Familiar, Friendly, Useful

Content Ideas to Get You Started

When content mirrors the in-person market experience, it builds trust, familiarity, and routine.

Warm. Familiar. Community-minded. On mission.

 

Before diving into ideas, remember this:

Your farmers’ market social media is not just a bulletin board.
It’s a digital extension of the market experience itself.

Every post should help people feel:

  • welcome
  • relaxed
  • informed
  • connected
  • confident about showing up

Think of your content as a friendly guide who:

  • answers common questions before someone has to ask
  • helps new visitors feel comfortable
  • reminds returning shoppers why they love being there

This approach:

  • saves you time
  • reduces repeated questions
  • builds trust and loyalty
  • makes your market easier to attend

You don’t need to post everything below.
You just need enough variety to rotate through ideas without burnout.

Use Social Media to Answer Questions Before They’re Asked

These posts are incredibly valuable, especially for first-time visitors.

Content ideas:

  • Parking: where to park, overflow options, accessibility notes
  • Pet policy: dogs allowed? leashed? outdoor only?
  • Weather policy: rain or shine?
  • Payment options: cash, cards, SNAP/EBT, vouchers
  • Voucher programs: how they work, who qualifies, where to go
  • Reusable bags: bring your own? Borrow one? Buy one?
  • What to expect: music, kids’ activities, demos
  • Product categories: produce, meat, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods
  • Gluten-free availability
  • Vegan/vegetarian-friendly options
  • Bathrooms, handwashing stations, seating areas

These posts:

  • reduce friction
  • make people feel prepared
  • help hesitant newcomers decide to come

Vendor-Focused Content

People buy from people.

  1. Vendor spotlight with farm history
  2. Day-in-the-life of a farmer
  3. How they got started farming
  4. Their favorite thing to grow or make
  5. What makes their products special
  6. Family farming traditions
  7. New vendor introduction
  8. Vendor-recommended recipe
  9. Behind-the-scenes at the farm
  10. Why they love being part of the farmers market

Tip: Always tag vendors when possible and encourage them to share.

Product-Focused Content

Seasonal, fresh, and worth the trip.

  1. “Just arrived” announcements
  2. First-of-the-season celebrations
  3. Last-chance alerts (“almost done for the season”)
  4. Storage tips
  5. Variety comparisons
  6. Seasonal availability guides
  7. “What to do with…” ideas
  8. Nutrition highlights
  9. Taste tests or flavor descriptions
  10. Unusual or heirloom varieties

These posts create urgency without pressure.

Educational Content

Helpful, never preachy.

  1. How to pick ripe produce
  2. What’s in season right now
  3. Organic vs. conventional (simple explanations)
  4. Why buying local matters
  5. SNAP/EBT and voucher how-to posts
  6. Market etiquette tips
  7. Sustainable farming practices
  8. Food preservation basics
  9. Cooking technique tips
  10. Ingredient substitutions

Education builds confidence, and confident shoppers return.

Community & Experience Content

This is where warmth and loyalty live.

  1. Market day weather updates
  2. Live music announcements
  3. Kid-friendly activity highlights
  4. Customer testimonials
  5. Staff or volunteer spotlights
  6. Community partner features
  7. Local chef visits
  8. Cooking demonstrations
  9. Seasonal celebrations
  10. Market milestone anniversaries

These posts reinforce that the market is:

  • social
  • multi-generational
  • welcoming
  • something special

Engaging & Interactive Content

Let your audience participate.

  1. Polls and questions
  2. Recipe requests
  3. “What should we feature this week?”
  4. Photo contests
  5. Customer photo shares
  6. Trivia about local food
  7. This-or-that comparisons
  8. Fill-in-the-blank posts
  9. Caption contests
  10. “Show us your haul” prompts

Engagement posts:

  • boost reach
  • deepen connection
  • make people feel included

How to Use This List (Without Overthinking It)

  • Pick 2–3 ideas per week
  • Rotate categories so your feed feels balanced
  • Save this list and return to it when you’re stuck
  • Reuse ideas; most followers won’t see everything

You are not trying to post everything.
You are trying to post consistently, warmly, and with purpose.

Final Reminder

Your farmers’ market is:

  • a pause in the week
  • a place to slow down
  • a condensed main street
  • a space for kids, families, singles, young, and old
  • a way to support local farms and the local economy
  • a small but meaningful act of choosing community

Let your content reflect that, and the rest will follow.

Find Your Next Step With These Links

Creating Content

Content Creation Priority Roadmap

A step-by-step roadmap to focus your content efforts for maximum impact, week to week, easy.

Content Ideas to Get You Started

Quick, easy content ideas you can post today, no fancy photos, big plan, or extra stress.

Facebook Content

What to post on Facebook to drive attendance, answer questions, and build community fast.

Instagram Content

Instagram ideas that show the vibe, vendors, food, people, and can’t-miss market moments.

Power of Stories

How to use Stories to stay top-of-mind with quick updates, stickers, and real-time energy.

Google Business Profile Deep Dive

Deep dive on optimizing Google Business Profile so locals find your market in search/maps.

Repurposing Content Across Channels

Turn one piece of content into many, reuse posts across channels without sounding copy-paste.

AI Content Systems

Build a simple AI system to plan, draft, and repurpose content in minutes, not hours, ever.

Platform-Specific AI Prompts

Copy-and-paste prompt cheat sheets tailored to each platform, so AI outputs actually fit.

AI Prompt Library

A grab-and-go library of prompts for posts, captions, newsletters, blogs, and more, fast.

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Maine Federation of Farmers Markets
Social
Contact

mffmmarketingguide@gmail.com