10 ways farmer's markets can use social media

MINNESOTA FARMER’S MARKET ASSOCIATION | MARCH 22, 2012

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR

FARMER’S MARKETS

AGENDA

• Why is social media important?

• 10 ways to use social media

• Discussion/questions

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WHY IS SOCIAL MEDIA IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESSES?

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Five main reasons businesses use social

media

1. Communicating information

2. Customer service

3. Deepening relationships

4. Branding via content and

conversations

5. Responding to crises

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There are 130 farmer’s markets in Minnesota alone.

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7,175 in the U.S. *up 17 percent in 2011

What are people doing at modern

farmer’s markets besides buying food?

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Checking in Taking photos Updating their status Tweeting

I JUST SAW FRANK AND JUNE CHECK IN AT THE FARMER’S MARKET ON FOURSQUARE. IT SOUNDS FANTASTIC!

10 WAYS FARMER’S MARKETS CAN USE SOCIAL MEDIA

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1. Be a prolific source of information.

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Facts are valuable currency: Location, hours, reminders – What can people expect if they go?

“The strawberries are almost gone!”

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2. Give real-time updates

What would you talk about in person?

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3. Share relevant and interesting content

Blogs can be a good home base for planned content; Syndicate via social channels

And be prepared for criticism or a crisis.

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4. Answer questions

Photos have the highest engagement

rates on Facebook.

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5. Be sure to include visual content

15 million instagram accounts – and counting. 60 photos uploaded every minute.

“What do I do with this food I just bought?”

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6. Tie in to cooking

Post recipes; partner with local chefs, hold cooking competitions

7. Leverage geolocation

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Establish official Foursquare

location, offer specials or

contests

8. Connect people with their food sources

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Profiles of farmers, Q&A’s, photos

from farms.

9. Publish post-event content

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Highlights from the day: photos,

anecdotes, thank-you’s,

announce winners of contests

10. Come together

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Promote other farmer’s markets

and interact with their pages.

Highlight the national trend of

“fork to food.”

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Thank you. Questions?

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Steffen Ryan

Digital Strategist, Weber Shandwick

Email

sryan@webershandwick.com

Twitter:

@redguitarpick