Traditional composting begins with digging a hole in the back yard and letting food and bio waste decay over time.  This method is a great way to generate compost which can be mixed with the soil of a home garden or small farm, bringing natural fertilizer to the soil and giving plants and vegetables abundant nutrients to fuel growth. 

For city dwellers with a hobby garden, however, traditional composting is not a practical solution.  The composting pit often generates a bad smell and can attract unwanted critters into the property.  The process is slow, takes up precious limited land space, and is much less convenient than using commercial fertilizers.  BioTerra, however, has brought a new innovation to the local market in Malaysia:  small scale composting using an enclosed bit, in a process catalyzed by effective microbes specially cultivated by BioTerra which are environmentally appropriate to the region.  In other words, using good bacteria to accelerate the decaying process, urban gardeners can convert home food waste to easily generate garden and lawn fertilizer that is natural, organic, and a benefit to the local environment. 

The early challenge was tapping into a small, niche market to generate interest among the public and ultimately to develop a following of individuals which saw the value and benefits of composting food waste at home.  The concept of using “good” bacteria is unfamiliar to the general public.  For this reason, BioTerra’s social media campaign prioritized a series of educational postings about the product and its applicability in the urban context. 

While this theme helped to educate the public about their composting innovation, the other challenge was to build up a following in a short period of time.  BioTerra has been in business already for over ten years, however their longstanding customers are industrial, mainly large scale farming operations.  Entering into the consumer market required starting from scratch.  While BioTerra’s main marketing efforts were face-to-face channels (gardening shows, shopping malls and other hands-on displays), they gradually built up a social media following by leveraging the potential of social media as an informative channel, while at the same time regularly publishing images and information from recent public appearances or for future events. 

With a base of interested followers gradually growing, BioTerra initiated an online storefront with two popular commercial platforms.  Beginning results were slow, but with gradual promotion on social media, combined with informative content that generated credibility in the business and comfort in the innovation, BioTerra has seen its online sales increase, reaching 20% growth per month. 

BioTerra’s social media investment is paying off.  A positive RoI is expected in just a few more months, but considering the new customers BioTerra has already earned, and the repeat business that is expected over the years, a positive return on the social media investment is all but certain.  Continued development of customer relationships and potential use of pay-per-click advertising are strong candidates for the next phase of development, and may be essential next steps in raising broad public awareness of their unique and niche product offer.