Social Media &
Marketing: What
farmers need to know
Mary Peabody & Beth Holtzman,
UVM Extension
March 2014
Marketing 101
“If your product is
not cheap it better
be unique…”
Marketing 102
“If your product is
unique you better
have a story”
The story matters…
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=XrJjfDUzD7M
About SM & Marketing
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93% use SM for business
70% have used FB to gain new customers
FB, Twitter and Google are top 3 sites
Time on SM apps/hour – 16 minutes (US)
71% of SM users are accessing via mobile
devices
• 47% of Americans report FB is #1
influencer of purchases (24% in 2011)
Success story
Pro’s of SM
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Gain access to new audience(s)
Efficient in terms of time/money
Low-cost entry
Fast launch
Increases your geographic reach
Downsides
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Time and Space boundaries
Requires time and effort to stand out
Different way of communicating
Rapid growth and change make it
challenging to figure out where to invest
• RoI can be hard to measure
Strategies for success
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Have a plan
Set goals/targets
Set aside time
Learn the rules
Do not make it
about selling
• Be fun/Have fun
• Track progress
Questions? Comments?
Thanks!