Hastings believes in social media’s power to reach consumers
Brenda Hastings believes in the power of social media to reach consumers with dairy’s positive story. Born and raised in central California, Hastings attended California State University, Fresno and earned a bachelor’s degree in Ag Business. She went on to receive a master’s degree in agriculture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. After college she worked for World Wide Sires in an advertising and public relations role and for the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in an administrative role. After years of working in the dairy industry, Hastings and her husband, Lad, decided to purchase a farm in his native Ohio. Together, they raise 630 Holstein cows, 550 young stock and their two young sons.
As misconceptions about the dairy industry surfaced online and in the media, Hastings became more aware of the vast amount of misinformation reaching consumers every day. As a third generation dairy producer, Hastings decided she had to take action and started on a path to becoming an online advocate for the dairy industry.
“When you speak to local groups and host dairy tours for the community, you’re reaching 10 or 20 people,” says Hastings. “If you’re using social media, over the course of a year you can reach thousands of people with your story.”
Hastings got her start in social media after participating in a myDairy webinar in 2009. Her first project was a personal Facebook® page. After learning how easy it was to connect with people and share information on Facebook, Brenda expanded her social media involvement to include a farm blog. Hastings blogs every Tuesday and has found it to be a great medium to share her story.
Below are a few social media tips she often shares with producers interested in becoming online advocates:
- When beginning in social media, choose one outlet and graduate to others. Facebook and Twitter accounts are often the easiest to create and maintain.
- Take a few weeks to explore the social media site you choose and learn how others interact on it. This is often the best way to determine how to best share your story.
- Post regularly, but not too often. Your followers need regular updates, but posting multiple times a day may become overwhelming.
This fall, she added a Hastings Dairy Facebook page, a YouTube® channel and a website to her list of social media activities. She credits attending an AgChat conference in August 2010 with giving her the motivation and tools to try video.
“I want people to come and see what we’re doing to care for our animals,” says Hastings. “I think videos and pictures tell our stories best because they grab people’s attention.”
In addition to her social media involvement, Brenda is inviting people onto her dairy in a literal sense — through agritourism. Hastings Dairy is beginning an agritourism venture this spring, complete with tours, a dining and activity venue and a playground. Located near Cleveland, the dairy is in a prime location to cater to those with an interest in touring a dairy. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch cows being milked, see where they're housed and what they eat, and discover how farmers care for their animals.
In celebration of June Dairy Month, the Hastings will open their farm to the public every Saturday in June. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the dairy, watch the cows being milked and witness other happenings on the dairy.
“Today, if you have a farm, it should be a priority to have someone engaged in social media or communicating with consumers about dairy farming,” says Hastings. “If we don’t tell our story, someone will tell it for us and it probably won’t be accurate. We need to get out there and provide correct information to consumers.”
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