Last week, I spent a few days in Calgary with my clients at AdFarm, the largest agriculture-focused communications agency in North America. In addition to the single best room I have ever spoken in (see photo), I learned a lot from the good folks at AdFarm.
Every Company Will Be Social
Every company, regardless of type or size, will be social at some point in the future. Some are already social. Some are just starting to embrace it. For others, it may take a while. But eventually, every company is going to have to participate, because that’s what customers will demand of them.
Lack of Chatter Doesn’t Mean Lack of Opportunity
At AdFarm, most of their clients aren’t “natural” candidates for social media adoption. They are large agriculture companies that manufacture pesticides, and cattle dewormers, and tractors. Social media monitoring for these companies and categories typically yields very little online chatter.
But, that doesn’t mean social media isn’t appropriate or possible.
If people aren’t talking about your brand online, why don’t you give people something to talk about?
Be Chatter-Worthy
If your company or category aren’t being talked about, you need to move from a responsive/defensive posture in social media, to a proactive/offensive posture. Create content that gives your customers and prospective customers insight into what type of company you really are, and the great people that make your company roll.
(Remember, companies are made up of great people. Social media lets you prove it).
Create a blog. Create a Linkedin group (there’s one that’s only open to people that sell farm equipment). Create videos (the US Department of Agriculture has a pretty damn good video program). Create a Facebook page (here’s a great example from Liberty Swine Farms). Create a killer email newsletter.
If people aren’t talking about you in social media, maybe it’s because they don’t know you’re out there, and maybe it’s because you haven’t given them anything interesting to react to. You can and should fix that.
And it doesn’t matter whether you’re Burger King or a a tractor company. Customers want to know more about the companies with which they do business. Are you making that viable? If not, why not?
