II. Social Media Strategy• A new sales tool to reach customer• Bring value to our cooperative system• Promote and connect the Co op family‐• Appeal to a new customers• Explain the Co op structure‐• Provide a new Co op education platform‐• Build the Co op brand‐• Provide product information• Provide best practice and management tips• Be timely engaging based on the SM platform• Be progressive in the viewers eyes• Be the rural homeowners community• Springboard for the agricultural community• Be informational and fun• Humanize, demonstrate and promote a compassion for agriculture• TFC’s SM platforms will drive customers to member stores• Help members develop their strategy and assist in development and execution• Become engaged and knowledgeable of emerging SM tools and incorporate as needed

2. Facebooko Two sites (Co op and Cooperator) for Co op, one each for ‐ ‐others (CFS, ADI, Ag Eq., Stockdale’s)o Online fans (followers) that can engage in interactive communicationo Ability to add photos, video and allow customers to post contento Ability to promote “events” to userso Ability to have multiple groups where you can control access (examples of groups could be Co op‐employees, member managers, TFC employees, dairyman, corn growers, etc.)o Ability to advertise to distinct groups in a geographic area or a demographic sectoro Ability to cross promote from current website and other Facebook pageso Ability to link vendors and product pageso Free communication and interaction with fans (or followers)o TFC employees register a professional page for business use and correspondence

Considerations from EFC

Using Facebook

Getting started

• Login to your Facebook account– Sign up if you don’t already have one

Getting started

• You will be the “owner” of the page forever!

• You will also be an administrator

• Multiple administrators can be set up– Only administrators can post as page’s identity

– Administrators can be added or deleted anytime

• The page is not publicly connected to your Facebook profile– Cannot have separate “personal” and “business”

accounts because Facebook doesn’t allow multiple accounts

Create a page

• Go to: www.facebook.com/page

Create a page

• Choose a category for your page–We suggest “Local Business”

• This cannot be changed!

Create a page

Create a page

• Name your page– How you want it to appear to users

• This cannot be changed!

Create a page

Customize your page

• Profile photo• Info Tab• Introduction• Applications• Settings

Add a Profile Photo• Store image (single location)• Co-op Logo (formatted for Facebook)• Agricultural image (localized)• Customized logo (ask us for help)– This can be changed any time

Edit Info

• Next step is to add page information

Edit Info

• Fill in basic information– Address– Phone– Store

hours

Edit Info

• Detailed info–Website:

ourcoop.com & others

– Parking lot– Ignore public

transit

Edit Info

• Click the “Info Tab” at any time to edit information about your Co-op

Add Introduction• Write a short description

of your Co-op– Limited to about 45 words

• Can be changed any time

Publish Page• Publish your page by clicking on the link

directly above your name

• or by clicking on “Edit Page” and “Settings”

• You can work onyour page without making it live and publish whenever you are ready

Edit Settings

• Click on “Edit Page” under profile pic• Click “Wall Settings” to determine how

users can interact with your page

Edit Settings

• Choose what “Applications” you want on your page– Photos– Links– Events– Video (if you

have any)

Edit Settings

• Chosen applications show up as tabs on your page

Start Your Status!

• Post your first status update– Suggest you start with a welcome post

Customize More• Once you reach 25 fans, you can

apply for your own unique username– http://www.facebook.com/username

• Choose wisely: cannot be changed!– www.facebook.com/MyFarmersCooperative

12 tips to engage fans

12 tips to engage fans

1. Incite comments by posting questions• Single most important thing to create

activity.• This is social media, not a web site.• Fans want to interact. Otherwise, they’ll go

somewhere else• The more comments you get, the more

opportunity to go “viral.”• Test their knowledge with a quiz.• Keep questions simple, personal.

2. Keep it fresh — post daily!• Stale content is the kiss of death for a FB

fan page.• Post at least once a day once you build a

decent following.• Don’t over-post. You don’t want to appear

pushy or annoying.

12 tips to engage fans

3. Post relevant, quality content• Get a good grip on your fan demographic

and focus on it.

4. Stay casual• Yes, this is business communication, but

the tone should stay upbeat, casual, and light. Don’t come off as stuffy and proper. Nobody wants to hang out with a stuffy, proper business!

12 tips to engage fans

5. Post photos!• Cliché, yes, but a picture IS

worth 1,000 words.• Photos will draw attention to

your post on a text-heavy wall. (The History.com post could use a photo!)

• People like to browse photos.• Include photos of employees

(with a short bio), store and community events, and more.

• Encourage fans to post photos.• Use descriptive language in

photo captions. This will help drive Google results to your page.

12 tips to engage fans

6. Upload videos• A video is the next-

best thing to being there for a fan.

• Look into purchasing a Flip Video camcorder. You can get them for around $150. Check out their web site at www.theflip.com

• Keep videos short (one minute or less), funny, and interesting.

• Create a YouTube channel and start connecting the two.

12 tips to engage fans

7. Use good grammar and spelling• This is more a way to not DISengage fans.• You can be casual without being incorrect.• Your credibility is at stake. Poor grammar

and spelling appears unprofessional and lazy. Not a good combination!

• If you’re unsure, have someone else proof your post before sharing it.

12 tips to engage fans

8. Use links liberally• Relevant links increase your Google search

visibility and rating.• Fans appreciate the fact that you have gone to

the trouble of gathering information of interest to them.

9. Include community content• For a member Co-op, this is essential because

your community is your customer base, and vice versa.

• Add an “Events” tab to promote store happenings and local events.

12 tips to engage fans

10. Respond to comments quickly and thoughtfully• Fans want to believe that someone is

“manning the store.”• They are less apt to leave a comment if

they believe there’s no one there to respond.

• Don’t patronize your fans with company rhetoric. Be personable, helpful, straightforward, and transparent.

• Keep it positive.

12 tips to engage fans

11. Reward FB fans with exclusive content, contests, and

coupons• Fans will bore quickly if they feel there is

no value in remaining a fan.• FB fans deserve the “insider” treatment.

After all, they did choose to like your page. Give them something in return.

12 tips to engage fans

12. Go easy on the “hard sell.”• A small percentage of FB fans respond

positively to aggressive selling. • Slip in sale or inventory information

between other types of posts.• Don’t treat FB like a traditional type of

advertising. People expect to be sold on TV and radio, and in the newspaper — not on FB.

• Use coupons to draw customers into your store. They will probably buy something else once they get there!

12 tips to engage fans

Fan page dos and don’ts

Do…• Engage your fans with questions and

relevant content• Use lots of photographs and videos• Update your page often — at least one a

day during the week — with interesting content

• Use a relaxed, casual tone in your posts• Use good grammar and spelling• Provide exclusive content and specials for

your FB fans

Dos and don’ts

Don’t…• Let your page become stale• Let your page become overbearing• Use a business-like or stuffy tone• Let your page become text-heavy• Constantly try to sell your fans• Send event invitations more than twice

Dos and don’ts

Marketing on Facebook

Tools to enhance pages