Are social media takeovers right for you?

For the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF), the answer is a resounding yes. And at SMBMad’s February event, Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Sarah Hetke and Amy Eckelberg told us why.

What is a social media takeover?

A social media takeover is when a member or influencer gets to control an organization’s social media account for a day. The vetted hosts tell their behind-the-scenes agriculture stories and post fun photos.

Sarah and Amy shared details on how the Wisconsin Farm Bureau ceded control of their Snapchat account. They began with an insightful quiz:

1. What percent of the American population is directly involved with growing or raising food? 2%
2. How many people involved in agriculture post about agriculture on Facebook at least three times/month? 4,000 to 5,000
3. What percent of Americans 18 to 24 use Snapchat? 78%

Amy explained that she proposed the Snapchat takeovers because she wanted to help farmers talk about their agriculture stories and increase transparency.

“The favorite part of my job is encouraging farmers to get on social media and interact with what they do,” she said.

Social Media Takeovers Offer Insights Into Ag Life

Wisconsin Farm Bureau, a grassroots organization, includes 46,000 members across the state. Its mission is to “lead the farm and rural community through legislative representation, education, public relations and leadership development.”

In 2015, WFBF began experimenting with Snapchat takeovers. The goal was to increase Snapchat followers, promote engagement and give viewers an up-close look at some of their members’ farms and jobs.

When the communications staff first introduced the idea of takeovers, there was a bit of skepticism. WFBF would be giving control of their branded account to outside individuals. But with safeguard assurances, leaders agreed to the program and now strongly support it.

The takeovers, Sarah said, “help us engage members in a simple, but effective way.” Members share their agriculture story and often add fun twists.

Each takeover receives more than 1,000 views. Many appreciate the casual, behind-the scenes photos showing what life is like for a farmer or agribusiness professional.

Sometimes influencers participate. For example, Alice in Dairyland Kaitlyn Riley recently served as a takeover host.

Wisconsin Farm Bureau Takeover Examples

Social media takeovers involve establishing trust between the brand representatives and the hosts. With the right precautions, organizations can engage outside influencers and grow their brand.

At the presentation, Sarah and Amy reviewed the step-by-step process that supports members who want to do a Snapchat takeover.

Step One

With the help of stakeholders, identify a pool of people who could run takeovers. Contact the best options.

Step Two

Review expectations and create a guidelines sheet. Through the takeovers, hosts provide transparency into life on the farm or at work. They are asked to be professional, while offering some fun insights.

Step Three

Provide day-of contact information (cell phone or email).

Step Four

Monitor the takeover and be prepared to take it down, if necessary.

Step Five

Evaluate the takeover and thank the member host. Save the story, calculate the retention rate and average views.

Step Six

Change the password frequently and make sure to write it down.

Now in its fifth year, the popularity of Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Snapchat takeovers continues to grow. The strategy engages members who benefit from the extra publicity and the public learns what it’s like to work on a farm or in agribusiness. And all enjoy the fun photos.

Special thanks to Farm Bureau’s Director of Communications Sarah Hetke and Executive Director of Public Relations Amy Eckelberg for offering their insights. You can check out their presentation here.

See you March 27 at our next event where we ask our audience to network, learn and have fun with a game of social media bingo!

Leslie Blaize wrote this post on behalf of Winbound, a content marketing firm. Winbound provides an all-in-one content marketing and conversion optimization package specifically designed for small marketing departments.