Talking with Aussie Farmers about why Social Communications Matters

Back in August I spoke at my client, OBE Organic's, #GrazingBMP Forum in the Australian Outback town, Roma. I manage OBE's social public relations in multiple markets around the world, such as Australia, America and the Middle East. OBE is a social company and it's an important part of the way that the brand communicates with consumers and its partners.

Watch this video from Digital Farm TV to see some of the insights I shared with beef producers at the Forum: http://bit.ly/1Q7pcjD.

Here are a few main points about social communications that I made during my presentation.

It's just another way to have a "connection" or "relationship" with people.
Effective way to communicate directly with people in multiple time zones around the world.
Allows you to listen in on what people are saying and respond in real-time.
One way to keep an eye on your products and opportunities in your export markets where you may not have a physical presence or team.
A way to develop a relationship with industry bodies, government, media, bloggers, industry thought leaders & consumers.
Platform to share your opinions and expertise.
If your company is not active on social media, you may miss out on important conversations about you!
Educated consumers around the world want to know more about where their food comes from and who produces it (especially when it comes to products like meat). Farmers can share photos and video clips from their cattle stations/ranches to showcase what their work and lifestyles are like; consumers are interested in this.
Focus only on the social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc) that have your audience.
It's better to focus on just a few social media platforms and do them well, instead of trying to be everything and do none of them very well.
People have very short attention spans; imagery-based platforms like Instagram and Pinterest do very well with certain audiences.
People's expectations are quick (sometimes immediate) response online.
On social media platforms like Facebook you're able to drill down to the precise audience you're after. Can be a much more efficient means of reaching your target audience.

Here's an example I like from OBE Organic's Twitter account that showcases one of their faming families; I would love to see more producers sharing their stories, photos and videos with the world online. That's one of the PR initiatives we have going on currently with OBE; we want to create a stronger connection between OBE's producers and consumers around the world, and social communications in a big part of that.

- Lisa Mabe-Konstantopoulos, Founder, Green Purse PR