Dairy direction for social media

Here’s some direction for all of the online dairy advocates out there. It’s called the myDairy social media program and it’s an online starting point developed by producer check-off investment. To kick off the website, DMI hosted two webinars recently to encourage over 350 dairy advocates to become online spokespeople through the use of social media. It’s part of an initiative to have farmers “tell their story” firsthand to the consumer. This isn’t their first dip into social media. The dairy industry already has an 820-fan-strong Facebook page, an impressive YouTube channel, and they’re on Flickr, too. The myDairy program has a toolkit and includes tips on utilizing websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, links to positive on-line dairy articles, ideas for blogging, and tips on joining online conversations. The myDairy program encourages users learn who their audience is, how to critically evaluate messages, and choose which conversations to join in order to effectively educate those unfamiliar with dairy. The password protected toolkit that houses this information is limited to only those dedicated to promoting a positive image of dairy on-line. To find out more about the program or to obtain a user name and password, contact myDairy@rosedmi.com.

Hoard’s Dairyman joins Facebook; become a “fan”

Just yesterday we started the Hoard’s Dairyman “fan page” on Facebook. In less than 12 hours and next to no promotion, it has already grown quickly. We haven’t been the only ones to see the quick popularity from the social networking site. This afternoon we visited with Mark Jewell, founder of AgJobNetwork.com, an agricultural job resource site with a social networking twist. We know you’ve likely heard of Facebook, Twitter and the career-oriented LinkedIn. Yet, unlike those sites, this one is strictly agricultural, an industry that Mark says “has not even begun to harness the power of new media.” Jewell started a Facebook group less than a year ago to build a network of qualified freelancers for another website he had started. “After 30 days, we had 1,500 members.” It was then that Jewell realized the power of what the website calls “the word-of-mouth engine” and started the job site.

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