How to Send Your First Notification on Farmzz: A Step-by-Step Guide to Nailing Your First Message

Émilie signed up for Farmzz on a Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning she had her profile set up, 85 contacts imported from an old spreadsheet, and a catalog with eight products. Then she sat there, cursor blinking in the notification text box, for fifteen minutes. "What do I even say? What if it sounds dumb? What if people unsubscribe?" She closed the tab and went back to the greenhouse.

Two weeks later, she finally sent her first notification. It was two sentences. "First strawberries of the season are ready. Open Saturday 7 AM at the farm stand, Chemin du Lac, Magog." She included three products with photos. Twenty-two people showed up on Saturday—eight of whom she'd never seen before. Total sales that morning: $640, about $200 more than a typical Saturday.

Her biggest regret? Waiting two weeks. "I overthought it. The message didn't need to be perfect. It just needed to tell people what's ready and where to come."

Your first notification is the most important one you'll send—not because it needs to be flawless, but because it breaks the seal. Once you've sent one, sending the next becomes easy. This guide walks you through every step: when to send, what to write, which products to include, who to send to, and what to do after you hit the button.

When to send your first notification

Timing matters. Not because there's one magic hour, but because certain patterns consistently outperform others based on how local food customers behave.

Best days: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Tuesday catches people planning their midweek meals. Thursday and Friday catch weekend planners. Avoid Monday (people are still getting oriented for the week) and Sunday (winding down, less likely to act).

Best times:

Avoid: Before 7 AM (annoying) and after 8 PM (disrespectful of personal time). Also avoid sending at exactly the top of the hour (10:00, 11:00)—that's when most marketing emails land. Send at :15 or :30 to stand out in the inbox.

For your very first notification, Thursday evening or Friday morning is a great choice. It gives subscribers time to plan a trip to your stand over the weekend.

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How to write your notification message

Your notification has two parts: the SMS text (short, character-limited) and the email (longer, with products and images). The SMS is what buzzes their phone. The email is what they read when they want details.

For the SMS: Keep it under 160 characters. Include: what's available, where, and when. That's it. Don't try to be clever. Don't add a life story. Your subscribers opted in because they want to know when produce is ready. Tell them.

For the email: Write a slightly longer message (2–4 sentences) and select products from your catalog. The email displays your message text at the top, followed by the products you've chosen—complete with photos and descriptions.

The formula that works:

Sentence 1: What's ready right now.
Sentence 2: Where and when to get it.
Sentence 3 (optional): A specific detail that creates urgency or excitement.

Example: "First strawberries of the season are in! Open Saturday 7 AM–noon at the farm stand, 123 Chemin du Lac, Magog. Limited quantity—come early for the best pick."

That's 38 words. It takes 15 seconds to type. And it tells the subscriber everything they need to know to show up.

Selecting products to feature

When you create a notification in Farmzz, one step lets you select products from your product catalog. These products appear in the email version of your notification with their photos and descriptions.

For your first notification: Select 3–5 products. These should be your most visually appealing, most in-season, or most popular items. The goal is to make the email look like a mini market display that makes subscribers hungry.

Product selection tips:

• Lead with your hero product—the one that's at peak quality right now
• Include variety (vegetables, fruits, eggs, honey) to appeal to different shoppers
• Only feature products that are genuinely available when you send. Nothing erodes trust faster than promoting something that's sold out by the time customers arrive.
• Make sure each selected product has a photo. Products without photos are still included, but they're far less compelling.

Choosing your recipients

When you send a notification, you can choose to send to all subscribers or to specific subscriber categories.

For your first notification: Send to everyone. Your first message is an introduction. It says "We're on Farmzz now, and here's what's available." Everyone on your list should hear it.

After your first notification, start experimenting with targeted sends. Restaurant clients get a wholesale-focused message. Market regulars get a weekend preview. Flower subscribers get bouquet availability. But for now, keep it simple: everyone gets the same message.

Preview before you send

Before hitting send, Farmzz lets you preview exactly what your subscribers will see—both the SMS text and the email layout. Use this. Check for:

• Typos or auto-correct errors. Read the SMS text out loud. Does it make sense?
• Product photos. Do they look good? Are they the right products?
• Location and time. Is your address correct? Are your hours right?
• Recipient count. Does the number match what you expected?

Previewing takes 30 seconds and prevents the "oh no, I misspelled my own farm name" moment that happens to everyone eventually.

What happens after you hit send

When you press the send button, two things happen simultaneously:

1. SMS goes out. Subscribers with phone numbers on file receive a text message with your notification text. This hits their phone within seconds. SMS has a 98% open rate—almost everyone will see it.

2. Email goes out. Subscribers with email addresses receive a formatted email with your message text, featured products (with photos and descriptions), and a link to your farm profile. Email open rates vary (typically 35–50% for farm notifications) but the email provides much richer content than SMS alone.

Subscribers who have both a phone number and email receive both. This double-touch increases the chance they see your message, since some people check texts more than email and vice versa.

After sending, you can check your performance dashboard to see the open rate, delivery stats, and any issues. Most farms see their open rate settle within a few hours of sending.

5 notification templates you can copy right now

If you're staring at a blank text box and don't know what to write, steal one of these. Replace the details with your own and hit send.

Template 1 — First of the season:
"First [product] of the season! Come get them at [location], [day] [time]. Limited quantity—first come first served."

Template 2 — Weekly availability:
"This week at [Farm Name]: [product 1], [product 2], and [product 3]. Open [days] at [location]. See you there!"

Template 3 — Surplus/flash sale:
"Surplus [product]—half price today only! Come to [location] before [time]. Won't last."

Template 4 — Market reminder:
"[Farm Name] at [market name] tomorrow! Fresh [product 1], [product 2], [product 3]. Booth [number], [time]."

Template 5 — Last chance/end of season:
"Last week for [product] this year. If you want [product] for jam/freezing/eating, this Saturday is it. [Location], [time]."

Notice what each template has in common: what's available, where, when. That's the core of every farm notification. Everything else is bonus.

Checking your stats after sending

Within a few hours of sending, check your Farmzz dashboard for three numbers:

• Delivery rate: What percentage of messages were successfully delivered? It should be above 95%. If it's lower, some phone numbers or emails may be invalid.
• Open rate: What percentage of email recipients opened the message? For farm notifications, 35–50% is normal. Above 50% means your message was highly compelling.
• Unsubscribes: How many people opted out? A few after your first send is normal—some contacts may be old or no longer interested. If more than 5% unsubscribe, the content or frequency may need adjustment.

Don't panic about any single metric on your first send. You're establishing a baseline. Your second, third, and fourth notifications will give you trends to act on. The first send is about breaking the ice, not about optimization.

Common first-notification mistakes and how to avoid them

Waiting too long to send. The longer you sit on a subscriber list without sending, the colder those contacts get. If someone signed up at the market two weeks ago and hasn't heard from you, they've already forgotten. Send within the first week of having subscribers.

Writing a novel. Your first notification isn't a newsletter. It's not your farm's life story. It's a short, clear message that says: here's what's available, here's where, here's when. Two to four sentences. If you can't say it in 30 seconds, you're saying too much.

Forgetting to include products. A text-only notification misses the biggest advantage of Farmzz: visual product listings. Even two products with phone photos dramatically outperform plain text. Take the extra 5 minutes to add a few products before your first send.

Sending at the wrong time. A notification at 11 PM on a Sunday night will annoy people, not excite them. Stick to the recommended windows: mornings (7–9 AM), lunch (11 AM–1 PM), or early evening (5–7 PM) on Tuesday through Saturday.

Overthinking it. Your first notification doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to exist. The best farm marketers send imperfect messages consistently. The worst ones craft a perfect message in their head for three weeks and never hit send. Done beats perfect, every single time.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I schedule a notification to send later?

Farmzz lets you send notifications immediately. If you want to time your notification for Thursday evening but you're writing it on Wednesday night, just save a draft of your message and products, then send when the time is right. Writing the message in advance and sending at your chosen time takes about 30 seconds.

What if I make a mistake in my notification?

Once a notification is sent, it can't be unsent—just like a text message. That's why the preview step is important. If you realize you made an error after sending (wrong time, wrong product), you can send a quick follow-up correction. Subscribers actually appreciate the honesty: "Quick correction: we're open Saturday, not Friday. See you then!"

How long should my notification message be?

For SMS: under 160 characters (about 2–3 short sentences). For the email portion: 2–4 sentences is ideal. Longer messages tend to get skimmed or ignored. Your subscribers don't want a newsletter—they want to know what's available, where, and when. Respect their time and they'll keep opening your messages.

Should I include emojis in my notification?

A few emojis can add personality and catch the eye in an SMS. A strawberry emoji next to "Strawberries are in!" feels natural. But don't overdo it. Three or more emojis per message starts to feel spammy. Zero emojis is also perfectly fine—clarity matters more than flair.

How often should I send notifications?

Most farms find 1–3 notifications per week is the sweet spot during high season. One per week is the minimum to stay top of mind. Three per week is the maximum before fatigue sets in. During off-season, once every 1–2 weeks keeps subscribers engaged without annoying them. For more on frequency and timing, see our SMS marketing best practices guide.

Do I need products in my catalog before I can send a notification?

No. You can send a text-only notification without selecting any products. However, notifications with products (especially with photos) perform significantly better. Even adding 2–3 products with quick phone photos makes a noticeable difference in engagement. We recommend setting up your catalog before your first send.