Value of FACEBOOK ?

[Grant]

I must be an stone-age, old fart because I am not at all intrigued by this thing everyone is calling the "social media."

I have been told numerous times that I could market more honey and connect with more bee suppliers and nuc customers if I joined FACEBOOK.

My college-aged son, however, says there is no way he's going to "friend" me. He says I don't need it. To me it sounds like a spamming your friends.

Has anyone found any value to this social media? How did it help you? How did you use it?

Grant
Jackson, MO

[chrisreedtn]

Marina, the author of Accidental lesson of or from a beekeeper or whatever post on there all the time, and it seems that her business has done nothing but grow. Even alot of the older people in some of the beekeeping clubs I am in have begun making FB pages for their businesses. You can honestly reach people you never thought about, or imagined. I just "friended" my pre-first teacher from 23 years ago. And almost everybody I went to school with etc..

I dont sell honey, yet everyone that I am "friends" with on there, or that is on there that knows I keep bees, wants to buy honey. And I like keeping them updated with pictures of my apiary/farm. Helps them understand bees and beekeeping more than they ever thought they would. Have helped make some new beekeepers from it also.

Its free, and shouldnt be discarded. Beats standing in the heat at the fair or whatever trying to sell honey.

[beegeek]

Far as a marketing tool I do have people that wait for the fresh honey post to appear.but face book was extremely valuable nine days ago after the joplin tornado all phone lines were down and cell phones were spotty at best.for some reason facebook was the only reliable form of communications in the local area for several days .I would.recommend a facebook account its free and easy

[giant pumpkin peep]

If you work at it, it can be VERY valuble to a buisness. I will use a local bbq truck as an example. This bbq is GOOD. He never had a sign that said "like us on facebook", but he would put a facebook logo on every bag he put his sandwhiches in, for every sale. So now, he has a lot of likes. To sell a special of the day, or anything, all he has to do is put on facebook, and people see it, and are salivating at.

Another example is a local baker. She tells her customers that sue's kitchen now has a facebook page. she dosnt have to many likes but is working on it. She will talk about but she is baking for whcih farmers markets.

The point is you need to make people want your product, and a facebook page can get you a group of people you are almost loyal to you. Its aslso a great way to get younger customers, becuase that who is on facebook more. Sure people in there 40's and 50's have facebook accounts, but people who are younger check them more often. I know whats going on from facebook, just as much as local news sources. My classmates and I have a joke, is it "facebook official" yet. So yes, facebook can be valuble if you get that following of people. Is it gonna hurt to make a page for yourbee biz? No. Will it help buisness? sure, For me personlly I can sell honey a years worth of honey in month. I dont need any help.

That may have gona a little rambly, Oh well, I hope you got my point.

[Island Apiaries]

I find it VERY valuable. I made a page for my beekeeping business and only people who are interested visit it. It is separate from my personal page, so my friends who are not really interested do not have see every detail about my business. I use it to announce what I will have at markets, get opinions of what people are wanting and it has been a great tool in fine tuning what I offer at the farmers markets I visit. My sales have more than tripled since using Facebook. Properly used, it can be a huge asset.

[sqkcrk]

Has anyone found any value to this social media? How did it help you? How did you use it?

Grant
Jackson, MO

You do realize that beesource is "social media", don't you?

You may not see the value in "Facebook", but others have used it to great advantage. Maybe you don't produce and market enuf honey for Facebook to be a good fit for you and your business, if you actualy have a business. But plenty of others do. Not me. I don't like shipping honey thru UPS or the Postal Service.

Your son doesn't want to Friend you because then you would see all of his stuff on Facebook. Stuff he may not wish to share w/ you. Just a guess.

[Grant]

Your son doesn't want to Friend you because then you would see all of his stuff on Facebook. Stuff he may not wish to share w/ you. Just a guess.

Definitely! Not a guess at all, Mark. (and there was stuff I didn't want my parents to know when I was that age).

I have no problem selling honey, and like Mark, I don't need to ship honey via UPS or through the USPS. I sell local and struggle to produce enough to meet the demand. My use of the social media has been through satisfied customers and word of mouth, plus face-to-face contact at farmer's markets. I don't need social media, I have social interaction.

Along the lines of the "value" of FB, I guess my real question has become, "Is it worth the time it takes to set up the page, answer the inquiries, etc.?" How much time does this FB take?

And Mark is right. Beesource is a social media. Good point, my friend.

Grant
Jackson, MO

[bigevilgrape]

If you set up a buisness page that people can "like" then you can update your customers on what the bees are up to, how things are shapping up, and when products are available. If make regular updates on whats going on in the apiary and include pictures its a great way to keep customers thinking of you.

[HONEYDEW]

craigslist is a much easier marketing tool and hits your local target area much easier...MTCW

[NasalSponge]

Well, I don't use it so much for marketing but to keep up mainly with my children and my new granddaughter. My daughter posts lots of pictures of her. Keep up with Friends stuff like that. I follow or "like" quite a few beesource members pages including Island Apiaries and OKbees.

but people who are younger check them more often.

Humm, I check mine many times a day and I am 48!!

[MAXANT]

Like any other fad, facebook will be facewhat? in time.
I choose not to use it. I have no interest, or desire.

[Edcrosbys]

Like others, I use it to keep in touch with friends and family. I also use it to share pictures with them.

Facebook could easily get your customers to be more involved with you and your product. You want them to identify with you. You want them to know more about the bees and honey than there friends. You want them to brag about your delicious honey and how amazing all those pictures are. Your hope is that when they see the little blurb about Chrisreedtn Apiaries has a new photo album, they open the album and see you making honey preserved cherries. And you hope they want to try them.

Does it work? Studies have shown it does if you work at it. Consider it sharing the hobby and befriending customers...

Either way, good luck!

[MDS]

Facebook brought down the ruler in Egypt. That is how the folks over there coordinated protests. That was a reason the government shut-off internet access.

Now it is spreading to other nations. For those of us who served in the military it sure makes it easier than invading a country or spending time away from home while the new government takes over.

I don't use it myself.

Here is a link for more on Egypt. I learned of it by watching the news and talking to folks that use Facebook. http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/27/i...ok-revolt.html

Got to think with all the people that use it one could cover more ground than a magazine subscription. My daughter majored in digital media at the University of Missouri, the top rank journalism school in this country and oldest university west of the Mississippi. It they offer a degree in the stuff would hate to think they got it wrong.

[Bens-Bees]

The first year I posted honey sales on facebook I sold out in less than 3 months.

[beemandan]

I have a facebook page for Booger Hill Bee Company.
What is it worth in dollars and cents? Who knows?
What does it cost in dollars and cents? 0
It gets traffic. I get comments both via facebook as well as directly from customers.
It isn’t painful to maintain.
As best I can tell, it doesn't do any harm.

[Bsweet]

Don't have one for me or my bees. Facebook sounds like slang for mugshot book and I don't have a page or part of a page there either Maybe if it last longer than Fords Edsel,8 tracks or VHS I'll get one we will have to see.: Jim

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

I do not use it as i see so may people i know that spend way too much time on it. Its going to be a passing fad that is for sure. Anybody here of myspace anymore?Plus all the security issues i have heard on the news and such just chases me away...
mike

[giant pumpkin peep]

if your just on it to have a page it dosnt comsume much time, and unless your bored (ha!), facebook dosnt take up that much time.

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Neither does beesource LOL

[Rob'sbees]

I have Facebook and I can honestly say that I have never had any type of security issues. There are almost 60 other beekeepers on my friends list including Brushy Mountain and Walter T. Kelley. Also there is a marketplace on Facebook that you can buy (and/or) sell any beekeeping related items without having to have a separate page. I have always enjoyed talking to and sharing beekeeping ideas with other beekeepers on Facebook. For those of you who have Facebook and would like to add me feel free to do so. Thanks


Rob