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
Considerations from EFC
Using Facebook
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
• Choose a category for your page–We suggest “Local Business”
• This cannot be changed!
Create a page
Create a page
• Name your page– How you want it to appear to users
• This cannot be changed!
Create a page
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
Edit Info
• Detailed info–Website:
ourcoop.com & others
– Parking lot– Ignore public
transit
Edit Info
• Click the “Info Tab” at any time to edit information about your Co-op
Add Introduction• Write a short description
of your Co-op– Limited to about 45 words
• Can be changed any time
Publish Page• Publish your page by clicking on the link
directly above your name
• or by clicking on “Edit Page” and “Settings”
• You can work onyour page without making it live and publish whenever you are ready
Edit Settings
• Click on “Edit Page” under profile pic• Click “Wall Settings” 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 tabs on 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
12 tips to engage fans
12 tips 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• The more comments you get, the more
opportunity to go “viral.”• Test their knowledge with a quiz.• Keep questions simple, personal.
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.
12 tips 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!
12 tips 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. (The History.com post could use a photo!)
• People like to browse photos.• Include photos of employees
(with a short bio), store and community events, and more.
• Encourage fans to post photos.• Use descriptive language in
photo captions. This will help drive Google results to your page.
12 tips to engage fans
6. Upload videos• A video is the next-
best thing to being there for a fan.
• Look into purchasing a Flip Video camcorder. You can get them for around $150. Check out their web site at www.theflip.com
• Keep videos short (one minute or less), funny, and interesting.
• Create a YouTube channel and start connecting the two.
12 tips 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.
12 tips 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.
12 tips to engage fans
10. Respond to comments quickly and thoughtfully• Fans want to believe that someone is
“manning the store.”• They 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.
12 tips to engage fans
11. Reward FB fans with exclusive content, contests, and
coupons• Fans will bore quickly if they feel there is
no value in remaining a fan.• FB fans deserve the “insider” treatment.
After all, they did choose to like your page. Give them something in return.
12 tips to engage fans
12. 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.
• Use coupons to draw customers into your store. They will probably buy something else once they get there!
12 tips 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 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
Marketing on Facebook
Tools to enhance pages