A Deep Dive into Digital Due Diligence for Europe’s Top Precision Farming Brands

Over the past decade, the agricultural industry has undergone a significant transformation, largely driven by advancements in technology, data-driven practices, and the rise of precision farming. While traditional agriculture has steadily grown by an average of 6.25% annually in digital popularity over the last ten years, precision agriculture has outpaced it, expanding at a higher annual rate of 7.99%. This surge reflects the increasing adoption of technology to optimize crop production, reduce resource use, and address sustainability challenges.

Dániel Balázs

Digital Marketing Specialist

In this competitive landscape, several leading brands have emerged, leveraging digital strategies and innovative technologies to enhance their market position. This digital due diligence analysis focuses on five key players in precision farming: OneSoil, 365FarmNet, Sencrop, Geo-konzept, and AgroCares. From OneSoil’s strong following on Instagram to 365FarmNet’s dominance on Facebook and Sencrop’s above average web performance, each brand offers a unique approach to connecting with farmers and advancing precision agriculture trends. Here’s an in-depth look at the digital strategies shaping this industry and how these companies are performing across various channels.

Exploring Digital Interest Trends in Precision Farming

Over the past several years, the precision agriculture sector has experienced robust growth, marked by an impressive annual growth rate of 7.99%. This upward trend highlights the increasing adoption of advanced technologies such as data analytics, sensors, GPS-guided equipment, and drones, which are revolutionizing farming practices. These innovations empower farmers to enhance operational efficiency, optimize crop yields, minimize waste, and mitigate environmental impact, all of which are critical in addressing the growing demand for sustainable agriculture amid the challenges posed by climate change and resource scarcity. However, the evolution of digital strategies within agriculture is also noteworthy.

The emergence of platforms, applications, and smart farm management systems is enabling farmers to make informed, real-time decisions based on accurate data insights. As technological advancements continue to progress, the divide between traditional farming practices and tech-enhanced methodologies is expected to widen, further intensifying the demand for precision farming solutions.

*Relative Popularity of Agriculture and Precision Agriculture*

Social Media Performance Shaping the Future of Precision Farming

Social media plays a pivotal role in building brand awareness and engaging with customers. OneSoil leads with over 42K followers across six platforms, outpacing its competitors. OneSoil also dominates Instagram, capturing 48% of the total Instagram followers across the five brands. It’s also active on newer platforms like TikTok and maintains a robust presence on X (formerly Twitter), showcasing its ability to engage younger, more tech-savvy audiences.

While 365FarmNet ranks second with 27K followers, it lacks a presence on TikTok and X, which could limit its engagement with emerging digital audiences. However, it excels on Facebook, holding nearly 65% of the follower base across the brands, as Facebook remains the most popular platform with over 32K followers, accounting for 31.33% of total followers across platforms. LinkedIn follows closely, with 26.98% of the total base, where 365FarmNet achieves the best engagement rates.

Sencrop and OneSoil excel on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, capitalizing on visual content to reach wider audiences. Sencrop also leads on X, demonstrating an effective use of diverse platforms as part of its digital strategy.

*Aggregated Social Media Followers by Brand*

The Evaluation of Webpage Performance

In today’s digital landscape, webpage performance is critical for user experience and brand perception. OneSoil takes the lead, scoring highest in six out of eight performance indicators. With an average score of 83 for both mobile and desktop, OneSoil provides a seamless user experience, despite facing some challenges with accessibility.

Sencrop is great at being user-friendly on mobile devices, doing well in search engine rankings, and following industry best practices that contribute to its overall usability and effectiveness. However, when we compare it to OneSoil, Sencrop's overall performance is just a little less impressive. It’s clear that while brands are optimizing for desktop, mobile performance still lags—a critical area for improvement as more users rely on smartphones for real-time farm management.

Geo-konzept, though ranking second in webpage performance with an average score of 67, remains among the least popular brands in terms of overall digital visibility. 365FarmNet and Sencrop are closely matched in terms of performance, with 365FarmNet slightly edging out of its competitors.

*Desktop and Mobile Performance by Brand*

Understanding Digital Popularity

Digital popularity is an essential metric in today’s competitive precision farming market, reflecting brand visibility and user interest. The top three most popular brands—OneSoil, Sencrop, and 365FarmNet—display different growth patterns in terms of search engine visibility and overall relevance.

From 2014 to 2020, 365FarmNet was the leading brand, consistently achieving the highest scores for digital popularity compared to its competitors. However, over the last five years, its growth has declined significantly, with a negative growth rate of -10.09%. This contrasts with Sencrop, which experienced a staggering 51.51% annual growth over the last decade, with a modest 5.51% growth in the past five years. Sencrop also leads the way with the highest monthly search volume of 9,900, highlighting its strong digital footprint.

OneSoil has seen significant growth as well, with a monthly search volume of 6,600. This rise in digital popularity indicates that newer players like OneSoil and Sencrop are challenging established brands in the precision farming space.

*Relative Digital Popularity Of Precision Farming Brands*

Key Takeaways

As the agricultural industry increasingly embraces technology, precision farming brands are positioning themselves for future growth through strategic use of digital platforms and improved user experiences. OneSoil has emerged as a leader in both social media presence and webpage performance, while Sencrop excels in digital popularity and search visibility. 365FarmNet, though still a major player, shows signs of slowing growth, indicating a need for renewed focus on digital engagement.

To remain competitive in this rapidly evolving space, brands need to develop robust digital strategies that incorporate strong social media engagement, optimized webpage performance, and effective SEO tactics. Precision agriculture is no longer just about field technology; it's also about how well brands communicate and engage in the digital world.

That said, while this analysis shows how these companies stack up against each other within the precision farming sector, it's important to note that, compared to other industries, they still lag behind in digital branding power. Their social media presence, with relatively low follower counts, reflects limited engagement. Monthly search volumes, though indicative of interest, remain modest. This is partly due to the niche nature of the precision agriculture market, but also points to a need for stronger digital branding efforts across the board.

The precision farming brands analyzed were selected from Agri Business Review's Precision Farming Special Edition paper published in March 2023.

Ultimately, this analysis is just a snapshot, offering a glimpse based on a few key metrics. A comprehensive digital due diligence (DDD) would provide a fuller, more nuanced picture of each brand’s true digital potential and market positioning. OneSoil, 365FarmNet, Sencrop, Geo-konzept, and AgroCares are evaluated based on their social media presence, webpage performance, and overall digital popularity. All data related to this analysis, including social media KPIs, website performance metrics, and digital popularity indicators, were collected in September and October 2024 and reflect trends from the previous 30 days leading up to the analysis.

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