Starting Your Social Media Following

Over the last few months, New Standard Group has been diving more into the connection or lack thereof between farmers and consumers and what things we (farmers and producers) need to be aware of as we continue our work and keep up with the world around us.

In a previous blog "The Future of Hog Farms: Lessons from Europe," we explored and learned about the changes European producers have gone through in the last ten years, as the demands and transparency has shifted into the control of the consumer. Today, more and more, we live in a world where the consumer can self educate, and in most cases, are wanting to know more details about the food they are consuming.

The more we can jump on this trend and embrace what is to come, the quicker and more in touch, we are going to be with our customers and consumers.

In our blog today, we want to encourage you to extend a hand to consumers and start getting your story out with social media. Connecting with consumers today is easier than ever with the creating and adoption of social media; from Facebook and Twitter to more specialized mediums like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.

If you've been kicking around the idea of getting out there and sharing your day to day, and what being a producer looks like, we hope these tips and suggestions help give you a good start on your journey.

As a bonus, at the end of the article, we have a few farming influences you may want to follow for inspiration.

Tips for Starting your Social Media!

Plan!

Why are you jumping on social media? Cause everyone else is right? Putting a plan or some idea in place before you jump in can help you succeed. What are your goals? Who are your competitors and/or colleagues? What inspires you to get on social media? Answering some of these questions can help you find your "why", and can give you clarity on the content you will create.

What Platform is for you?

So many choices. We recommend doing some research out of the gate to find what platform is going to work best for you! Every platform has its pros and cons. Take some time to explore features and what works on each platform. It's certainly ok to take on a few platforms and find out what works the best.

Get to know your audience.

Good chance you'll launch with a bang as all your current friends and family smash the like button. But as you grow and expand an audience, you're going to get some demographics. Diving into these details will help you learn more about who is consuming your content. This will also help cultivate your following to get in front of new people.

Make Friends

One cool thing about social media is the ability for you to interface directly with your customers and consumers. Responding to questions and comments will help build trust and build your reputation and brand. Plus, this is a considerable way to get useful information out, and add some truth in the sea of misinformation that is out there.

Share Great Consistent Content.

So many options and all that pressure to post! Slow down! It's important to pick quality over quantity.

Track and Improve

As you journey out on social media, it is a good idea to track and watch your post engagement to learn what is working and what is not. This will help you pinpoint what content people enjoy, and what content is having a more substantial impact; allowing you to refine material and improve.

We have just scratched the surface here. There is more to learn and experience. We think the best way to get started is to dive in. Your story is waiting to be told. Jump in and do your part to help the consumers connect with the farmers and their food.