How Are Farmers & Ranchers Using Social Media?

Posted by: John Blue on September 8, 2014

Posted in: Updates

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How Are Farmers & Ranchers Using Social Media?Yes, farmers are using social media. How and why will vary. Look at national surveys for some direction: via Pew Research Center, 2014 info: 12 trends shaping digital news.

More focused on agriculture, Truffle Media Networks conducted several surveys in 2012 & 2013 with farmers, ranchers, ag media, ag marketers, and ag trade groups. The survey sheets below separate out the farmers from non-farmers.


2012 survey sent to 8746 people, 534 responded, 6% response

2013 survey sent to 6901 people, 269 responded, 3.8% response

Below are two surveys Truffle Media Networks ran on ag agencies, media, associations, and companies (those that want to communicate with farmers & ranchers: mainly people from NAMA, Ag Media Summit, American Agricultural Editors Association, & Agriculture Relations Council). The goal was to gain insight on how ag communications & media people perceive digital and traditional channels now and in the future.

  • 2012 survey sent to 6698 people, 664 responded, 10% response [PDF]:
  • 2013 survey sent to 6787 people, 869 responded, 13% response [PDF]
  • 2014 survey data is being analyzed, expected publication September 2014.

Below are some additional items that provide some historical context on social media use by farmers and ranchers.

In 2011 Paulsen Marketing published a series, more anecdotal than formal survey, but it offers thoughts on digital media in ag communications (Note these PDF files look best in Adobe Reader).

In 2012 Tom Taylor, Publisher, High Plains Journal, chaired an Agri Council survey via The Association of Business Information & Media Companies, a trade association for magazine, newspaper, and print media.

In 2011, the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) commissioned a study called the NAFB Farm Media Update 2011. This survey is a continuing effort by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting to analyze how farmers and ranchers in the United States use farm media. NAFB is a trade association for the farm broadcasters in the USA.

In 2011, Meghan Cline, as part of a graduate program at Oklahoma State University, published a thesis on “The Expansion of Social Media in Agriculture” [PDF]. Meghan now works at the National Pork Producers Council, ClineM@nppc.org.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

Sincerely,
John Blue
317-450-1958
jlblue@TruffleMedia.com

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