Why doesn’t it stay the same?
Because Facebook is constantly adjusting their algorithm to keep consumer engaged. It’s one of the reasons that almost every Facebook Brand or Retailer Page post is a video (a consumer’s eye cannot ignore motion) while your close Facebook friend’s post can just be a text status.
At every training I lead, a farmer always asks, “What should I be posting on my farm’s Facebook page?”
1. Video! Video! Video!
Video has exploded on Facebook because it’s what keeps consumers scrolling through the feed.
Top tip — make sure you get to the action right away (don’t do an intro or a talking head). You have only three seconds to get their attention.
Second tip — if you can add text to the video, you should. It’s estimated that 85 percent of people watch video with the sound turned off.
What should you capture on video? Calves, cows, big machinery, people working on the farm, and the landscape around you.
Videos can be as long as you want but people’s attention start to fall off over 30 seconds unless you keep the action going.
A couple of the apps I use to edit videos on my phone are Video Show and iMovie. If you want a tutorial on how to use them, please join the Dairy Hub.
2. Great photography
If you can’t do a video then a photo of the same subject matter above can be the next best thing. My favorite photo apps are Prisma, Word Swag, Phonto, Canva, and Snapseed. Most of these are free. Try and put your logo or farm name on the photo so you get credit/recognition if it shared, and to discourage people from using your content without your permission.
3. Answer questions you get at the grocery store
You know, the normal questions:
How are cows milked?
What do cows eat?
How are the calves cared for?
Is milk safe?
Why did you want to be a farmer?
What kind of milk should I buy?
But if you are ever looking for questions to answer, DMI’s newsroom has a list of frequently asked consumer questions that we would love for farmers to answer online. Just join the Dairy Hub or you can contact me at don.schindler@dairy.org for this list.
4. Give a farm tour
I’m sure that most of you have given an in-person farm tour to visitors at some point. Every time I’m on a tour, I love seeing how passionate the farmer is to talk about his or her operations from the calves to the milking parlor.
If you can do the farm tour through photos and video (especially live video on Facebook), all the better. It’s tough to get people to the farm nowadays, so why not bring it to them virtually?
5. Share positive dairy stories
When you don’t have time to create your own photos and videos, it’s great for you to pass along positive dairy news. You may be thinking, “I don’t have time to go out and find positive dairy stories.” And that’s ok! DMI has created the Dairy Amplification Center inside the Dairy Hub. It’s a web application that allows you to share dairy stories from all over the nation in one click to your social channels. And there are new stories added daily so there will always be new content to share. To join the Dairy Amp Center, just fill out this form.
6. When you share on your page, make sure to share on your profile
If you’ve taken the time to put up new content on your farm’s Facebook page, don’t forgot to use your own profile to share the content on your timeline. This will get your family and friends to see it. Sometimes I even ask people to “share it” in the post.
If you need any help with Facebook or if you would like to bring an in-person communication training to your dairy organization, group or club, feel free to reach out to me at don.schindler@dairy.org.
The author is a Senior Vice President of Digital Initiatives at Dairy Management Inc.
