Social Media Marketing for Your Farm Business

Presented by Deanna TomaselliApril 23, 2014

The Social Media Revolution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxpa4dNVd3c

Source: http://andressilvaa.tumblr.com/post/18715435789/whats-social-media

Why Social Media?

• It properly reflects your business• It keeps your business and brand fresh in the minds of

you customers • Cultivates loyalty between your business and your

customers, buyers and/or partners• It positions you as an industry expert• It can help spread CORRECT information about your

industry and defy stereotypes • It can help drive business and sell your product• Social media humanizes your company

Where to begin

Step 1: LISTEN– Set up a search in Google, Facebook, Statigram

(Instagram search) and search.twitter.com of keywords and hashtags

– Hashtags are a word or phrase preceded by a hash or pound sign (#) and used to identify messages on a specific topic

– Use these searches to see where your customers are, what your competition is doing, identify trends and potential issues and, what and if is being said about your business

Step 2: Determine your plan

What do you want to convey in social media?• One-on-one dialogue? Try Twitter• Promotional messages? Facebook• Bold, impactful imagery? Instagram’s where it’s at• Business news and articles? Get LinkedIn• Curated news and images? Pinterest• Videos of your business messages? YouTube

Step 3: Start SMALL

• Start in ONE network that makes the most sense for your business, based upon your observations and goals

• Gather content (photos, videos, articles, testimonials, etc.)

• Lay out a content calendar to create a steady stream of messaging

• Get a FREE content management platform to schedule your posts (Hootsuite or Buffer allows you to set your posts so you don’t always have to post live)

Step 4: Engage!

• Don’t just set your posts and forget them. See what people are posting back and answer their questions and comments

• It takes awhile for people to come to you, so instead, go to them first! Do a search like you did before of keywords and hashtags. Follow potential customers and partners by engaging with them on their pages, linking back to yours

• It takes time, so have patience!

Step 5: Promote

• Add your social media channel(s) icons and links to your email signature, website and business cards

• Tell everyone to follow you• Consider investing in social media ads to turn your

posts into sponsored content, amplifying your reach • Ask your partners to cross-promote your business on

their social networks and in turn, do the same

Step 6: Analyze & Refine• Look to see how your posts are performing via free

analytics tools like Facebook Insights or Hootsuite.• Determine what’s working, what’s not and what

needs to be tweaked• If something’s working, keep at it!• If something’s not, keep trying and modify as needed• It takes awhile to ramp up, so KEEP IT UP

Chipotle’s Well-Rounded Social Media Approach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos

Chipotle Social Media• Company-wide goal: to change the way people think about their food• Its stance on family farms and local ingredients exhibited via Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram and YouTube• Chipotle focuses its marketing efforts on grassroots initiatives which has worked in

its favor: In 2011, Chipotle posted an 11% increase in same-store sales, making it one of the most successful fast-food chains in America

• Employs a one-on-one approach with social, answering 83% of its Facebook fans and 90% of its Twitter fans. More important than “likes” is engaging with its fans and letting them know they are listening

• When it comes to posting content, each post shared pertains to Chipotle's core philosophy of getting people to think about where their food comes from. The material it produces is creative, impactful and intricately tied to the company's philosophy

• “Back to the Start” ad aired during the Grammy Awards in 2012, generating nearly 6 million views on YouTube, and thousands of mentions on Facebook & Twitter– It got other organizations involved in the conversation and opened up that

awareness and dialogue: for example, the Ohio Pork Producers Council discussed their thoughts on sustainable farming practices

Community- Driven Initiatives Each Halloween, Chipotle hosts a "Boo-rito" contest where fans upload photos of themselves dressed up as a family farm animal and receive a ticket to buy a burrito at a local Chipotle restaurant for $2. The $2 would go toward FarmAid, a non-profit organization dedicated to family farmers.

Another initiative: The Chipotle Cultivate Music Festival, a Chicago event bringing together food, farmers, chefs and musicians. At the festival, Chipotle offers samples of new, responsibly-grown dishes, as well as educational opportunities for people who wish to learn about sustainable farming and responsible treatment of animals. Celebrity chefs join in to provide cooking demonstrations, while musicians offer live entertainment. Last year's festival drew 17,000 people and proceeds went to FamilyFarmed.org

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/03/21/chipotle-social-media/

“Farmed & Dangerous” is a unique approach to marketing, and generating a lot of comments online and mixed reviews

http://www.hulu.com/watch/587931

But it’s not all good…

The Chipotle “Cat Controversy”

• A hacker approved posted on an employee’s Facebook page saying she ran over a cat, which sparked outrage on the Chipotle page

• Both the employee and the company posted a same statement on their pages:

“The statement about the cat is completely false. Someone hacked into our employee’s account and posted that update without her knowledge. We at Chipotle respect all animals and would not joke about something like that. We are working with local authorities and hope for a quick resolution. We also ask that you be respectful as this is a difficult situation for our employee. We appreciate your patience.”

• Chipotle did the right thing by addressing the situation, and answering all fan inquiries and concerns

The Chipotle “Cat Controversy”

What to do if you mess up?

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CASE STUDY: GOING ROGUE WITH THE RED CROSS

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2/15/1111:24 P.M.

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2/15/1111:30 P.M.

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2/15/1111:54 P.M.

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2/16/1110:00 A.M.

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2/16/1111:30 A.M.

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2/16/11NOON

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Keeping the humor up

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The Red Cross’ moral of the story

2 words of caution:

You’ll want to space out giving a pint of blood and drinking a pint of beer for health reasons.

Be careful with social media!

Takeaways

• Do your research• Determine your goals• Start small• Have patience• Portray the REAL you and post what makes

your business thrive – what are you good at? What do you want to showcase? Show that on social

Helpful Links

• Twitter 101 for business: https://business.twitter.com/twitter-101

• Facebook basics: https://www.facebook.com/business/overview/

• Facebook for business: https://www.facebook.com/business/ • The beginner’s guide to Instagram:

http://mashable.com/2012/05/29/instagram-for-beginners /• The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Mastering LinkedIn: http://

blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23454/The-Ultimate-Cheat-Sheet-for-Mastering-LinkedIn.aspx

• Social Media Management Platforms– Hootsuite https://hootsuite.com – Buffer https://bufferapp.com/