Social media, especially Facebook, can be an important tool for agriculture cooperatives to connect with customers and promote their business. Some key strategies for an effective Facebook page include regularly posting engaging content like questions, photos and videos to prevent the page from becoming stale. It's important to maintain a casual tone while using proper grammar and spelling. Fans should be encouraged to interact through comments and sharing content. While promotions can be shared, the primary focus should be on providing relevant information and building relationships rather than constant selling.

4. 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

5. 2. Facebook o 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 communication o Ability to add photos, video and allow customers to post content o Ability to promote “events” to users o 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 sector o Ability to cross promote from current website and other Facebook pages o Ability to link vendors and product pages o Free communication and interaction with fans (or followers) o TFC employees register a professional page for business use and correspondence

6. Using Facebook

9. Social media is now one of the most important media outlets 60% percent of web users visited social networking sites in 2010 Facebook is at the top of the most visited sites on the web Facebook – 550 million users 50% of active users log on any given day Spend over 700 billion minutes per month

10. Value of social media Offers instantaneous communication Quick and responsive Encourages interaction and participation Builds community unlike any other media format Allows a “conversation” to take place Connects people who would otherwise never be connected Provides a place to share information and ideas

11. Social media, agriculture, & Co-op Advocacy Education Awareness Community-building Relationship-building with customers and consumers Promotion of products, services, meetings, events, etc.

13. Getting started Login to your Facebook account Sign up if you don’t already have one

14. 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

15. Create a page Go to: www.facebook.com/page

16. Create a page Choose a category for your page We suggest “Farming/Agriculture” This can be changed

17. Create a page Name your page How you want it to appear to users This cannot be changed after you reach 100 “Likes”

18. Customize your page Profile photo Info Tab Introduction Applications Settings

19. 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

20. Edit Info Next step is to add page information

21. Edit Info Fill in basic information Address Phone Store hours Description Products Email Website

22. Edit Info Click the “Edit Page” at any time to edit information about your Co-op

23. Edit Settings Click on “Edit Page” Click “Manage Permissions” to determine how users can interact with your page

24. Edit Settings Choose what “Applications” you want on your page Photos Links Events Video (if you have any)

25. Edit Settings Chosen applications show up as links in the left navigation of your page

26. Start Your Status! Post your first status update Suggest you start with a welcome post

27. 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

29. 10 ways to engage fans

30. 10 ways 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

33. Post at least once a day once you build a decent following.

35. Photos will draw attention to your post on a text-heavy wall.

37. You can be casual without being incorrect.

38. Your credibility is at stake. Poor grammar and spelling appears unprofessional and lazy. Not a good combination!

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

45. Slip in sale or inventory information between other types of posts.

48. Use lots of photographs and videos

49. Update your page often — at least once a day during the week — with interesting content

50. Use a relaxed, casual tone in your posts

51. Use good grammar and spelling

53. Let your page become overbearing

54. Use a business-like or stuffy tone

55. Let your page become text-heavy

58. Use lots of photographs and videos

59. Update your page often — at least one a day during the week — with interesting content

60. Use a relaxed, casual tone in your posts

61. Use good grammar and spelling

63. Let your page become overbearing

64. Use a business-like or stuffy tone

65. Let your page become text-heavy

66. Constantly try to sell your fans

68. Tools to enhance pages

69. PHASE II

70. Building fans by advertising

77. Getting fans and keeping them

78. Getting them Remember: First impressions are most important! Don’t let days go past without posting — visitors can see this. Be sure you’re OK with what is on your wall RIGHT NOW. Consider using a landing page Look at corporate fan pages with a BUNCH of fans and emulate what they’re doing Use good photography

79. Keeping them Post questions Remember: It’s not a web site The more interaction, the more exposure Provide information Spotlight your expertise Do the legwork for your fans Use content sites like alltop.com, articledashboard.com Use sites like almanac.com Ask yourself: What would I like to know? Go find out and post it!

80. Keeping them Make suggestions People want to hear your advice, just as they do in the store Provide positive, uplifting content Highlight customer success stories Offer simple notes like “Have a great weekend,” or “Merry Christmas! Give a “call to action” Give thanks!

83. Keeping them Best time/day to post? Put yourself in their shoes A study conducted by social media company Vitrue says: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday best Usage is highest at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 8 p.m. Wednesday at 3 p.m. is the highest usage period Top of the hour sees more interaction Better user engagement in the morning Least activity on Sunday Lower volume but higher interactivity on Saturday

84. Keeping them To engage or NOT to engage… Resist the temptation. Allow enough time for another fan to come to your rescue. If possible, turn the negative into a positive. Don’t be afraid to delete a post and/or block a fan — it’s YOUR page. Don’t tolerate profanity.

85. Keeping them Be thoughtful but consistent A post’s shelf life is fleeting. Don’t get caught up in one post. Don’t be afraid to occasionally repeat yourself. Try to use the same “tone of voice” as much as possible.

86. Keeping them Use video whenever possible Create a YouTube channel and share your videos to your FB page. Fans will be impressed by your technological savvy. If you can’t use video, use a photo! Photos draw attention. Photos create permanent content. Use an experienced photographer if possible.

88. New Facebook Page Features

89. New Layout More like Profile pages Navigation on left instead of tabs at top Photo bar across the top

90. Interact as Page Administrators may toggle between posting comments as themselves or as the page Ability to “Like,” comment, post on other pages as your page

91. Wall Filters Wall posts can be viewed as posts from administrators or “Everyone” Set a default under “Edit Page” “Everyone” often places the most interacted, meaningful posts before a new update, so be cautious

92. E-mail Notifications Administrators can receive notifications when someone interacts with their page Allows more timely response to questions, comments

93. Facebook Page Tools

94. Insights Use Insights to learn more about your fan base and their interactions with your page Detaileddemographicsavailable

95. Insights Use Insights to learn more about your fan base and their interactions with your page

96. Cross-Promote You can “tag” other pages and your post will appear on their wall Opens your page up to a whole new audience

97. Tagging Type your status update Use the @ in front of the page you want to promote You need to “Like” the page with personal profile or as your page before it will allow you to tag it Must use the exact Facebook username

98. Tagging

99. Tagging

100. A word about contests Don’t!

101. Contests Facebook doesn’t allow them unless they are approved and use a third-party application to administer You can’t give away something randomly to fans who “Like” your page You can’t require that fans upload photos or make posts to enter You can’t notify winners through Facebook Too many restrictions to be worthwhile Too much risk: Facebook can and WILL remove your page if you violate the rules

102. Watch other good pages More than 2 million fans!

103. Watch other good pages More than 15 million fans!

104. Watch other Co-op pages

105. Questions