CPA Info #195 September 2012 Tools and Strategies to Upgrade Your Social Media Impact Workshop Evaluation Summary Megan L. Bruch Marketing Specialist The 2012 Tools and Strategies to Upgrade Your Social Media Impact Workshops were held on August 21 in Knoxville, August 22 in Murfreesboro and August 23 in Jackson. Attendance totaled 70 with 29 in Knoxville, 29 in Murfreesboro and 12 in Jackson. The workshops were focused on improving knowledge and skills of participants in social media tools and strategies. Participants were asked to come to the workshop with a basic knowledge of social media. Sarah Cornelise, Senior Extension Associate for Ag Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Social Media, and Kathy Kelly, Associate Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Business Administration, from Penn State University served as Sarah Cornelisse, guest instructor, kicks off the Knoxville workshop. the instructors for the workshops. These educational workshops were offered with funding, in part, from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Workshop attendees were asked to complete evaluation forms at the end of the events. Forms were returned by 54 participants for an overall response rate of 77 percent. A sample evaluation form is included as Appendix A. Respondents were asked to select a category that best described their role and interest in direct marketing or agritourism. Thirty-four respondents (63 percent) were currently direct farm marketers or agritourism operators (Figure 1). Ten respondents (18 percent) were farmers considering direct farm marketing or agritourism. Agriculture industry professionals accounted for seven respondents (13 1
percent). Three others (6 percent) did not fit in any of the given categories but included a horse trainer, a tourism professional, an agribusiness operator and public relations professional. Figure 1. Role and Interest of Participants in Direct Marketing or Agritourism (Number and Percent of Total) Other, 3, 6% Ag Industry Educator, 7, 13% Interested in Becoming an Operator, 10, 18% Currently an Operator, 34, 63% Respondents were asked to indicate the overall effectiveness of the workshop in providing information needed to enhance the success of their current or potential direct farm marketing or agritourism enterprise or in preparing them to serve clients. Responses were given on a scale of 1=Not Effective to 5=Very Effective. The average rating given by participants in Knoxville was 2.15. Participants in Murfreesboro and Jackson rated the workshop on average at 4.09 and 4.5, respectively. The average rating on the overall effectiveness of the three workshops combined was 3.93. Participants were asked whether or not they gained knowledge and skills that would assist them in marketing their enterprise or to assist clients in marketing. A total of 50 participants (93 percent of those responding to the question) indicated they had gained knowledge and skills in marketing. Participants were also asked whether or not they gained knowledge and skills that would assist them in increasing financial returns from their enterprise or to assist clients in increasing financial returns. A total of 31 participants (82 percent of the 37 people who responded to the question) indicated they had gained knowledge and skills to increase financial returns. Respondents who expected financial returns were asked to estimate the increase they expected in the next year due to information learned in the workshop. Twelve respondents provided estimates ranging 2
from $300 to $100,000 and totaling $118,550. 1 Another respondent indicated returns at a 20 percent increase. Participants were asked to indicate how they planned to use the information learned in the workshop. Most comments indicated participants were going to open new social media accounts and increase social media use. Four participants indicated they would develop a social media plan or strategy. Three participants said they would work on websites for mobile phones. Categorized comments from evaluations about how information learned at the workshop would be used are provided below: Expand Social Media Use Expanded Facebook; Possibly start Pinterest Develop/Manage/Follow Increase social media use To get our info out/list events Twitter Develop some social media sites Promote my small orchid and tropical plant business Develop a Facebook page with information about our agri-business as well as develop informative posts to educate and inform our customers to increase sales Update our marketing info Keep improving and expanding social media skills Start doing more with social networking and tracking comments Check out more of the social media avenues Increase exposure and sales through social media Putting my operation in front of more people Card scanning by Smartphone/Pinterest Use social media to expand market Love the streaming of info To better inform folks that we are available. Essentially better local exposure Multiple business promotions and community benefits Begin to implement more web tools and social media to promote the farm. Connect with customers. Drive them to our website and online market system Implement new tools into marketing strategy. Add new options for handling credit cards Update Facebook more info add Twitter. Claim farm name on Yelp, etc Begin using social media I plan to try Twitter and put links on my website to my Twitter and FB page Being more aggressive in using social media. Giving social media a more important place in day to day work I will use social media for my business Create Pinterest account for business. Setting up Foursquare Plan to be a part of Facebook. Learned about others Open a Facebook business account Increase my use of Facebook in advertising and getting information out Improve our social media presence. Explore accepting mobile payments 1 For respondents who provided a response as a range of values, the average of the range was used in the total. 3
Use Facebook more Network, network. Use more social media verbally using for those. Upgrade More social media usage and update Increases customer and vendor base by communicating via social media, especially the young working person Plan to set up Pinterest account and monitor comments posted on other sites like Yelp and Angie s List Develop a Social Media Strategy Will help organize a social media plan I plan to develop a plan or strategy to be able to maintain all of our social media networks. I already planned to create a code and now I feel confident that it is necessary and I will also do better at inviting people to these sights Use new resources to enhance customer relations and for a plan for future social media use Prepare social media plan utilize appropriate, available social media types Websites for Mobile Devices Use information in having web page for mobile devices Update website for mobile use and start using social media for marketing and connecting with customers We will make a website both regular and mobile. You helped with payment methods. We will do Facebook too Other An agritourism business Only the info about paying through square reader Did not learn anything The evaluation form invited respondents to provide suggestions on how to improve the workshops. Comments and suggestions are listed by topic below: Social Media Account Basics Great look forward to a workshop for those who are not as tech savvy for starting at beginning Specifics on how to set up an account (aka Facebook fan page) More on how to basics, especially on Facebook Begin with the basics language, abbreviations, devices, walk step by step to get to where this workshop begins its topics Hands On Hands on!! (4 comments) I expected it to be more hands on, not a lot of stats. I heard I don t know how much and I don t know often in presentation Would like to have seen a hands on class on how to develop a page on Facebook Follow up with hands on how to More In-Depth More in depth. More examples 4
Perhaps not so much information and more in depth on smaller subjects Less Detail/Overwhelming Maybe it should be a two day workshop (3 comments) Workshop would have been better designed to address less detail on every aspect of social media and concentrated more on the most used applications such as Facebook and Twitter A little more advanced than some might be used to Way too much technology introduced it was a bit overwhelming Presenters were great. Just a lot of information at one time. A little long Handouts Can t read some of the material copy quality (3 comments) Handouts need to be more legible (some print too small) The handout (slides) need to be larger could not read everything Difficulty Hearing Use microphone (4 comments) There were times when it was difficult to hear the instructors. There were an abundance of questions asked in the beginning that seemed to have made the workshop run behind slightly Presenter needs to talk louder or have microphone. Need to repeat questions of participants before answering Content Taken a few minutes to let attendees introduce themselves and their enterprise so we could interact Quick hands up poll of who uses what at beginning more tailored Best part of the program was the Elements of a Strategy. Very important Research stats could be condensed. Stay on time. Shorter lunch time to use time more effectively. Too much repetition between topics Conference was more oriented toward large businesses such as Dollywood since very few agri-operations would have the time or resources to dedicate to developing the full gamut of all social media It was very informative and detailed Needs more structure. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Hold questions until end of each subject or category. Hard to hear too many interruptions especially in the morning It seemed to cover everything Allow stretch time. This is a great deal of info to process. Just allow a stretch for circulation and mental break to better absorb and regroup Components which were most helpful to me: Elements of strategy section. How to integrate social media into business plan. How to develop marketing goal and achieve with social media. I really need to hear how social media is going to help me increase customers at our market. How to develop plan to use it to achieve this objective. Start with this first. I think a good portion of your audience is not comfortable with social media. I am for sure one who is unwilling, unable and very suspicious. I m at least curious enough to come think maybe I should learn this but probably need some convincing I need to see that I really need to do this first then how to 5
do it. Major concern is social media reputation I am uncomfortable with the negative comments people make your presentation was helpful. I did learn a lot - thank you ladies! Instructors Both instructors were well versed in the information and did a great job The instructors were very monotone which made it hard to stay on task (3 comments) These girls were well informed and delivered information very well Too much conversation by speakers with one on one and getting into personal issues losing other attendees who are at a loss to what is going on Great job Facilities/Room Set-Up No open window or doors behind speaker and presentation on walls. Glare from sun is uncomfortable and makes it harder to see speaker and screen The screen should not be on a wall with bright outside light Tables should be set up in a U shape so attendees can better hear conversations and see and hear speakers Kathy Kelly takes her turn at teaching during the Knoxville workshop. Participants were also asked to list topics that should be included on future workshop or conference programs. Social media and marketing topics were most popular. Suggestions for topics are listed by category below: Social Media More on social media Get specific on messages from a farm. A how to with suggestions and follow it through on each media source for a particular farm Possibly some more examples of positive add campaigns and companies that have been very successful with their social media programs Appropriateness of certain types of social media to particular types of businesses, Linked In info, workshop to help develop hands-on plan An actual hands on social media workshop with interaction of class members and instructors Hands on - show of actually going to fake page and work it on some type subject. I don t know enough to say a topic all info is welcome The program needs to be more hands on and more interactive with the participants of the class More about setting up Facebook and Twitter Who is using social media in Tennessee agritourism in Davidson County 6
Having someone who has actually had a business not just played on computer and smart phones. Find out how it helped that business I think it might help to qualify the attendees so that people s skill levels might be more closely matched Wine chat winery Marketing/Planning More details on when and how to target advertising A step by step guide how to do start up marketing for new agritourism project/business Psychology of colors, very specific stuff Perhaps more on local marketing and venue outlets Pricing, business plan development Technology Would like to learn more about ipad. Also info on how a vendor can accept food stamps More focus on equipment pros and cons durability. What works in sunlight, etc. Basic internet Other Laws/guidelines/ordinances explained Selling beef Summary The Tools and Strategies to Upgrade Your Social Media Impact Workshops were held August 21-23, 2012. Attendance totaled 70 with 29 in Knoxville, 29 in Murfreesboro and 12 in Jackson. The workshops were focused on improving knowledge and skills of participants in social media tools and strategies. Sarah Cornelisse, Senior Extension Associate for Ag Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Social Media, and Kathy Kelly, Associate Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Business Administration, from Penn State University served as the instructors for the workshop. These educational workshops were offered with funding, in part, from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Workshop attendees were asked to complete evaluation forms at the end of the events. Forms were returned by 54 participants for an overall response rate of 77 percent. Thirty-four respondents (63 percent) were currently direct farm marketers or agritourism operators. Ten respondents (18 percent) were farmers considering direct farm marketing or agritourism. Agriculture industry professionals accounted for seven respondents (13 percent). Impacts of the workshops include: 93 percent of respondents indicated they had gained knowledge and skills in marketing. 82 percent of respondents indicated they had gained knowledge and skills to increase financial returns 12 respondents estimated financial gains ranging from $300 to $100,000 and totaling $118,550. 7
Participants planned to use information learned to create new social media activities for their operations and improve existing strategies. Hands on workshops for social media were encouraged at future events. 8
Appendix A Tools and Strategies to Upgrade Your Social Media Impact Please help us to evaluate this workshop and plan for future events by completing this evaluation form. 1. Which of the following workshop dates/locations did you attend? August 21, 2012 Knoxville August 22, 2012 Murfreesboro August 23, 2012 Jackson 2. Which of the following terms best describes your role and interest in direct farm marketing or agritourism? (Check only one.) Currently a direct farm marketer or agritourism operator Farmer considering direct farm marketing or agritourism Agriculture industry professional/educator Other (Please specify.) 3. On a scale of 1 (Not Effective) to 5 (Very Effective), please indicate the overall effectiveness of the workshop in providing information needed to enhance the success of your current or potential direct farm marketing or agritourism enterprise or in preparing you to serve clients on direct farm marketing or agritourism issues. Not Effective Very Effective 1 2 3 4 5 4. During this workshop, did you gain knowledge and skills that will assist you in marketing your enterprise or to assist clients in marketing? Yes No 5. How do you plan to use the information learned during this workshop? 6. During this workshop, did you gain knowledge and skills that will assist you in increasing financial returns from your enterprise or to assist clients in increasing financial returns? Yes If yes, please estimate how much financial returns will increase from your operation in the next year due to information learned in this workshop. $ No 7. How could this workshop have been improved? 8. When additional direct marketing or agritourism workshops are held, what topics should be included on the program? Thank you for your participation. Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating. UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. 9