Effective Advertising Strategies for Rural Land Consultancy

Are you tired of the cookie-cutter approach to real estate advertising?

Over the past three years, I’ve delved into the intricacies of paid media, often constrained by the rigid rules of Meta’s housing ads category. However, a recent project with Knight Frank Rural presented a unique challenge and an opportunity to break free from the norm.

Knight Frank Rural is not just about buying and selling property; they specialise in optimising rural land. Their expertise spans biodiversity, regenerative agriculture and forestry management, offering a distinctive range of services to farmers and estate owners to maximise the potential of their land. Although it’s a niche industry, the potential is immense if marketed correctly.

The key to our campaign’s success was breaking free from the housing ad category, which allowed us to access a broader range of targeting tools. This strategic move significantly enhanced our ability to reach a highly specific audience.

Breaking free from the housing ad category

Anyone who has run campaigns in regulated industries like housing knows how limiting the restrictions can be. Meta enforces strict rules around targeting for housing, employment, and credit ads, restricting options like demographic filters and detailed interest targeting.

Initially, our campaigns for this client were categorised as housing ads because they involved land and property. However, upon closer examination, we realised that since their services focused on consultancy—helping landowners optimise their land rather than buying or selling property—we could bypass the housing category entirely.

This unlocked more precise, granular, targeting options, a game-changer for reaching our specific audience and creating a more tailored campaign.

Defining a niche audience

Reaching the right audience was paramount. We weren’t just targeting rural enthusiasts; we needed to connect with decision-makers: farmers, estate owners and agricultural professionals. Our strategy involved:

• Broad yet relevant targeting: We focused on broader categories like “farmers,” “rural landowners,” and “agriculture,” ensuring we reached those directly involved in land management
• Professional and industry targeting: We included job titles like “agricultural managers” and “estate managers” and targeted industries related to farming and rural land management
• Geographic relevance: We initially focused on regions with significant rural populations and agricultural activity, planning to refine targeting based on campaign performance
• Custom and lookalike audiences: We leveraged custom audiences of past leads to create lookalike audiences, expanding our reach to individuals with similar profiles

Crafting the right message

Generic messaging wouldn’t resonate with this discerning audience. We needed to demonstrate the client’s understanding of their challenges and the value of their services.

Our approach included:

• Authentic visuals: We used high-quality images of thriving vineyards, restored habitats and sustainable farms to evoke a sense of possibility for landowners
• Highlighting tangible benefits: Each ad emphasised the “what’s in it for me?” factor, whether it was increased profitability, environmental benefits, or access to grant funding
• Tailored messaging: We created ad variations that spotlighted specific services like viticulture or biodiversity net gain, allowing us to connect with users based on their unique interests
   

Maximising impact with advanced targeting

Escaping the housing ad category unlocked powerful targeting options:

• Niche interest targeting: We targeted specific interests like “organic farming” and “sustainable agriculture” that would have been off-limits in the housing category
• Demographic and behavioural targeting: We leveraged demographic filters like education level and profession to refine our audience
• Dynamic text optimisation: We created multiple ad variations with different messaging angles. Meta’s algorithm is then optimised in real time, serving the version most likely to resonate with each user
   

The results: Building awareness and trust

The primary goal of this campaign was to raise awareness, not generate immediate leads. We wanted farmers, estate owners and rural professionals to recognise our client’s expertise in rural consultancy.

Achievements:
 

Boosted brand visibility
The campaign exceeded expectations in raising awareness across the target market. With precise targeting and engaging content, we reached a highly relevant audience, delivering 398% more impressions than forecasted.

Strong engagement metrics
The content resonated well, driving high engagement rates, including clicks and social interactions, surpassing our click projections by 15%.

Wider reach across niche audiences
Freed from housing ad restrictions, we reached not only farmers and estate owners but also professionals in related fields who could become advocates or referrers.

Positioning the Knight Frank Rural as a thought leader
By delivering value-driven content, we positioned the client as a trusted advisor in rural consultancy, laying the groundwork for future land optimisation projects.

Key takeaways for paid media in niche markets

This campaign reinforced several important lessons for anyone running paid media in niche industries:

• Understand the rules: The housing category is restrictive, but if your service doesn’t involve transactions, you might not need to be in it. Reviewing Meta’s policies carefully can open up more opportunities. Carefully review platform policies to identify potential workarounds
• Deep audience knowledge is paramount: Niche campaigns succeed or fail based on audience understanding. Invest time in learning their needs, challenges, and goals to craft resonant messaging
• Focus on value-driven messaging: Highlight the tangible benefits that your services offer to your target audience
• Leverage all available tools: Utilise advanced targeting options and optimisation features to maximise the impact and budget of your campaigns 

Wrapping up

Running this campaign was a reminder of why I love working in paid media. It’s not just about running ads; it’s about solving problems, reaching the right people and delivering meaningful results.

If you’re navigating digital advertising in a niche market, success depends on understanding your audience and strategically using platforms like Meta. Leverage the right tools and targeting options to reach the people who matter most, while crafting resonant messaging. With the right approach, even the most specialised industries can benefit from digital campaigns that drive awareness and build meaningful connections.

Want to learn more about effectively marketing your niche industry? Get in touch with us today. We’re here to share our expertise and help you achieve your goals.