Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 6826 THESEdays, having a strong online presence for your company could be compared to a house having great curb appeal. It can be the first thing that snags the interest of prospective buyers, but the value of a great website and solid social media connections goes beyond that. Shaun Haney is the owner of the Haney Farms, a seed business in Picture Butte, Alta., and is also the founder of realagriculture.com, a web- site dedicated to exploring issues that impact Canadian agriculture. Having a strong online presence has been key to the growth of his business, Haney says. He warns it’s a strategy that seed companies ignore at their peril. “At this point, if you do not have an online presence, you really need to question what your marketing strat- egy,” Haney says. “For a seed company, whatever social channel you’re choos- ing — whether it be Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube or what- ever — it’s about having a close con- nection with the audience that you’re trying to market products. Whether that’s a neighbour or somebody across the country, its critical to be able to have those digital relationships.” Like any successful relationship, it’s important that this connection is not one-sided. Haney cites interactivity as the key to a good online strat- egy, because it enables businesses to directly engage potential customers by addressing questions or concerns about their products or services. “People are looking for much more of an interactive process when they’re doing their research online now,” Haney says. “The information has to flow both ways.” Noted U.S. food and agriculture author and speaker Michele Payn maintains farm-related businesses benefit eco- nomically and socially from a strong online presence. “Seed businesses and agribusinesses need to engage online and through social media to monitor their brand Honing Your Online Presence Why having an effective website and strong social media connections are important to business success. management, increase their footprint and participate in agricultural advo- cacy efforts,” she says. “Like a good sales rep, having a solid social media presence extends your reach and grows relationships, offering economic benefits. It allows you to have your voice in the online conversation about genetics and farming. Companies who serve the greater cause of agriculture versus only marketing for their own brand will have a much stronger fol- lowing, offering social benefits.” Payn notes that a variety of strategies are available to develop an online presence, and says different compa- nies employ different social media channels. Food and agriculture author and speaker Michele Payn says a strong online presence provides economic and social benefits for businesses. The Penwest Seeds team: Jeff Arnold, Tanya Park, Larry Penner, Clinton Rivers and Ejvind Poulsen. In the cab is Marianne Penner. Photo: Tim Arnold.