Farming may very well be the second-oldest profession. This will not come as a surprise, but I’ve never farmed personally. However, my family is from Nebraska (Go Big Red) and both sets of grandparents owned farms. So, I’ve spent more than my share of time in a corn field (terrible Wi-Fi).
And while farming has been around so long it’s literally bibical, social media – all post-modern and zeitgeisty – shares several core elements.
Are you a successful social media farmer?
1. Pick Your Crops
You don’t just cultivate whatever grows naturally on your land. That’s called weeding, not farming. Farmers determine what to grow based on expertise, market conditions, and topography.
In social media, it’s important to interact with customers and prospects in real-time when relevant, but if you’re going to create brand communities to facilitate those exchanges, you can’t be everywhere. What’s right for your organization? Facebook? Linkedin? Twitter? A corporate blog? YouTube? Ning? You have to make a clear-headed decision about where you’re going to deploy your social media resources, and that decision is best made with a heavy dose of strategic thinking, and a “tools last, not first” mentality.
2. Plant Seeds
Those crops don’t just spring up magically, you know.
Unlike traditional marketing and advertising, one of the huge advantages of social media is that the content you create pays dividends over time. Every blog post, photo, video, Webinar and other content seed made by your organization and/or your fans will continue to generate page views and awareness into the future.
The immediate impact of most social media campaigns isn’t nearly as high as a major print ad, TV commercial, or PR hit in a daily newspaper. But over time, the seeds of social media continue to grow, while the one-shot-deal of traditional marketing is forgotten.
3. Give it Time
The growing cycle is measured in months, not days.
Those expecting instant social media success will be disappointed in nearly every instance. First, you have to listen to your community to determine norms, best practices, and current attitudes. Then, you have to pick your crops and plant your seeds. And only then do you begin to see incremental results.
The good news is that social media results are typically compounding. What you did well yesterday makes today more successful.
4. It Takes a Village
At harvest, the community comes together to help the farmer during his time of acute need.
The Golden Rule of Social Media = Be Helpful. Help your customers. Help your fans. Help your competitors. Help everyone that asks, and even those that don’t ask.
Social media (both personally and corporately) rewards those that give more than they take. (which of course is a philosophical sea change for many companies that are accustomed to a more linear and inward-facing approach)
5. Go to Market
The farmer’s life is ruled by the market, and planting decisions are usually governed by how the farmer believes he can sell the successful crop.
The same should be true in social media, but often isn’t. Not to put an entirely capitalist spin on this, but at some level social media engagement needs to save companies money, make them money, or both. Yes, it’s terrific that social media rewards (if not requires) a customer-centric mindset that can be transformative for companies. But that transformation is not going to happen if it doesn’t pay off at the end. Comcast provides killer Twitter customer support because it works and it’s cost-effective, not because it feels good.
Companies – with help from their agencies – need to start developing a much better sense of why they are engaging in social media before jumping into the middle of the fray. What’s the go to market strategy?
6. Rotate Your Crops
Farmers don’t grow the same crops on the same parcel of land every season. The land can’t support it, so crops are rotated around the farm.
Smart social media practitioners are beginning to recognize the same phenomenon. The crops you’re growing today may not even exist tomorrow. How many corporate Twitter accounts were there WAAAAAY back in 2007? Pre-2006 you had to be in college to be on Facebook.
Further, if your social media efforts are TOO concentrated in one area, you can end up preaching to the choir, reducing your overall impact. I advocate companies participating in ~ 3 social media outposts in earnest, but emphasizing a different one every quarter. The varying levels of effort will keep it fresh for fans and your internal team.
7. Don’t Count on Control
Is there a more frustrating business than farming? You do everything right and WHAM – freak hailstorm wipes out your whole crop. No wonder farmers are religious.
Social media has many of the same risks. It’s unlikely that you’ll get burned in a Domino’s-style imbroglio, fueled by social media. But you might.
Consequently, you’d be well-served to put together a social media crisis communication plan that dictates who would respond in your organization (and how) if a crisis ever occurs. Don’t forget that social media isn’t 9-5, so figure out your protocol for nights and weekends, too.
(photo by Ajagendorf25)
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RT @tweetmeme 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting – Conv… [link to post]
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Great blog, Jason
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7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming | Social Media … [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer: Are you sowing the seeds of love? 7 steps to bountiful social media farming [link to post]
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Like the message here. The analogies are dead on and I left with a renewed sense of optimism from the post. Kudos Jason
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Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming from @jaybaer [link to post]
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Loved this post comparing social media to farming. Yes, farming. 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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RT @coopersmithpr: Loved this post comparing social media to farming. Yes, farming. 7 Secrets to Successful SM Farming [link to post]
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What are you growing? [link to post]
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Tools last not first mentality – I like this a lot. When talking w/ people about social media, its is always a pleasure to see the relief when they learn that the toys and applications aren’t what makes social media work. It’s interesting to watch companies struggle with the customer-centric mindset. Makes one wonder if they ever had the customer first to begin with.
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RT @DaveMurr: Great post about the “social media farmer” by @jaybaer [link to post] [I agree! Excellent points and comparisons]
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@LaurensGpa great post for Shiloh! RT @MarketingProfs: “Tweeting from the Tractor: Social media farming” by @jaybaer [link to post]
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Great advice, Jay.
I’m especially big fan of #5. I think if we can showcase why digital tools can either create revenue or save money, a lot of naysayers may just jump on board.
Brandon Chesnutt’s last blog post..Social Media Strategy at the Third Annual Walsh College Small Business Conference
Excellent article! Very useful information. Thanks a lot Jason.
Paul Waltz’s last blog post..Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming
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Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming – [link to post]
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RT @agconnect: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming – [link to post]
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Your Message
Great advice. You would fit right in at The Concept Farm.
Hank
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Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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This is a fun analogy! Successful social media farming (via @jaybaer): [link to post]
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RT @patcfm: RT @kmatthews: This is a fun analogy! Successful social media farming (via @jaybaer): [link to post] On-target
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RT @RebeccaZwar: Reading: “7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming | Social Media Marketing ( [link to post] )
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“Cultivating” social media – [link to post]
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Thank you @crogersaz for bringing @jaybaer’s blog to my attention. Brilliant & insightful. [link to post]
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RT: @CMEGroup Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Like a Farmer [link to post] #farm #socialmedia
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RT: @CMEGroup Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Like a Farmer http://adjix.com/4nnf #farm #socialmedia
Reading about social media farming and then calling it a day. http://idek.net/J_X
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Love the analogy: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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Great insight into social media basics and tactics. The company I work for, Fastline, is ag publication that has just recently gotten into social media. The ag industry as a whole has just recently really embraced social media and it has been great to see Ag get a voice. Tips like this really are helpful to those just getting started, as well as those looking to advance.
.-= Sabrina´s last blog ..12 Facts About Cattle Care Everyone Must Know =-.
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RT @KarlieJ: Love the analogy: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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RT @RayLinDairy: RT @KarlieJ: Love the analogy: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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Reading about social media farming and then calling it a day. [link to post]
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RT @SimpleAsDirt: RT @RayLinDairy: RT @KarlieJ: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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like this. [link to post]
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RT @Fastline: RT @tweetmeme 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming | Social Media Marketing [link to post]
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RT @NateJaeger: RT @KarlieJ: Love the analogy: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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Great analogy re SM business use. RT @JeffFowle @NateJaeger: @KarlieJ: 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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RT @tweetmeme 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting – Conv… http://bit.ly/1593LL
RT @KarlieJ: Love the analogy: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming http://idek.net/J_X
RT @SimpleAsDirt: RT @RayLinDairy: RT @KarlieJ: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming http://idek.net/J_X
like this. http://bit.ly/10sHVi
RT @Fastline: RT @tweetmeme 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming | Social Media Marketing http://bit.ly/1593LL
RT @tweetmeme 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting – Conv… http://bit.ly/1593LL
RT @jaybaer 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting – Convin… http://bit.ly/1593LL
[...] Tweeting from the Tractor–7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming By: Jason Baer [...]
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Speaking of farming. and in an entirely different context, tx to @jaybaer: 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming [link to post]
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Speaking of farming. and in an entirely different context, tx to @jaybaer: 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming http://bit.ly/10sHVi
A new social media site was just created by farmers for farmers at http://www.FarmConnect.net
Sign up for your own blog, create groups and discussion forums to easily connect farms and communities and tell the important stories of farming.
.-= Mike Murphy´s last blog ..admin wrote on the wire of the group Murphy Family Farm: =-.
RT @jaybaer: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming http://bit.ly/a6scl
RT @jaybaer: Tweeting from the Tractor – 7 Secrets to Successful Social Media Farming http://bit.ly/a6scl