I’ve got questions. So do 70 million others.

Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’

I’ve got questions. So do 70 million others.

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Generation Y has left quite the mark on our society – haven’t we?

For those of you who just clicked on the link above- yes, I just cited Wikipedia. And yes, I can do that because I am Generation Y. I’m independent. I make my own rules. Sometimes I follow the rules of those that I respect highly. Furthermore, I’m both “high-performance and high-maintenance,” as this USA Today article put it.

If you aren’t one of us, we’re easy to spot. Harry Potter was our Peter Pan. Eminem is our comeback kid and the names Blink-182, Britney Spears and Creed all have a special place in our hearts.

But that’s all in the past now. What does a Gen Yer like me do now that Britney’s back at the gym and Harry Potter has come to an end? I do just what everyone else does. I juggle a career in agriculture, a husband, a house, time at the gym, volunteering, spending time online and whatever else I need to do.

While I don’t spend every second online like some of our youngest Gen Yers, it’s a part of my life I couldn’t live without and it has hugely impacted my “agvocacy”, advocating for agriculture. Aside from agvocacy, it’s my direct link to answering questions, a lip-smacking recipe for dinner and a community of people who care about me. I explore topics that interest me on blogs, Google, Facebook and Twitter. I’m always looking for new ways, like Pinterest or Google+, to organize my overload of information. But to be honest, I don’t have the time to get to know technology or every topic as good as I should.

So what do I do? I rely on an online network of people I’ve built to provide me with trustworthy information. I seek out blogs that I trust, people on Twitter I’ve had meaningful conversations with, and webpages or Facebook pages that give me a glimpse into things I don’t understand.

Most recently, I became involved with a group of Rockin’ Rural Women that are on both Twitter and Facebook. There are about 800 of us nationwide. We come together to celebrate all things are rural- our livelihoods, our dreams, our values. Simply put, you don’t need to be a cowgirl but do you need to love dirt under your fingernails. Last week we had a chat on Facebook and Twitter about holiday stress and how we (as women) de-stress. It’s always a great time. Such good people. Such good prizes.

So what does this mean to you? To me? To agvocacy?

We need to consider taking time to break out of our everyday routines and to be a part of online relationships- not just conversations. The relationships need to be honest, transparent and meaningful, just like offline relationships are.

Twitter is a great place to do this type of online relationship building. While there millions of more people still on MySpace compared to those of us on Twitter, I have found Twitter to be a highly influential and engaged place to build relationships. Pick a TV show, hobby or interest you enjoy and follow the Twitter hashtag. Connect with a few new people every week and grow those relationships. This will allow you to go “beyond the choir” that you engage with daily or weekly and truly reach people outside of agriculture circle you already know well.

Do you blog? Find a new blog or two that shares a common interest or hobby and comment on those blogs. Establish a relationship with the blogger and invite them to read your blog. It’s amazing how these connections can go so deep.

I tend to find, when a non-agriculture person I have built a relationship with online has a question about food or farming, they often will think of me as a resource to go to with their question. It’s just one way my agvocacy impacts the online relationships I have built.

Take it from a Gen Yer, I understand it’s easy to get caught in our own world and our own circles- days are long, time is short, and even the lowest maintenance, “high-maintenance Gen Yer” has too many things to do. But there are 70 million of us Gen Yers out there and we all have questions about everything from fashion to food. Do you want to help answer?

Jodi Oleen is a thirty-something Floridian-turned-Kansan. She is recently married and works for a farmer led organization in The Little Apple. She has a undergraduate degree in Animal Science with an Equine Option and a Master’s degree in Food and Resource Economics, both from University of Florida. Find her on Twitter or Facebook, or check out mycousinisvegan.wordpress.com.

Tags: Advocacy, Agriculture, agvocacy, Facebook, Food, Generation Y, Social Media, Twitter
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Social Media, Technology | 2 Comments »

Insider’s Scoop on John Deere & Social Media

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

~ guest blog post by Tara Saylor Litzenberger

I should probably start this post with a confession: even though many of you probably know me as “that gal from John Deere on Twitter,” social media is not part of my day job at John Deere. My day job is Internal Communications, which involves everything from video shoots to presentations, but almost exclusively for other employees. I blog (and Tweet and Facebook and even Gowalla) because I love my job and I love telling stories.

Still, being involved in social media while working for a company the size of John Deere is different than what many other agvocates do. For one thing, I don’t get to spend as much time around cows and tractors as many of you do. And yes, there are company rules and policies that I have to follow. But mostly, it’s a lot of fun. I get to connect with great people in nerdy new ways.

So what’s it like working for John Deere in the online era?

We have a great Social Media policy.
Short version: be transparent, don’t lie, follow communication policies and don’t be a jerk. The communication guidelines are the same ones I’d be following if I met you at a farm show, so that’s not hard to do. I do have to tack a disclaimer on posts* to clarify that I’m sharing my views, but that’s easy to do. There are people within the company who monitor brand activity online and they’re supportive of what I do.

We learn from you.
Although many people at John Deere do have an ag background, there are others who don’t know much about farming. Social media makes it easier than ever for employees to understand the more about agriculture, from YouTube videos of equipment in action to hashtags for current events.

We’re using social media around the world.
John Deere has official Twitter accounts in Brazil and Mexico, and we have a German Facebook page. I love seeing them, even if I need Google translate to tell me what’s going on.

We’ll keep growing from here.
I know that there are still things that we could do more effectively online. I recently heard Jeremiah Owyang of the Altimeter group say that most companies have been engaged in Social Media for less than five years. Considering that we’ve probably been running print ads for well over 150 years, I don’t feel too bad that we haven’t got all the answers online. And the best part is that we’re here and connecting with you to figure out how to make it happen.

Speaking of connecting and learning from you, I share stories of how farmers use social media with other people in the company. I’d love to hear your stories in the comments.

*including this guest post. These are my own opinions and views and may not represent or reflect the opinions or views of John Deere.

Tara Saylor Litzenberger is an all-around nerd who works in Corporate Communicatons at John Deere. She grew up on a small farm in Pennsylvania, married a country boy from Florida and now regularly spends time in three different Midwestern states. She shares her journey on her blog, Adventures in Ag.

Tags: Agriculture, agvocate, John Deere, Social Media, social media policy, Technology, Twitter
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Farmer, Social Media, Technology | 3 Comments »

Agvocating: Quick, Short & to the Point

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

~ guest blog post by Wayne Black

Just over a year ago my wife (@JenniLeeBlack) convinced me I should be involved with social media. Not being a fan of Facebook, I was skeptical. For me it had to be quick, short and to the point. Then I read about Twitter. A limit of 140 characters it suited my style.

I spent about two weeks reading up on Twitter before starting. I would encourage everyone to do the same thing. Since then I have found many websites that have it summed up on one page or in one picture. A great example of this is one developed by Ogilvy’s 360 Degree Digital Influence group: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27132029@N06/3022781883/

Wayne is an avid agvocate for agriculture through both social media and with his involvement with various agriculture groups.

I have learned a lot from being on Twitter. The first is that we, as farmers, have to be involved with social media. It doesn’t really matter whether it is Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or whatever the platform of the day is. There is a conversation going on. We must be involved.

The second thing I’ve learned is no matter what you do, each message is more effective if you “market” that message to the right people. I do that by using hashtags or #.

Hashtags are a sales pitch for each tweet I send and the most effective for getting noticed. People search out tweets of interest by searching hashtags. One that got me involved with a lot of new followers and finding new people to follow was #agchat. Since then I have discovered other hashtags that interest me such as #food, #moo, #corn and other #agriculture identifiers. Locally we have developed #HuronCty (for our Huron County), #Ontag (Ontario Agriculture) and #GGA (a part of Huron County termed Greater Goderich Area). There are no limits to hashtags; they can be whatever you’d like and can help you find the conversations you need to be involved with.

And finally, the biggest reason to be on Twitter or any type of Social Media is for advocating (or in my case, agvocating). Twitter has offered me an excellent venue for agvocating for Ontario Agriculture. It has generated a lot of discussion with politicos, foodies, urbanites and also fellow farmers. My personal use has generated media articles that promote the positive aspects of agriculture and farming in Rural Ontario. People who read my tweets can place a name to a person which adds value to the message.

The joy of Twitter is that it gives the opportunity to get engaged in a conversation if an issue comes up. You have the opportunity to learn why they have created the negative or positive thought about agriculture. You can walk through a process with the person on the other side to get them engaged in conversation, rather than preaching or appearing to sell the idea. A lot of times people just want to hear from a farmer. They want to hear what my farm practices are. Understanding why I do what I do gives them further depth to knowing and the ability to question the negative aspects.

Social media allows me as a farmer to become engaged with non-farmers and politicos. We need to become engaged in conversation to get our story out, make it believable and to be truthful. Twitter allows me to do that from where ever I am, in the field, in the barn, in the Boardroom or in my home. People are engaged on the go, even in Rural Ontario.

You may think social media is not for you, but I encourage you to look around. Most likely you’ll find a conversation going on that you’ll want to weigh in on. Pick a platform and speak up. Let your voice be heard.

Who is @waynekblack?

Wayne is a cash crop farmer with a passion for agriculture. He also works with his father on the original farm that has been in the family since before 1867. He is on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Agricultural Adaptation Council. Locally he is engaged with various Committees working on Economic Development opportunities and sustainability efforts. In his spare time, he enjoys life with his wonderful wife & 3 amazing children (http://abearaladybugandapeanut.wordpress.com).

Tags: Advocacy, Agriculture, agvocacy, Facebook, Farmer, Social Media, Technology, Twitter
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Social Media, Technology | 1 Comment »

Farmer Grows Agritourism & Winery Through Social Media

Friday, April 8th, 2011

~ guest blog post by Bill Bakan, Maize Valley Farms

“If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything” by Alexander Hamilton and “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds” by Woody Hayes are quotes describe the balancing act that I think life is mostly about.

Saying that, we are involved in social media as an effort to balance and control our online image. You see, I don’t live to farm – I farm for a living. I also say I must be unemployed because I love my “job” so it must not be work! I use our web site, blog, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter accounts, to sell our “stuff.” It also helps with search engine optimization; I just try and put enough content out that I generate inbound links as much as possible from as many angles as possible.

We currently raise about 52 different crops on approximately 700 acres. Our farm market/winery is open year round. We attended 10 farmers markets a week during the summer of 2010 and one in the winter. We also focus on special event marketing in addition to “traditional corn maze/fall pumpkin” attraction destination activities. We do all of this to sell what we grow and make.

What message are you sending?

As a “traditional farmer” I got tired of buying retail and selling wholesale as they say. We wanted more control. We needed to vertically integrate our product line yes, but our marketing message even more. Social media allows for direct real time interactive communication with our markets/people. You have to spend the time and money somehow to market and social media is better than most of the “professionals” I have found out there.

It is about the “Balance”, and conversions in the end are what makes “$Bank$”. Social media is not a total answer - it is a tool to be used as part of a plan. Part of that plan revolves around an authentic message and an image development that reinforces the true reality that is a farm life. That IS marketable in itself! Social networking is the best tool for this job. For example: I remember “back in the day” mowing hay before bolt on knife sections, and diskbines. If you ever tried to change a knife section on a cutter bar without that “rivet tool thingy” – you know what I mean? You had to use a ball-peen hammer a cold chisel, center punch and a “smash hammer”, (which usually involved a knuckle sooner or later). Sure makes reaching for your pocket knife later a whole lot easier if your knuckle isn’t busted!

Content like THAT is what I mean, it “connects” or at least relays an experience that other people trust as coming from a true legit source without any “filters”. It is a special message and treatment that people want – true customer service.

Zingerman’s of Ann Arbor, Michigan says it best.

Figure out what the customer wants,
Give it to them,
Go the extra mile.

It’s really that simple – and communicating, especially social media helps to do this very well. Even if you don’t direct market, other people have an increasing say in how you operate and that translates into your cost of production. History shows the low cost producer usually succeeds. Profit comes two ways, increased sales or reduced costs.

Social media allows you to listen, so you can act effectively, which provides an opportunity to exceed expectations. Do this well and you multiply “agvocates” beyond yourself in the form of third party validation, which are today’s most valuable ambassadors.

Everyone is your customer, everyone is your boss, but tell your story well and they are your friend too! Outcomes we’ve seen include:

Touching our customers: a certain portion of our guests they tell me in person often how much they like our posts etc.
Listening: you learn the most when you close your mouth and open your ears I was told. Social media allows me to keep a good eye on trends and the “vibe” of the day, market, demographic, etc.
Growing our business: I hope we can keep up and continue to “exceed” expectations.

Social media has made me a better person; it’s “softened” my edges a bit, while increasing my awareness of the world around me and what other people find important in their lives. I suggest you try social media before someone does it for you and you don’t like but can’t do anything about it. At least “show up” and see what happens. Species that fail to adapt perish.

Farmer turns to SM for winery & agrotourism

Bill is a husband, father, farmer, entertainer entrepreneur trying to keep it real AND profitable down on the farm. “At Maize Valley We Make Great Wine…FUN!”

You can learn more about their farm at http://www.maizevalleywinery.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, or their blog at http://www.ohiowineandmore.com.

Tags: Advocacy, Agriculture, agritourism, agvocacy, Facebook, Farmer, farmer's markets, Farming, Food, Social Media, Twitter, Winery, YouTube
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Consumer Trust, Farming, Food, Social Media | 1 Comment »

The Human Element of Farmers: Sports Obsession & Oscar Dresses

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

~ guest blog post by Zach Hunnicutt

The University of Nebraska is moving to the Big Ten next year. You likely knew that already, and if you follow me on Twitter, I did all I could to drill this information into your eyeballs last June while the whole conference realignment business was at its fever pitch. Because of the magical convergence of GPS autosteering in my tractor, a Blackberry and long days applying fertilizer, I could follow and share all the information the interwebs had to offer about which school was going where and which conferences might collapse. To say I was obsessed would be understating the fact; to say I was annoying wouldn’t be incorrect.

What does this have to do with agvocacy? Everything. Not because Nebraska is a top-notch land grant university whose agricultural research will be greatly aided by entry into the Big Ten, and not because some cutting-edge ag technology made it happen, but because it allowed my followers to see a human element to the farmer behind the smartphone.

Farmer talks Twitter & Commodity Trading CNBC

Zach recently appeared on CNBC to discuss his use of Twitter on the tractor. Next up he will be on a SXSW panel in Austin.

One of the chief aims of agvocates is to reconnect a disconnected public with their food production. At a basic level, this means making sure that people know that milk and eggs aren’t made at the grocery store, that field corn and sweet corn are different, and that somebody has to butcher the meat they’re grilling, to name a few issues (I can’t count the number of times I’ve explained that popcorn isn’t just yellow corn that pops). It also means explaining what we do and why, to clear up misconceptions and give the public a greater understanding of what we’re doing on the farm.

However, we need to remember that we’re not just connecting The Public with The Farm. Social media is about connecting Zach in Giltner with Jesse in New Jersey. Agvocacy becomes most effective when we add that human voice to the farm. For instance, I obsess over sports like a lot of my followers. I deal with the same joys and frustrations of parenting. Somehow, I even got sucked into watching the Oscars (and tweeting about a dress, no less…). Basically, I’m a human being like anyone else, I just work on the production end of the food supply. And once people know Zach the person along with Zach the farmer, I (hopefully) earn a higher level of trust when I talk about agriculture. Just as we trust offline friends to recommend things such as music and restaurants, developing online relationships builds a trust that can make all the difference in sharing your agvocacy story.

So there’s my deeply insightful advice for all you agvocates out there: tweet about your lives. Talk about your favorite music. Obsess over your sports teams. Share what you’re seeing while people-watching in malls and airports (just remember it’s a public forum…and hope that lady with the mullet isn’t on Twitter). Focus on making a human connection with your audience while you’re making an educational connection. And get ready for me to fill your Twitter feeds with Nebraska’s first year of dominating the Big Ten. Go Big Red! (insert picture of MPK vomiting here.)

Zach Hunnicutt is a fifth-generation farmer growing corn, popcorn, and soybeans near Giltner, Nebraska, with his dad, brother and a neighbor. He and his wife have a three-year old and a one-year old who will hopefully be the sixth generation one day. He’s also a proud Nebraska Cornhusker who can’t wait to see Michele’s Spartans come to town in October (MPK would like to note that she’s far more concerned about basketball season since that’s the real sport).

You can find him on Twitter at @zjhunn. He will be part of a panel at South by Southwest Interactive called “Agvocacy 2.0: Adding a Human Voice to the Farm”. Catch Zach’s CNBC five minutes of fame at http://www.cnbc.com/id/41948275.

Tags: Advocacy, Agriculture, agvocacy, Big 10, farm, Farmer, Nebraska, Social Media, Twitter
Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Consumer Trust, Farmer, Farming, Social Media | 5 Comments »