News Detail
Ag producers discovering power of social media
1/29/2010 9:24:06 AM
By Robert Pore, The Grand Island Independent
Social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, are helping to define a new direction for agriculture that puts farmers in direct contact with consumers.
On Wednesday, the Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference and Trade Show held a program titled "Social Media Applications in Agriculture" at the Mid-Town Holiday Inn in Grand Island.
Hosting the program was Dennis Kahl, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator.
One of the main advantages of farmers using social media is it puts them into direct contact with their target audience, whether it be other farmers, consumers, business suppliers or customers.
And the power of the Internet is changing society.
For example, the disaster in Haiti showed the power of social media to make immediate contact with a targeted audience and create a sense of urgency in getting the world to respond to that country's needs. Pictures of the disaster quickly circulated on the Internet and pleas for donations reached the hearts of millions of people via Twitter, Facebook or other social media sites producing more than $500 million in donations since the earthquake shook the Caribbean nation on Jan. 12.
It's that power to get information to the public through social media that will help farmers and ranchers to better tell their story to the public.
"It has the ability to reach people more quickly as more and more people subscribe to these services," Kahl said.
One of the advantages of social media for ag producers is that they can select and narrow their market using those social media tools.
Also, it can allow a producer to technologically be at two places at one time.
During the presentation, farmers were encouraged to use Twitter to send messages about the presentation as it happened, allowing producers attending other meetings to know what was going on at the social media presentation.
"What this means for the farmer is this is a way for them to tell their story, whether it be locally or whether it be nationally or internationally," Kahl said.
One of the audiences farmers are directing that storytelling to is the consumers, Kahl said. By communicating directly with consumers through social media sites, he said, they can answer questions posed by consumers on such topics as food production and animal husbandry.
"What we want to do is introduce people to different ways to think about social media and its applications," Kahl said. "If you are doing it for business, there's the larger clientèle that you're trying to reach, or if you are an organization, you can offer something to your members beyond the annual conference."
One of the leading advocates of social media in agriculture in Nebraska is Nebraska Farm Bureau.
Cheryl Stubbendieck, vice president/public relations and Web site administrator for Nebraska Farm Bureau, said with farmers connecting one-to-one with consumers through social media, "... consumers can get their questions answered and get them answered by people they respect."
"It is another avenue, and an effective one, to correct misinformation and supply good information to the public," Stubbendieck said.
Through social media, she said, farmers can build better relationships and trust with consumers.
"It's a very powerful tool," Stubbendieck said. "People are using it to share information, alerting people to things, asking questions, and building relationships. It's so much more than telling someone that you are going to the Tasty Freeze for an ice cream cone."
While there's a learning curve involved in adapting to using social media, "It's an influential tool that's not going to go away. Even if you don't take part in it, you are affected by it," she said.
One of the main social media tools being used by Nebraska Farm Bureau is Twitter.
"We are very excited by Twitter because it is such an easy application to use on your smartphone or when you are out and about on your tractor or your combine. It allows you to be engaged with the world."
To join Nebraska on Twitter, go online to twitter.com/NEFArm Bureau.
