Co-op Facebook Webinars Phase I 7 II.

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

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

Using Facebook

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

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

Social media, agriculture, & Co-op

• Advocacy• Education• Awareness• Community-building• Relationship-building

with customers and consumers• Promotion of products, services,

meetings, events, etc.

Getting started

• Login to your Facebook account– Sign up if you don’t already have one

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

Create a page

• Go to: www.facebook.com/page

Create a page

• Choose a category for your page–We suggest

“Farming/Agriculture”

• This can be changed

Create a page

• Name your page– How you want it to appear to users

• This cannot be changed after you reach 100 “Likes”

Customize your page

• Profile photo• Info Tab• Introduction• Applications• Settings

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

Edit Info

• Next step is to add page information

Edit Info

• Fill in basic information– Address– Phone– Store hours– Description– Products– Email– Website

Edit Info

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

Edit Settings

• Click on “Edit Page”• Click “Manage Permissions” to

determine how users can interact with your page

Edit Settings

• Choose what “Applications” you want on your page– Photos– Links– Events– Video (if you

have any)

Edit Settings

• Chosen applications show up as links in the left navigation of your page

Start Your Status!

• Post your first status update– Suggest you start with a welcome post

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

10 ways to engage fans

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

2. Keep it fresh — post daily!• Stale content is the kiss of death for a FB

fan page.• Post at least once a day once you build a

decent following.• Don’t over-post. You don’t want to appear

pushy or annoying.

10 ways to engage fans

3. Post relevant, quality content• Get a good grip on your fan demographic

and focus on it.

4. Stay casual• Yes, this is business communication, but

the tone should stay upbeat, casual, and light. Don’t come off as stuffy and proper. Nobody wants to hang out with a stuffy, proper business!

10 ways to engage fans

5. Post photos!• Cliché, yes, but a

picture IS worth 1,000 words.

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

• People like to browse photos.

10 ways to engage fans

7. Use good grammar and spelling

• This is more a way to not DISengage fans.

• You can be casual without being incorrect.

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

• If you’re unsure, have someone else proof your post before sharing it.

10 ways to engage fans

8. Use links liberally• Relevant links increase your Google search

visibility and rating.• Fans appreciate the fact that you have gone to

the trouble of gathering information of interest to them.

9. Include community content• For a member Co-op, this is essential because

your community is your customer base, and vice versa.

• Add an “Events” tab to promote store happenings and local events.

10 ways to engage fans

10. Respond to comments quickly and thoughtfully• Fans are less apt to leave a comment if

they believe there’s no one there to respond.

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

• Keep it positive.

10 ways to engage fans

BONUS. Go easy on the “hard sell.”

• A small percentage of FB fans respond positively to aggressive selling.

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

• Don’t treat FB like a traditional type of advertising. People expect to be sold on TV and radio, and in the newspaper — not on FB.

10 ways to engage fans

Fan page dos and don’ts

Do…• Engage your fans with

questions and relevant content

• Use lots of photographs and videos

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

• Use a relaxed, casual tone in your posts

• Use good grammar and spelling

• Include links!

Dos and don’ts

Don’t…• Let your page

become stale• Let your page

become overbearing

• Use a business-like or stuffy tone

• Let your page become text-heavy

• Constantly try to sell to your fans

Dos and don’ts

Fan page dos and don’ts

Do…• Engage your fans with questions and

relevant content• Use lots of photographs and videos• Update your page often — at least one a

day during the week — with interesting content

• Use a relaxed, casual tone in your posts• Use good grammar and spelling• Provide exclusive content and specials for

your FB fans

Dos and don’ts

Don’t…• Let your page become stale• Let your page become overbearing• Use a business-like or stuffy tone• Let your page become text-heavy• Constantly try to sell your fans• Send event invitations more than twice

Dos and don’ts

Questions

Tools to enhance pages

PHASE II

Building fans by advertising

Getting fans and keeping them

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

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

New Facebook Page Features

New Layout

• More like Profile pages

• Navigation on left instead of tabs at top

• Photo bar across the top

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

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

E-mail Notifications• Administrators can receive

notifications when someone interacts with their page

• Allows more timely response to questions, comments

Facebook Page Tools

Insights• Use Insights to learn more about your

fan base and their interactions with your page

• Detaileddemographicsavailable

Insights• Use Insights to learn more about your

fan base and their interactions with your page

Cross-Promote• You can “tag” other pages and your

post will appear on their wall

• Opens your page up to a whole new audience

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

Tagging

Tagging

A word about contests

Don’t!

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

Watch other good pages

More than 2 million fans!

Watch other good pages

More than 15 million fans!

Watch other Co-op pages

Questions