A Precision Farming Dealer Staff Report
At the end of every calendar year, we gather a list of the top-performing digital content from www.PrecisionFarmingDealer.com. We boiled our year down to these 11 items, which have been the most popular among our audience.
Themes of innovation and forecasting for the near future are woven throughout the print and digital feature, podcasts and videos. To determine which online and print content attracted the most attention during the last year, the Digital Media team at Lessiter Media crunched the numbers on views, downloads, watches, clicks and comments.
What follows are summaries of some of the most talked about content published or presented in 2018, both online and in print. The Precision Farming Dealer staff tracks these analytics to keep a pulse on readers’ concerns, feedback and interests to provide informative and actionable content.
To see the original piece (and ensuing industry commentary), you can type the article headline into the Search position at the upper right hand of the home page at www.PrecisionFarmingDealer.com.
Most Viewed Staff-Written Blog
How to Lose a Customer Over Less than a Dollar
In the most viewed staff blog, Managing Editor Jack Zemlicka, shares a personal anecdote about having a bad customer service experience, which was not helped by the laziness of an employee. This incident sheds light on how crucial the interactions between customers and employees can be to your business. When it comes to your customers’ experiences, customer service and attention to detail will determine if they will return.
Most Viewed Featured Article
33 Tips for Turning Billable Service Into Recurring Precision Revenue
This article, published in the Winter 2018 issue, offers diverse and detailed insight from retailers of all sizes, colors and locations with bankable takeaways on billing for precision service. From proactive planning and communicating revenue objectives with employees, to thoroughly tracking and invoicing billable labor, the key to building for recurring revenue is to develop valuable relationships with customers and to become a well-rounded resource for them.
Most Viewed Guest-Written Blog
Ahead of the Curve: Electric Drive Tractor Coming to U.S. & Canada
Written by agriculture journalist Dan Crummett, the piece discusses the North American debut of MTZ Equipment Ltd.’s diesel-electric farm tractor. “We think electric motors are the way to go, and what powers them can be diesel engines, hydrogen engines or fuel cells, or batteries charged by whatever the grid is using,” says Arie Prilik, vice president of sales and marketing for MTZ Equipment. “Right now, batteries are not economically viable. Our tractor uses diesel power, but it is ready to accept whatever power source is available in the future.”
Most Viewed Video
Teralytic Announces Pre-Ordering for NPK Wireless Soil-Probe
Filmed at the 2018 InfoAg Conference in St. Louis, Mo., the founder and CEO of Teralytic, Steve Ridder, talked with editors about the world’s first NPK wireless sensor, giving growers the ability to analyze their nitrogen levels more accurately than ever before. This development can help growers base their strategies off of precise, personalized data that is refreshed every 15 minutes.
Most Listened to Podcast
A Conversation with Climate Corp.’s John Raines
Editors has an opportunity to chat with John Raines, senior vice president for Climate Corp.’s global commercial businesses. In a candid conversation, Raines explained how the company has changed since Monsanto purchased it in 2013, it’s recent partnership with Case IH on 2-way data sharing, how data-driven organizations are becoming magnets for venture capital money and why farm customers are looking for proven ROI with today’s precision technology.
Most Viewed Online News Item
AGCO Introduces New White Planters and Precision Planting-Ready Toolbars
This news item highlighted AGCO’s release of its Precision Planting-ready toolbars for its line of White planters, which serve narrow-row and wide-row configurations. The 9500VER and 9700VER toolbars collectively offer eight different sizes and host maintenance-free, all cast iron 9000 series row units.
Most Viewed Facebook Post
[Video] Improving Nitrogen Efficiency in Large Scale Planters
This Facebook post came during coverage of the 2018 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, and featured Gregg Sauder, president of 360 Yield Center explaining the efficiencies and application of the company’s 360 Sprint. The prototype machine is designed to refill liquid fertilizer on-the-go in the field with a 300-gallon tank mounted on a John Deere Gator.
Most Viewed Technology Corner
Dealer Proving ROI of Test Plots
A regular segment of sister publication, Ag Equipment Intelligence’s On the Record program, this episode focused on Redline Equipment’s development and lasting value of managing a 5-acre test plot. The 12-location Case IH dealership established its test plot adjacent to its store in Gas City, Ind., and in late summer, hosted a field day that attracted about 80 customers. The project showcased the dealership’s equipment and technology, but also served as a transparent project designed to build trust and confidence with customers.
Most Viewed What Farmers Want From You
Making Data Collection, Application ‘Fisher-Price Easy’
The regular series highlights the technology pain points and problem-solving farm customers encounter on their operations. This feature from September, featured Rick DeGroote, who farms 23,000 acres of corn and soybeans in Iowa, and his challenges needing to accommodate for the variety of tech-savviness amongst his 33 employees.
Most Downloaded eGuide
20 Ways to Build Your Billable Precision Service Revenue
What are the more profitable pathways to billing for precision service? This eGuide gathered advice, insight and experience-based tips from a diverse group of retailers off all sizes, colors and locations to provide bankable takeaways on billing for precision service.
Most Responded-To Poll Question
Monsanto-Bayer Merger: What’s Next?
News broke in April, that the mega-merger between Bayer and Monsanto would happen, creating another diverse giant in the ag industry. But one of the initial concerns raised by the merger was even if Bayer shed some of its current digital farming assets, the acquisition of Monsanto could heighten the debate over how farm data is collected and manipulated by companies, potentially to influence purchasing decisions by farmers. The poll asked what impact the merger would have on future acquisitions/mergers in the farm equipment/precision farming technology industry. Some 34% of respondents believed that the merger set a dangerous precedent and opened the door to more monopolization of products and services.
