Mid-funnel: Meta to educate and retarget
- Bottom funnel: LinkedIn to generate high-value B2B leads
Each platform plays a role. The best strategy isn’t choosing one but understanding how each contributes to the big picture.
So go ahead, make your move. Your perfect match is out there and they’re probably already scrolling.
If you are looking for help optimizing your paid social media strategy, let us know. Drop a note to get the conversation started.