Digital marketing tools for supporting farmhouse development in rural areas: a regional case study

Abstract The aim of the study is to investigate the implementation of digital marketing tools for the promotion of farmhouses in rural areas. Based on a case study of a small, rural and remote Italian region, the study assesses the quality of websites and social media and the level of digitalization maturity of farmhouses, and performs a segmentation analysis of their digital marketing approach. The results of the web content analysis suggest that the websites appear unprofessional in terms of both content and visual aspects and require improvement in several areas. In terms of digitalization maturity, online tools of farmhouses are at an early stage of development and require significant effort to progress to next stages. Regarding the utilization of social media, it emerges a limited engagement with this medium, thereby missing opportunities to interact with and engage customers, and consequently influence their booking decisions. The segmentation analysis reveals four distinct profiles of digital marketing approach of farmhouses, of which two are exclusively based on social media, while the remaining two employ a comprehensive array of digital tools. These profiles show remarkable differences in performance levels. Finally, the utilization of digital tools appears to be more farm-centered than territory-centered, in that websites and social media pay little attention to the rural territory and its natural, traditional and cultural resources. Based on results from the case study, strong interventions and support policies are needed at the level of individual organizations and the entire system of rural actors to promote the development of farmhouses in rural areas and the vitality of these areas based on the agritourism offer.