Whether social media is used for personal or business reasons, it has had, and will continue to have, a tremendous impact on everyone; it has revolutionized the way we communicate with one another, and how businesses engage with customers.
At Seed World, we utilize social media to share industry news, feature stories, videos, webinars and podcasts. We also use Facebook and Twitter to connect with advertisers, industry professionals and influencers with relevant promotions and occasional contests.
More recently, we leveraged Seed World’s social networks to create excitement and promotion for a new online feature — Seed World INSIDERS.
The objective was simple — create engagement on social media to generate traffic to the INSIDERS page on our website. We approach social media like any other marketing channel; the difference is that we factor it into a complete strategy rather than making it a separate entity.
To use social media effectively, you must share relevant content — whether that is curated (from a media source), or original (written by you or a colleague, hosted on your company website). Sharing impactful, industry-relevant content will attract social media users to follow you or your business’s network.
Challenges
As it stands now, there is significant room for improvement in social media in the seed industry. Industry professionals understand the importance of being active on social networks as a means of communication — yet, we often find sparse or non-existent engagement.
The content that is shared on social media does not need to be original to your company. It does, however, need to be appropriate and engaging for the end user — your potential customer.
Fortunately for Seed World, we have an endless supply of content — including the more recent INSIDERS feature — that is relevant to the seed industry. We do not favor one sector over another when posting; every piece of content is shared equally and with the end user in mind.
Rewards
Social media networking — Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn — opens a wide range of doors in terms of making connections among other leaders and potentially converting followers into advocates.
By integrating the latest INSIDERS content to our social media channels, Seed World was able to increase engagement and interest with readers and seed industry influencers to promote a new feature.
The impact that social media has on business and professionals is substantial. It allows us to connect with one another in a more casual way, yet allows us to position ourselves as thought leaders, industry influencers and as a go-to information source.
The more we use social media, the easier it is to make an impact on the industry because it has the ability to influence buyers to making purchasing decisions — and with the right approach and strategy, they may purchase from your company.
