Technology in Agriculture - How beneficial is it?

It seems as if every corner of the world and everything we do is affected by technology, even agriculture.  From soil testing, fertilizer application, field mapping, cattle records,  even semi-loading, there seems to be technology everywhere we look and if you're not using technology in agriculture practices where you are, you could be missing out.

I think many farmers, including my husband, who is an organic farmer in South Dakota, resisted technology, at least technology that wasn't part of a tractor or other vehicle needed to make it drive and work.  Last year he started getting the urge after hearing some "farm talk" and success stories.  He finally took the plunge, visited a precision planting specialist at Precision Ag Solutions who'd been featured in Successful Farming magazine a couple different times and seemed to know what he was talking about and made a purchase.  He will use the equipment for the first time planting in the spring of 2012.  

His new found interest piqued my curiosity too, since I have an obvious interest in technology as a social media marketing specialist.  FINALLY, we might have something in common... sort of, anyway.  My interest led me to being asked to give a presentation on social media marketing at the winter conference for Northern Plains Sustainable Ag  in January.  I was asked to give a second presentation and after some discussion, we decided technology in agriculture would be a good topic.   While I could talk about a few things, I asked the owner of Precision Ag Solutions, Greg Tople if he or Troy McKown, a well versed consultant for Greg's business, if one of them would like to join me and share their knowledge and expertise on technology in ag, thankfully they agreed.  After all, if they could convince my husband it was worthwhile and get him to part with some money, it MUST be good.  They focused on GPS, field mapping and products like Green Seeker, a system that is particularly interesting to organic farmers because it allows growers to use GPS to apply the right amount of nitrogen at the right place and right time, increasing yield and reducing nitrogen input expense.  Because organic farmers can't use synthetic fertilizers, every bit of boost they can get to increase their yield naturally and efficiently is greatly appreciated. 

For my part, in addition to talking about mobile apps and the usefulness cell phones provide for farmers beyond the obvious increase in communication, I talked about Loadout Technologies and their system which allows for automated loading of grain into semi-trailers for hauling.  The product was developed by Neil Mylet because he was a farmer from central Indiana who had severe allergies. He uses the Loadout system which has hardware and software working together to load his grain with much more limited exposre to grain dust,  The loading is controlled by your smart phone with a specific mobile application to start, stop and visually monitor the progress of grain loading right from the cab of the semi-truck.  This interested me on many levels, but mostly because my oldest son is going to school for architecture in part because it really interests him, but also because he has severe allergies and he'd love to come back and farm, but if that doesn't work for his health and allergies, he'll need something to fall back on. 

I could talk about the great things in technology in agriculture all day, but maybe I'll just save it for another blog and/or another presentation as some conference.   What do you think of the changes in technology in agriculture and do you love the changes or hate them?

WSI Recognized by Web Marketing Association with 7 Awards

WSI, the world’s leading provider of digital marketing solutions to small- and medium-size businesses, received seven prestigious recognitions by the Web Marketing Association’s 2011 WebAwards. This is the fourth year in a row WSI has been recognized for excellence by the WebAwards, which highlights outstanding achievement in the field of web design and development. This year WSI submitted 10 sites and seven of those received awards, with two receiving Standard of Excellence Recognitions. Other top brands that competed for the awards include AT&T, Coca-Cola, Colgate, Cottonelle, Jetblue, Nissan and Volvo.

The following WSI consultants were recognized by the Web Marketing Association at this year’s WebAwards:

        WSI Internet Consultant Kevin Dean received the Environmental Standard of Excellence WebAward for Arborwell

        WSI Internet Consultant Neal Lappe received the Outstanding Website WebAward for Cabell Childress Group

        WSI Internet Consultant Doug Fowler received the Outstanding Website WebAward for J. Simon Shirtmakers

        WSI Internet Consultant Kimberly Nichols received the Outstanding Website WebAward for Municipality of Potton

        WSI Internet Consultant James Alexander received the Professional Services Standard of Excellence WebAward for Smile Like the Stars

        WSI Internet Consultant Armin Tull received the Hotel and Lodging Standard of Excellence Web Award for Tallinn Hotels

        WSI Internet Consultants Mike Watkins and Nicole Dupree received the Outstanding Website WebAward for Why Diet

“As a Web Marketing Association award recipient for four years in a row, we are proud to say our proven track record of going above and beyond has helped businesses reach their greatest potential,” said Ron McArthur, president of WSI. “We hope to continue our success next year and beyond.”

This is the 15th year the Web Marketing Association has been organizing its annual WebAwards, which is today’s premier website award program. Website awards recognize the talented individual and team efforts in creating outstanding website development and generating Internet marketing exposure.

There are 96 industry categories in the awards competition and each site goes head-to-head with other sites in their categories. If an entry receives a score of 60 or greater out of a possible 70 points granted by the judges, the entry earns the Outstanding Website award. Entries that scored above the average for their industry and 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence award.

WSI is the world’s leading provider of digital marketing solutions to small- and medium-size businesses the world over. WSI provides digital marketing solutions, web site design, e-commerce solutions and web hosting. WSI awarded 149 franchises in 2010 and six master franchise licenses. With plans to add 210 franchisees in 2011, primary markets will include U.S., Latin America, U.K. and Europe. For more information, visit http://www.wsicorporate.com.

Speakers on Digital Marketing Strategies from WSI

Educating business owners on trends, changes and best practices in the digital marketing world is one of the services many WSI consultants offer.  Many WSI consultants speak professionally on a variety of topics using digital marketing strategies.  Most recently I presented in Reno, NV at the American Association of Meat Processors annual conference and at the entrepreneurs conference South Dakota MarketPlace in Huron.  Both times, I spoke about how to use social media marketing tools like YouTube, Facebook and twitter to benefit your business as well as the importance of online reputation management.

The South Dakota Bankers Association is hosting a Bank Technology conference in Sioux Falls. Presenting at the conference is a fellow WSI franchise owner Eric Cook, a WSI consultant specializing in the community banking industry brings with him more than 15 years experience in the banking industry in various positions including chief operating officer and regional president for a community bank in Michigan.  He is presenting on two different topics in the banking industry.  Miking good use of his time in South Dakota, Cook is also speaking at the monthly meeting for Sales and Marketing Executives of Sioux Falls.

For the SDBA, Cook had two different sessions.  The first session covered options in cloud based computing which can increase efficiencies for busy bankers.  Cloud technology refers to web-based programs as opposed to computer based programs, many of which are free.  His second session is covering how to use Google analytics to gain insight into what is working and not working with banking customers online experience.  The wealth of information and insight that can be obtained from knowing how to read and interpret your analytics is invaluable in creating a strong web presence.

Making good use of Eric's time here in South Dakota, he was also invited to present at the monthly meeting for Sales and Marketing Executives of Sioux Falls.  His presentation, titled "Leveraging Social Technology In Today's Business Environment" covers various uses of social technology in business. 

In addition to speaking, WSI offers a variety of free webinar opportunities for business owners to gain insight in to various topics, usually addressing changes in the digital marketing world.  WSI Corporate hosts a monthly webinar.  Next month, on October 6th,  the webinar will be The Facebook Effect:  7 Ways to Monetize Facebook for Your Business.  Eric Cook hosts Free Webinar Wednesdays where they cover various topics.  Unfortunately, due to his travels in South Dakota, there isn't a session this week, but you can sign up for his Outlook notifications, RSS blog feed on the topics and more by going to the website. 

Best Rules for Networking Success

Is networking the same as sales or marketing?  Not according to Bridget Lynch from Red Iron Training who presented her views on the best rules for networking success at 2011 South Dakota MarketPlace: Opening Doors to Success opening presentation. She presented several great concepts, some of which may seem like they would be obvious, but others that seem contradictory, but I know from experience, they've proven successful for me.  

If your primary objective for networking success is to see how many business cards you can disseminate to a large group of people in a record period of time, you'll likely be disappointed in the results.  People buy from people and if you haven't at least had a brief conversation with that person that received your card to learn about them and perhaps have time to share a little about what you do, then your competitor who took the time to hand out fewer cards, but instead make connections will likely get the business.  Making connections should be your goal in networking success.

Networking Success rule 1.  Listen more than you talk

Listening and showing an interest in those you meet will get you MUCH further in a networking situation than seeing how many people you can tell about your business.  "Make a connection," says Ms. Lynch.  Ask questions about the other person and their business.  By doing so you will ensure the person you're visiting with feels valued, she added.  That person will ultimately find it hard not to be impressed with you and your interest in them.   You've made an impression and even if you don't get a chance to share anything about your business, hand them a business card, ask for theirs and tell them what a pleasure it was to meet them. 

Networking Success rule 2.  Be willing to share your expertise

When someone needs help in your area of expertise, they will be grateful that you can provide some useful information to help with their problem.  You don't have to share all you know and trade secrets, but enough that you make a connection.  If you don't have expertise, but no someone that does, share that with the person.  By doing so, you are still showing your value.  Social networking sites like LinkedIn, which is primarily for business and even Facebook, can be great places to use this networking rule.  If someone posts a question, they are obviously looking for an answer.  Join different LinkedIn groups and see if you can contribute to posts and/or answer questions there.  Many successful business transactions daily occur because of this useful rule.

Networking success rule 3.  Always have a great attitude

If you're not in the mood to network, either you should get yourself in the mood or ditch the idea of networking for a day where your attitude is better.  If you can't make a good first impression, don't make one.  Bridget was spot on with this one.  We all know, that even on the phone people can tell if you're smiling.  Your attitude is 100 times more obvious when you're standing in front of the person.  There isn't much more to say about this rule, but its importance CANNOT be dismissed.

Networking success rule 4.  Make sure you follow-up

Bridget Lynch didn't think you should follow-up with people that you didn't make a connection with simply because you happen to have a list of all the attendees.   She encouraged Marketplace attendees to follow-up only with those with whom you were able to have a conversation and make a connection.  This is a must, but I don't think it hurts to follow-up with others who attended.  Perhaps you want to know what others got out of the conference or you were looking for a specific connection you just didn't make.  For example, maybe you were looking for a web designer in South Dakota because you don't have one, don't know one, but need one and you see there may have been some attending.  Go ahead and send out a brief note explaining you were in attendance at Marketplace South Dakota with hopes of meeting someone in web design, but didn't make the connection.  Someone will likely respond because either they are one or they know one they can recommend.

Next time you're on a networking mission, remember these important rules for networking success and don't forget the business cards.

If you have questions on this post, its contents or on internet marketing strategies, contact Krysti Mikkonen or call 605-329-2027.

Is marketing using social media for meat processors really necessary? 

Tomorrow I'm giving a presentation on social media marketing at the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) national convention in Reno, NV.  You might be asking yourself why meat processors need to use social media?  How could it possibly benefit them or help their business grow?  Social media marketing is for more main stream, popular businesses like restaurants, clubs, and popular stores, like clothing stores... right?  WRONG!

Social media marketing can be used for any business and it can certainly work for any business.  Blogging is one of the top social media marketing tools.  So let's take a look at the blog done by Butler Sheetmetal.  Why would a sheetmetal business do a blog?  That's the first question.  The next question is how could a sheetmetal business possibly benefit from blogging?  This is a great example of the effectiveness of just one social media marketing tool.  Butler Sheetmetal has a blog on their website called The Tinbasher.  www.butlersheetmetal.com/tinbasherblog.    The blog posts talk about the sheetmetal industry of course.  But there are also posts about the everyday life of the owner and his 5 employees.  The business had a 100% increase in business, 33% of which could be directly attributed to their blog.  The blog worked because it gave readers a chance to get to know the staff on a personal level.  People buy from people they feel they know and trust.  The blog built relationships for Butler Sheetmetal that couldn't be created in person.  

Any type of business can benefit from blogging and other social media marketing tools including meat processors.  If you previously thought social media marketing wasn't for your business, tell me, did the sheetmetal case study change your mind?

Twitter Mood Up = Stocks Up

If you could predict the stock market you would have the world by the tail.  While people of all backgrounds, ages and intellect levels have tried to gain the skills to accurately predict the stock market, most have failed and proven inaccurate at best.  Who would have thought that a fun social internet communication tool like Twitter could help you make money in the stock market.  Based on a study by Johan Bollen, Huina Mao, Xiao-Jun Zeng, now may be the time to decide that there is room in your life for the likes of Twitter and perhaps time spent on social networking sites is not just a big waste.

The idea to prove that mood and stock value were connected was initiated by using two mood tracking tools, specifically OpinionFinder which measures positive vs. negative mood and Google-Profile of Mood States (GPOMS).  These tools were used to track the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) during times of monumental events like Thanksgiving and presidential elections they could see there was a definite correlation. 

If you look at the DJIA chart below you'll see there is likely some, if not a significant amount of validity in this study.

Notice how the stock jumped on October 13.  On the evening of October 12, the world watched and cheered, some even cried tears of joy as the first of 33 Chilean miners were rescued after 68 days of being trapped hundreds of feet below earth's surface.  The positive and grateful mood could be felt on a multitude of social networks including Twitter. 

Perhaps now is the time to take notice of the value that social networks and social marketing can have on your business.  With an accuracy rate of up to 90%, this puts Twitter and other social marketing services on the map, as if they weren't already!

What do I do about bad reviews on my business?

Just ten years ago, if someone was trying to decide whether or not to try a new restaurant, stay at a particular hotel, or even use a certain funeral home, they would ask around their different groups of friends to find out what type of experience they may have had and if those individuals would do business with them again.   While those conversations are still taking place, most of them are happening MUCH faster, perhaps even while they are doing business and they are reaching far beyond a small group of friends or co-workers.   We all know people are more inclined to be vocal about their negative experiences than the positve, so it's highly plausible that the majority of the reviews that are out there are negative and they are highly visible at the top of the search engines.  Do you know what customers are saying about your business and how quickly those reviews are being found?  

When looking for reviews about your business online, people use various sources online.  Some people will go to their favorite search engine like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc... and search for either the name of your business or the services you provide.  Others will go to their favorite review site.  And still others may use some social media sources.  Regardless of where they go, the majority of the review seekers will use the search engines.  What can you do as a business to ensure that people see significantly more positive than negative reviews on your business?

By using a combination of a quality search engine optimization (SEO) campaign and a review management service to encourage and solicit reviews for your business and give you more control over what's being said and how those reviews are distributed. With good diligent efforts, you can perhaps dominate the search results with your website, blog, and social network pages (like Facebook, Twitter etc.) and more positive reviews on your business. So when somebody searches for your company name, you have more likely controlled the results that they see.

Managing Your Reputation Online

Managing an online reputation could become a full time job but should be considered a part of your internet marketing strategy. There is great value in using the Internet as a research tool and this is a trend that is still growing. You need to have a website of your own and if you don’t already manage your reputation online then you should start.

A good online reputation can assist in generating new leads and increase conversions by as much as 10-20%. However, a poor online reputation could lose you money and the longer you leave it, the more difficult it becomes to control and recover.

Many of the social media outlets such as Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn are critical parts of managing your reputation online. WSI has prepared a Social Media strategy kit  that will help you to create and maintain your social media program (click to down load a summary).  This kit is located in our online internet marketing resource library.   If that whets your appetite then contact WSI internet marketing specialists for a free copy of the entire social media kit and a free consultation on improving your online image.

CLICK HERE if you missed PART I on what to do about bad reviews online.

Some have said that ‘there is no such thing as bad PR.’ But in knowing that content posted on the Internet is permanent, you might want to take a less passive view of your company’s online reputation. Online reputation management and your online PR methods are integral aspects to your overall Social Media marketing strategy.

So, to supplement the upcoming free webinar “PR on a Shoestring,” we have just released a complimentary whitepaper entitled, “PR on a Shoestring: Online PR Using Social Media.” This whitepaper, written by WSI Consultant Tracy Spence, aims to give you the knowledge to increase your brand and business reputation online.

Now, more than ever before, people are considering the Internet as an integral part of their lives for both personal and professional purposes. And knowing this is key to understanding how you can use online Social Media to get the very best online exposure for your business.

This complimentary whitepaper will include:

• Comprehensive analysis of how online PR fits into your business’ social media marketing strategy
• Tips for the best in class online PR practices on a dime
• Suggested tools for both your offline and online PR initiatives

Click here to download your complimentary whitepaper: “PR on a Shoestring: Online PR using Social Media.”

You’ll definitely want to keep your calendar open for the next edition in WSI’s Internet Marketing Expert Series. Taking place on Tuesday, July 27^th, 2010, one of our PR and Social Media experts, Tracy Spence, will be facilitating a free webinar entitled “PR on a Shoe String.”

During this special webinar, Tracy will be uncovering the ins and outs of developing simple public relations and social media strategies that will help you generate publicity for your company. And if you’ve ever been concerned about the costs of launching a PR or social media campaign – and in today’s environment, who hasn’t worried about costs? – Tracy will take it one step further and examine strategies on how to generate campaigns on a “shoe string” budget. It‘s pretty difficult to ignore the social media boom of the last few years across all channels and industries. So rest assured that this webinar session will show you how to combine traditional PR and social media for a higher ROI.

Tracy’s been with WSI since 2005 and has been continually active in the PR scene speaking at several business and social media marketing seminars, including one of WSI’s Global Conventions. Her insight on PR and social media as profit-driving business solutions for your company is invaluable, so she’s also set to write a complimentary whitepaper, which will be available to everyone very soon!

But for now, be sure to register for this PR and social media webinar before spots fill up.

Here are the details.

Date: Tuesday July 27, 2010

Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

REGISTER NOW!

Reviews, Forums, Social Media… They all play a part in what is found on the Internet. So who is saying what about you and your business?

The Importance of Your Online Reputation

With the increased use of the internet, "Word of mouth" has taken on a whole new meaning.  A bad reputation can have an extremely damaging effect on a business.  When "Word of Mouth" was just that, people talking in small groups here and there, that damage was very limited and not very fast.   Today, word of mouth includes videos, chats, 140 character statements, review websites, blogs, and so much more. If effective, a bad reputation can become a highly effective and very detrimental campaign spreading worldwide in minutes.

Consumers can now share their grievances online, and many people will add their issues if they feel they have a story to tell in order to pass that story along to others. If your name begins to appear on review sites like them, these pages may start to appear high in the search results pages. The end result is that if a potential customer searches using your business name or personal name then they could be seeing negative reviews and not your marketing message.

Discover Your Online Reputation

It is sensible to first discover whether there are any negative results already in place that you need to counteract. Start by Googling your name or the name of your company. Any aliases, trading names and abbreviations that you also used should be searched. Also, search for your names using quotation marks and without them to get a broader but more accurate picture.

Monitor Your Online Reputation

It is important to remember that the situation can change overnight. Set up Google/Yahoo Alerts so that you receive an email whenever your name or the name of your company is mentioned in blogs, article directories, and other websites. You can also create RSS feeds with sites like Technorati and other major news sites too. Monitor your own websites, blogs, and forums because these are likely to be the first place that most people will look to post their concerns.

Click here to see our entire internet marketing resource library.

CLICK TO READ PART II on reputation management and learn how to overcome bad reviews online.