How to turn 'likes' into chicken orders

Buyers

In poultry marketing, farmers are increasingly using social media that allows them to interact directly with customers, information sharing centres, service providers and researchers. To get more buyers, one can create blogs, open groups on WhatsApp or Telegram or develop a page on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to distribute and promote your products (eggs or chickens). To boost the confidence of potential buyers, as part of your identity as the owner of the page, also indicate your location and daytime contacts.

Networking

I believe that connecting and engaging with farmers and potential buyers through networking events is a sure way of increasing awareness, connecting with customers and increasing income. This must however be done regularly through well-crafted emails, knowing clearly who to reach out to and creating a power contact list. You can get to know these conferences, networking events, seminars and exhibitions from your contacts on social media platforms.

Innovations & technologies

Being on social media and especially exhibiting your innovations and technologies that you are using to reach your audience can be a game changer. This will go a long way in increasing the confidence in your potential buyers. A web page is a strong tool to use and it can contain company news and messages.

New product solutions

Facebook is the single largest media today with features that are being used by small and medium sized farmers to promote new products to a broader market segment. The features that can be used to help in marketing new products are normally loaded on Facebook page. The information shared through such a page can be text, images or videos and the interactions can be one or two-way.

Processes and procedures

About 90 per cent of young poultry farmers or processors use social media today for poultry management learning. A farmer can use social media to acquire skills on basic poultry management practices, pest and disease control tips, access credit among others. Though social media has several benefits, small holder farmers still face challenges of poor and high costs of internet services and frequent power supply interruption or lack of it altogether. Since social media plays a pivotal role in animal industry, the government should rein in telco service providers with high internet tariff charges.

[The writer is head vet at Kenchic [email protected]]