A wolf in sheep’s clothing, the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) is PETA’s sophisticated, smooth, well-oiled, well-versed cousin. Dressed in business suits and ties instead of standing in the streets wearing lettuce leaves, HSUS uses scare tactics, litigation, legislation and sappy commercials to raise money for its ultimate goal of abolishing animal agriculture and promoting a vegan diet.
A recent report by Truffle Media Newsshowcases a presentation made by Carie Lewis, HSUS director of emerging media. Whether you’re a supporter of HSUS or not, Lewis offers a great view into how HSUS is strategic in its use of social media.
“Everyone in agriculture needs to leverage this HSUS information to help advocate (aka agvocate) their agriculture, farm, and ranch story,” according to Truffle Media News.
According to Lewis, here is the HSUS social-media strategy:
1. Be where people are.
2. Stay on top of the latest trends.
3. Research new opportunities.
4. Train staff and have guidelines.
5. Take an integrated approach.
6. Measure everything.
7. Learn from others and adapt.
8. Showcase successes.
9. Listen.
10. Be transparent.
11. Respond to everyone.
12. Don’t be afraid to fail.
13. Learn from mistakes.
To watch the entire presentation, click here. Love them or hate them, there are some solid nuggets of advice in this presentation. How have you successfully used online social media tools to share your story? Offer some advice to your fellow cattlemen today! Let’s work to make some solid connections this week and bridge the gap between consumers and producers.
I will be expanding on this topic further in a workshop I will present this weekend in Spearfish, SD. If you’re in the area on Saturday, join me at the South Dakota Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Rancher Conference. Hope to see you there! For conference details and registration information, click here.
