Social Media Madness

It's all the rage right now: People who barely know each other or who haven't seen each other for a long time are connecting, becoming friends and exchanging ideas and thoughts. It's happening all over the world at an astounding pace and is still growing. This phenomenon I speak of is the social media craze that has taken over as a primary means of communication.

Digital-based forums like Facebook and Twitter have led the way in this social media revolution. Yes, it is true that these sites are social communities, but that doesn't mean relevant information isn't there. More and more businesses have come to realize this and are taking advantage of the reach and immediacy of this technology.

An interesting study just came out confirming that those in the ag industry are quite plugged in (even more than what people probably think) to today's digital media tools.

According to a newly released Agriculture New Media Usage Study (corn and soybean segment focus), 85% of respondents indicated that they visit websites related to their farm operation and 76% check manufacturers' websites. The study also explored the presence of crop producers actively engaged on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. The study goes on to details growers' usage of blogs, forums and/or message boards, and search engine usage and preference also were explored. For more details on the research, click here.

This research confirms what we already know. Information is power, and if there is a faster, more efficient way to get it and disseminate it, then people will follow.

Ornamental Outlook will be exploring this topic further in our upcoming September issue and featuring an article on social media opportunities and what they can do for your business. From what we've learned so far, a growing amount of Florida nursery and landscape professionals are taking part in these social networking circles. More will follow. If you haven't checked out these sites, do it now. You might be missing out.