Social Media Marketing Strategies
Stephen Komar Agricultural Agent
Sussex County
Jenny Carleo Agricultural Agent Cape May County
Samantha Rozier Rich North Carolina State University Tourism Extension Specialist
Brian Schilling Rutgers University, Extension Specialist
Sue Colucci North Carolina Area Extension Agent, Agriculture
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Overview of presentation… • Importance of having a Web Presence
• What a Good Web Presence Looks Like
• What is Social Media?
• Marketing and Social Media
• Examples
– Blogger
– YouTube
• Social Media Do’s and Don’ts
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Website & Internet
• Website = most important marketing tool today!
• Importance of having a web presence!
– Increased consumer contact
– Instant access to information & resources 24/7
– 77% of American adults are using the Internet • 81% look for information about a service/product while
thinking of purchasing
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project 2009; Ypartnership 2009 National Travel MONITOR; TIA 2008 Report
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Website Tips
• You need to be found! – Web search optimization – Use key terms throughout your text
• Make your contact information easy to find – Put your contact information in multiple places – Provide physical address – written directions – Write out state name
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Website Tips
• Keep your website updated
• A picture is worth 1,000 words
• Use the “3-clicks in” Rule
Hjkk[kkldfkfmgjgkfpoiokkhkjhkjhkljhfkljhkjhkjhkjhkjhkjhkjhkjhjkhjkhjkashiukfghilfhkjfg8yogffweijhgfe8ygtfeygbfeligef8oytgefygfigevw8gtfvgiyfvgt87fegegefdkkffjkdkdlk;l;llk;lfkpfei0[fek[;;fel,’[;feifkpkfjgmfgmfjfmf,mfjkmkjgytr
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
F-Pattern
• Users do not read, they scan
• First 2 paragraphs must state the most important information
• Use information-carrying words that users will notice
• Short sentences, bullets, and pictures
Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, April 17, 2006: F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content Video about Eye Tracking - http://www.etre.com/usability/eyetracking/showme/
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
www.vollmerfarm.com
www.carolinafraserfir.com
Be sure to link EVERYTHING!
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Principles of Marketing : the “Four P’s” of marketing
Product:
Price:
Placement: What distribution channels will be used to reach your market?
Promotion: How do you let your customers know the other 3 “P’s”
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
What is Social Media?
“The online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights,
experiences, and perspectives with each other.”
A free tool to market your business and tell your story
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Not just websites anymore…
• Social Media
– Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube
– The new “Word of Mouth”
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Advertising & Promotion Options
Studies conducted in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania found that agritourism operators rank “word of mouth” as the number one resource for marketing.
Schilling, Brian, Marxen, Lucas, Heinrich, Helen & Brooks, Fran. (2006). The Opportunity for Agritourism Industry Development in New Jersey. Food Policy Institute Report No. RR-0706-010. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Food Policy Institute. October 2006.
Ryan, Susan., DeBord, Kristy, and McClellan, Kristin. Agritourism in Pennsylvania: An Industry Assessment. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania. California University of Pennsylvania. March 2006.
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
You Can’t Afford to be Invisible
68% of adult Internet users already use social media
33% visit social media sites to engage in product research before making a purchasing decision
47% say social media sites influence their decisions to purchase specific brands or services
26% of respondents changed their minds about purchasing a product after reading about it on a social media site
Market Tools, August/September 2008 Insight Report
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Why social media?
Customer Service and Feedback
– Gives customers a way to connect with your organization in a way they prefer.
– Build “community” – a connection
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Why social media?
Build New Relationships
-- Customers “market” your business to their friends by sharing their experiences.
-- Allows farmer to connect to a wide array of potential customers
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Top Social Media Sites
75 Million users 600 tweets/
second
500+Million active users 200+Million active users accessing
via mobile devices 5+ Billion pieces of content share
each week More than 1.5 Million local
business have Pages Avg. user spends 55+ minutes per
day on FB
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
“Facebook is not important to my business”
• 1 in every 11 internet visits is to Facebook
• 1 in 5 page views is a Facebook page
• Average visit is 20 minutes
• 42% male: 57% female
• 44% between 25 and 44 years old
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
http://weblogs.hitwise.com/heather-dougherty/2012/02/10_key_statistics_about_facebo_1.html
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Top Social Media Sites
Sources: Nielsen Online, Facebook, Computer World, YouTube Report; http://graphics.ms/blog/877-social-networking-statistics -2010/
14.8 Billion online videos viewed in January 2009 alone
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Different types of Facebook Accounts
• User Profile – for individuals ONLY
– ‘Friends’
• Facebook Pages – public figures, businesses, or brands
– ‘Fans’
– Webpage for your org. on Facebook
• Facebook Groups – non-profits, shared interests, causes
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Geolocation Social Media
• Platform that uses the global position system (GPS) on a smartphone to check in to an establishment
• All geolocation services have one thing in common, exploring the world around you and the consumer being rewarded for it.
• Examples: – Foursquare – Loopstar – Gowala – Crowdzone – Scvngr
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
SCVNGR
• Game on phone – going places and doing challenges
• Similar to scavenger hunts
• Great way for folks to get to know a city, university, or link agritourism sites, etc.
• Boston Globe Trek – Used SCVNGR to encourage
Bostonians to hit the streets and experience a mobile social game that allowed players to earn points by participating in challenges like taking photos, scanning QR codes or checking in from different locations.
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
YouTube Stats/Demographics
• Every minute, 20 hours of video are uploaded
• 18-25 year olds
• Divided evenly between males and females
• Spanning all geographies
• 51% of users go to YouTube weekly or more
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Ground Rules for Social Media
• Link everything! – Integrate applications
• Be Active and Interactive – Update often – At least once or twice a week
– Respond • Don’t only listen, participate and engage others!
• Research - See what others are doing – Use Google search to answer questions – get tips
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Social Media Don’ts
• Don’t post or tweet 10 times a day • Don’t forget to link to more info, pictures • Don’t post or tweet mundane activities
(Do educate and include pictures) • Don’t ignore people who send you a direct message or
post • Don’t talk badly about customers
– You never know who is reading your posts/how you are connected to others!
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Social Media Don’ts
• Don’t pitch.
• Don’t overtly self-promote.
• Don’t spend much time outside of your areas of business into: personal information, politics, sports, religion, etc.
• Don’t broadcast too much
– focus on conversations instead
• Don’t overdo it:
– 15 minutes 3x/week should be adequate
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Social Media Do’s
• Follow/friend/like others (similar businesses, customers) • Add a profile picture – customize page • Link to other businesses/farms/ organizations pages,
tweets, or websites • Offer social media exclusives - contests • Comment - Send direct messages • Search mentions of your business (Twitter) and follow • Make sure username/description are clear • Create a weekly ‘to do’ schedule
Cooperative Extension
Farmers & Social Media
Helpful Resources:
• Ohio Farm Bureau Guide to Social Media
• Tennessee Dept. of Ag: Your Guide to Social Media Survival
• Mashable.com
• Facebook and Twitter Marketing for Dummies books