TikTok campaign in the agriculture industry - is it worth it? Expert comparison with Facebook.

TikTok in the agricultural industry has long ceased to be just a curiosity. Today it is a viable channel for reaching farmers, especially those who make decisions based on short videos from the field, product tests or practical advice from experts.

Therefore, the key question is no longer: „Is TikTok even suitable for the agricultural industry?”. The question now is how to plan the campaign so that it effectively builds demand and brand awareness.

In this article, I compare TikTok and Facebook from a practitioner's perspective. I also answer questions:

• Who is the recipient in agro on each platform?
• What are the costs of outreach and clicks, and where the effectiveness is realistically „done” Image, lead and sales?

I also show how to pin down campaigns on TikTok with Meta activities into a single meaningful funnel - from first contact with the brand, to trust, to inquiry or purchase.

In agriculture, the winner is the one who can talk straight about difficult things - dosages, deadlines, technology, risks. TikTok places a premium on communication that is short, specific and understandable to the recipient. When the farmer sees the advisor's face, real conditions in the field and a clear conclusion, in 20 seconds you gain something that cannot be bought by promotion alone. You get his attention and trust, and that in the agricultural industry is usually the first step to a sale.— Magdalena Cieślikiwicz, Account Manager, SoMe expert in the agricultural industry, Adagri.

TikTok vs Facebook in agro - which has a real effect?

TikTok in agriculture mostly builds demand and Facebook (Meta) collects it and turns it into leads or sales. However, these are not „interchangeable” channels. They work best when you treat them as two stages of the same farmer's buying path.

TikTok - cheaper coverage, fast recognition and „out of the field” education”

TikTok in the agricultural industry today is one of the fastest ways to build brand visibility. Why? Because the platform puts a premium on short, dynamic videos, a agriculture is very „video-genic” - Field work, tests, „before and after” differences, quick technology comparisons, simple guidance from an advisor.

In practice, the TikTok campaign in the agricultural industry works when you want it to:

• reach widely at a relatively low cost (cheap CPM),
• build an association: „this is a brand that knows the realities of the field.”,
• Educate and position yourself as an expert (1 topic = 1 concrete in 15-30 seconds),
• gather initial interest before the farmer even starts comparing offers.

However, it is worth remembering one thing.

TikTok generates great attention, but less often closes the „here and now” purchase decision. The farmer, in the first step, watches, saves, returns, sends the video to a colleague, and only then proceeds to contact or purchase.

Facebook (Meta) - leads, remarketing and closing sales

The meta (Facebook + Instagram) is still the strongest in agro at moments, when the user already has an intention, that is, he wants to inquire about price, availability, dosage, timing, delivery terms, or asks for a contact to an advisor. It's a platform that simply handles the „next step” well.

Facebook wins especially in:

• Lead campaigns (contact forms),
• Messages (Messenger/WhatsApp) and quickly detail your needs,
• remarketing (to people who saw the video, were on the site, entered the offer),
• Driving traffic to the site and spicing up conversions.

In agriculture, this is of great importance because purchasing decisions are risky and rarely impulsive. Most often it is a process:

understand → make sure → compare → buy.

The finish supports these final stages very well.

The best model - a combination of TikTok and Facebook, that is, one funnel in two channels

The best sales results in agricultural marketing today are generated by a combined strategy. Simply put:

• TikTok warms up and attracts, that is, builds awareness, explains the product/service, shows the effects and real-world application.
• Facebook (Meta) closes, that is, it collects leads, recalls the offer, leads to contact or purchase.

This approach is especially effective when your campaigns are consistent - TikTok gives the „story” and trust, and Meta gives the „next step” (form, message, page, offer). Then campaigns on TikTok are not just outreach for outreach's sake, but become the beginning of a funnel that realistically works for the sales result.

Target audience - who really watches campaigns on TikTok in agriculture?

The myth of „TikTok is only for teenagers” in the farming industry simply doesn't stand up. Yes, the platform started out as a strictly entertainment site, but today its demographics have clearly broadened. In practice, TikTok's campaign in the agricultural industry is increasingly targeting people who realistically work on the farm and have an impact on purchasing decisions.

In practice, a campaign on TikTok usually reaches three groups that are important for business:

• young hosts (usually 20-35), who are quicker to test innovations and take over technology decisions;
• people working on the farm (operators, homemakers), who feed content further and strongly influence the choice of brands;
• advisors, agronomists and traders who consume educational content and increase its reach in the community.

This matters because in agriculture, a purchasing decision rarely disappears into a vacuum. Often it starts with a short video watched „between jobs” and ends with a conversation with an advisor, a comparison of offers and only then a purchase.

Facebook and TikTok differ in intent, not just age

Facebook (Meta) remains strong among farmers 35+ and farm owners because it favors „transactional” activities. Users are more likely to read details, compare, ask about price, send a message and leave a contact.

TikTok works differently. The user wants to quickly assess whether a brand „knows the reality of the field.” What counts is practice, a test, a simple application and language the farmer can understand. That's why campaigns on TikTok are more likely to build demand and brand recall, and less likely to close a sale on first contact.

Application under strategy and results

TikTok is strong at the top of the funnel. It builds awareness, trust and recognition. Facebook is strong in the middle and bottom of the funnel. It closes the topic with a lead, a conversation and a sale. The best results come from a combination of both channels, where TikTok generates interest and Meta takes the user through remarketing and leads to contact or purchase.

Of course, budget is important, and the key to optimizing it is not to choose the „better” platform, but to understand their different roles in the farming season. Don't judge TikTok's effectiveness solely by the number of direct calls - it's a tool that „cultivates the field” for harvesting, building trust in the technology, while Facebook acts like a harvester, collecting ready-made sales leads. By treating these channels together, you avoid a common mistake - burning through your budget on expensive conversions from farmers who don't yet know why your product is better than your competitors'.

Cost and effectiveness - TikTok Ads vs Facebook Ads in the agricultural industry.

In the agriculture industry, comparing ad costs by CPC alone can sometimes be misleading. In practice, a TikTok campaign most often buys you attention (views and brand recall), while Meta more often „proves” the result in the form of a contact, lead or purchase. That's why it makes sense to look at costs in the context of the campaign goal and funnel stage.

Below are indicative ranges from real promotions in industries similar to agro. These are values in ranges, as results fluctuate strongly depending on the season (sowing, treatments, harvest), region, competition, quality of creative and ad group settings.

How to read campaign results without stretching the conclusions?

TikTok usually wins on CPM, so it gives you cheaper reach and builds recognition faster. This is especially valuable if you're coming in with a new brand, a new variety, or want to „kick-start” the market before the season. In practice, a well-run campaign on TikTok can prove a lot of video views and engagement, but clicks are sometimes less „shoppable.” Farmers are more likely to watch, save, forward and only return to the topic after a while.

Meta (Facebook/Instagram) more often than not loses the price of reach, but wins in what for agro is crucial at the end of the process. It's about contact acquisition and closing decisions. Lead forms, Messenger/WhatsApp messages, and remarketing to people who have already seen the content or been to the site tend to yield more predictable sales.

What to choose if you are counting on the result?

If your goal is to quickly contact a sales person, sign up for a trial, inquire about availability or a quote, Meta will be more effective in most cases. If your goal is to have your brand „visible in the environment,” associated and quoted, TikTok can do it faster and cheaper.

The best approach in the agricultural industry is link. Campaigns on TikTok build demand and recognition, while Meta takes the user through remarketing and leads to a contact or purchase. Then, even if TikTok has a higher direct conversion cost, it can still be very profitable because it adds cheap attention at the top of the funnel.

Format of ads vs. costs - practice from the agro industry

On TikTok, short, dynamic videos „from life” and „from the field” are the natural fuel. The more authentic and specific, the better the platform carries them. On Facebook, carousels, graphics and posts detailing the offer still work well, and Reels is a strong bridge between one world and the other. The difference is that Meta is better at „driving” the user to the next step, such as a contact form.

„In agriculture, CPM is just a price per attention, not per customer. TikTok can buy you that attention a lot and cheaply, but only Meta turns it into a phone call, a form and a specific conversation with a sales person. That's why campaigns where TikTok builds the need and Facebook closes the decision work best.”

—Magdalena Cieślikiwicz, Account Manager, SoMe expert in the agricultural industry, Adagri.

How can agricultural brands put TikTok into practice?

TikTok in agriculture works best when you don't try to „sell a product in 15 seconds,” but rather build context and trust. A well-set TikTok campaign in agriculture can do something in a short time that takes months on other channels. It's all about the association of „they know the realities of the field” and „they speak normal language.” Here are three applications that most often deliver a result in agro.

Building awareness and trust - show that you are „from the field”

TikTok is great for showing the brand „from the inside.” Tests, experiments, field advice, preparation for treatment, in-season logistics, variety comparisons. Farmers want to see truth and practice, not the perfect spot.

A video shot with a phone often works better than a commercial production because it looks like a real piece of the workday. If you're planning a campaign on TikTok, start with a content that solves a specific problem And they provide one clear conclusion.

Example:

A short piece of footage in which an agronomist explains in 30 seconds the difference between two wheat varieties and for what position he recommends them, can garner tens of thousands of views even without a big budget. This is how you build „first trust,” which then works in sales.

Collaboration with agricultural developers - authenticity wins over recognition

There are more and more young farmers, operators and advisors on TikTok who create content regularly. Their advantage does not lie in the fact that they are „influencers.” It lies in the fact that they are credible and speak the language of practice.

In agriculture, recognition does not always equal effectiveness. Very often micro-creators with a smaller but engaged community in a specific region or crop will work better. If your goal is reasonable costs and real impact on decisions, such collaborations can be a golden mean, especially when you later conquer them as a paid campaigns on TikTok.

Native video ads, or TikTok Ads done „the tiktok way”

TikTok Ads gives you capabilities similar to Meta. You have targeting, measurement, pixel, driving traffic to your site. The difference is in the creative. Here, the „pretty ad” doesn't win, but an ad that looks like a natural video from the platform.

In practice, short, educational formats with storytelling and a concrete effect work best.

Example:

The video matrix „See how we fertilize rapeseed and what changed after 7 days” - works because it combines curiosity, practice and proof. Such a campaign on TikTok can be a great start, and you do the closing later with remarketing in Meta.

Facebook still indispensable in acquiring leads

Just because TikTok is growing in importance doesn't mean it's destined to replace Facebook. In agriculture, Facebook (Meta) is still the most predictable channel if your goal is to

leads, That is, real inquiries to the merchant, requests for a quote, a trial sign-up, a phone call or a message with specifics.

Why? Because Meta has tools built for the „next step.” Contact forms (Lead Ads), messaging campaigns on Messenger and WhatsApp, ads with a „Call” button and very strong remarketing make it easier for the user to go from interest to decision. In agriculture, this is crucial, because a purchase here is rarely an impulse. Most often, it is preceded by a comparison of technologies, clarification of terms and conditions and a quick consultation.

The best strategy is that you don't treat channels as competition, but as elements of a single funnel.

In practice, it works like this: TikTok reaches new people, builds recognition and gets the farmer to associate the brand. Meta then takes over the user in remarketing, for example, when someone has visited the site, watched videos or clicked on an ad. This is where conversions are most likely to occur, because Meta leads the user down a simple path to action, with no unnecessary steps.

The effect is simple and very „agricultural” in logic. TikTok makes the first contact and reinforces trust, Facebook closes the decision. And you gain a full marketing funnel from the moment the farmer first sees your brand to the final purchase of seeds, fertilizers or crop protection products.

In the agro industry, a lead does not come from a single video. TikTok most often initiates interest, and Meta gives the tools to close the subject. A lead form, a message on WhatsApp, remarketing to people from site visits, these are the mechanisms that realistically get the contact to the merchant. That's why Facebook is not losing its relevance, just changing its role. It is becoming a closing stage, not the first meeting with the brand.– Karol Garbaczonek, Senior Agricultural Content & Online Ads Spcialist, Adagri.

TikTok campaigns in the agricultural industry - lessons from practice

TikTok campaigns in the agriculture industry make the most sense when they are based on content that looks and sounds like real farm life. TikTok does not reward „perfect advertising.” It rewards authenticity, pace and a concrete conclusion. That's why educational materials recorded in the field, with brief commentary from an advisor, farmer or technologist, work best. If you can answer one question that actually comes up in the field in 20-30 seconds, the algorithm will do the rest.

The second condition for effectiveness is language. In agro, communication must be understandable, practical and devoid of marketing bloat. A farmer doesn't need slogans. He needs clear information about what to do, when to do it, why to do it, and what to expect. TikTok is merciless in this regard. If you start with pouring water, the user scrolls. If you start with a problem and specifics, he watches to the end.

The third element that realistically differentiates „result” campaigns from „display” campaigns is the combination of channels. A campaign on TikTok alone rarely closes a sale as effectively as Facebook (Meta), especially in a model where it's all about talking to a salesman, advising and matching terms. TikTok, on the other hand, can build recognition and an expert image very quickly. And in agriculture, this is of great value, because purchasing decisions are based on trust and experience. TikTok shortens the distance between the brand and the farmer, and Meta usually takes that attention in remarketing and turns it into a contact, inquiry or sale.

If you want your campaign on TikTok was effective, let's do it together. At Adagri, you work with specialists who know the agriculture industry inside out and can combine campaigns on TikTok with Meta into a single, effective marketing funnel. We'll prepare the strategy, video creatives, measurement setup and remarketing, and then lead the optimization for the result.

Write to us and tell us what you're selling (seeds, fertilizers, RG, machinery, services). We will choose the best scenario of activities and propose a campaign plan tailored to the season and your goals.

See also: Meta Ads in the service of agriculture: effective formats and targeting strategies on Facebook and Instagram

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