Engaging Social Media for Agribusiness Growth, Improvement and Expansion.

It is called today's world of ‘Social Media’. Various social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp etc. are becoming greater ways of sharing information about agricultural produce and agricultural marketing. The use of social media in agricultural marketing is increasing rapidly nowadays. Many service provider companies are giving better facilities to the farmers. Social media allows users to communicate directly with the customers, service providers, information sharing centers etc. farmers are using social media to increase their produce at each stage. Social media, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) starts sharing creation, information and advice for the particular cause.

Increasing networking of mobile phones in rural areas, increases two-way communication. Social media is becoming a powerful tool and connects millions of people globally. Farmers are using social media because it has the ability to connect with farmers, agribusiness, Agri-experts over a geographical distance. 

Up to a certain extent social media in agricultural marketing provides solutions to agricultural marketing problems. The main purpose of social media is sharing information and creating awareness. The most popular social media among farmers is Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp etc. In addition the use of social media is on a personal basis, they tell their stories of success, failure, love life etc. They also share updates regarding harvesting, post harvesting, promoting agricultural produce, market information, answering problems of farmers. The users of social media are creating their own groups, pages, community, blogs to share information. In groups, they are also selling, buying agricultural commodities. It can be done by sending images, pictures, links, videos etc. This sharing of information facilitates the marketing of farmers' produce and formation of networks.

Social media in the clearer sense enables people to create, publish, share, collaborate, discuss and network through a wide range of new, mainly digital, formats and platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, WhatsApp etc. as good as it comes, here are some challenges social media faces in agricultural marketing.

Adoption of social media as a tool of agricultural marketing

There is limited access to social media because of data, network etc.

There is a need for training and education about use of social media in agri-marketing.

People are less trusted on e-buying, e-selling of agricultural commodities on social media.

All the activities are restricted by time, technology, networks etc.

Cost of technology use in agricultural marketing is more.

Within the larger context of a business plan, your social media strategy will typically be a component of your marketing plan. Developing and implementing a comprehensive social media strategy is important. As a business, your online presence, content, and messaging to be always accessible to consumers and aligned across all platforms. That is to say that the branding strategy you have for your business should be consistent across all marketing tools like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The image and perception of your business should be the same whether the consumer visits your website or is interacting on WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook.

Why is social media good for agriculture?

• Networking (Farmer – Farmer) via social media platforms (such as Facebook and WhatsApp)
• Reduce social isolation for farmers. 
• Enable farmers and agribusinesses to meet and network with other farmers, agribusinesses and consumers domestically and globally.
• Enable interaction directly with people of influence.

Where are farmers on social media? About 9% of all farmers use Twitter, half for business purposes. Facebook and WhatsApp is by far the most popular social media used by farmers, followed by Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram. That's according to a Farm Future survey.

How to get started:

Getting started with social media doesn't require a major time investment at first. 

Here are a few easy tactics that you can start today:

• Start posting content today

It’s never been easier to create and post content for an audience to see. Whether you’re sharing a third-party content piece or general news on the industry, go ahead and start sharing.

For WhatsApp:

• You can send text messages for free.
• It offers unlimited real time messaging.
• There are no hidden costs.
• It works on any phone.
• It offers free international messaging, is one of the best tools

Use Facebook ads in your marketing: 

For as little as five dollars a day, you can start running Facebook ads to reach your target audience. 

Use data-targeted programmatic for direct-to-farmer targeting based on your key demographics.

How does social media affect agriculture:

• Social media provides growers with a quick and easy way to build relationships and interact with people in agriculture.
• Social media creates a much broader agriculture community, so obstacles like physical distance and isolation are issues of the past. 

Agriculture and social media fit together. The importance of social media in planning and executing agribusiness can't be over emphasized. I implore us to make use of social media in publicizing and learning more about Agribusiness and a positive effect on our Agribusiness is guaranteed.