Issue 01 February 2018
A Spotlight on Products, Promos, Insights and More
Six tips to help you get started on social media. No matter the size of the business, more often than not they have an online presence. But what about social media? As a business owner, you may be on there already, or are at least thinking of it as a way to build awareness, drive sales, and gain new customers. Here is a collection of social media tips that will have you well on your way to doing just that.
Start with a plan
Just like a business needs a business plan, your social media actions need to come from a carefully crafted strategy. Here are six steps to follow in creating your plan: • Set social media goals and objectives. Goals are more than retweets and likes. Be sure to set S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely) goals that include leads generated, conversion rates, and web referrals
Your media plan may be as relevant as this.
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• Conduct a social media audit. Take a look at who is already connecting with you on social media, and which networks they are using. Don’t forget to check out your competitors. Where are they? How are they doing? • Find inspiration. While you are doing your audit, be sure to check out accounts both inside and outside your industry for inspiration. See what they are doing right and how to implement those tactics into your own strategy.
• Create a social media calendar. This is an essential part of your all-important content marketing plan. It should include the intended dates and times that you want to publish your Facebook and Instagram posts, tweets, and any other social media content.
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• Test, evaluate, and adjust your strategy. Remember to fine-tune your strategy. Be sure to look at the number of clicks, reach, and the number of page visits. You can adjust your plan based on these objectives.
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Decide on the correct platform for you
There are many platforms now available, but not all of them will align with your business or the goals you have set. Here is a high-level look at some of the most popular platforms used today.
Facebook The world’s most popular social media network. It would have the largest reach based on the number of regular users.
Instagram Instagram is a social sharing app based more on a visual or aesthetic appeal for content.
The world’s largest social networking site for professionals.
Twitter Twitter is known for shorter bites of information with its 280 character tweet limit.
YouTube An excellent option for brands who have the resources to take advantage of the popularity of online videos.
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Know your audience
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It’s difficult to know how to communicate or advertise to your customers if you don’t know the basics like age, gender, location, income, etc. Create buyer personas for your audience by: • Collecting demographic data from surveys, focus groups and interviews • Talk to your field staff or sales team and gather on-the-ground feedback on leads they are interacting with • Establish pain points that the customer may have • Turn these traits into a representation of the types of customers you have
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Choosing quality over quantity
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Do not to spread yourself too thin by selecting too many platforms to communicate on or by creating an overzealous content schedule. Quality is more important than quantity! When creating your content, be sure to mix it up with promotional, product, and casual posts. It’s not always about selling or promoting –it’s about adding value to your audience. Incorporate images, videos, and graphics that are both relevant to your product, \content, and customer.
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Monitor and respond to conversations around your business
The purpose of social media is to engage with your audience. That includes responding directly to their messages or comments in order to humanize your brand. It also offers you the opportunity to show your brand’s personality. Be sure to answer their questions, address their concerns, and keep it light and casual when you can.
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Learn and adapt
Build your social media presence slowly. Pick one or two platforms and go from there, and always learn and adapt as you go and grow. Don’t be scared to try something new.
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The smallest elements can make the biggest difference. What can you do differently for your customers to set yourself apart in 2018? How about a resolution to increase the use of soil tests for crop fertility planning? Simplifying micronutrients for your customers can give you a competitive advantage.
Sorting through the rates, timing, and application options can yield big differences for your customers by improving crop performance, reducing their risk, and making things simpler for them.
Essential micronutrients are affected by soil properties like pH, and can be influenced by the ratio of nutrients as well. A soil test is a risk indicator of its micronutrients levels; if
Confirming the levels and ratios of micronutrients with a soil test is the first step to a high-yielding crop fertility plan. Historical soil tests can also provide information to track nutrient and soil changes over time. Tracking historical soil test changes can be a value to a grower, and may even be required for a land rental agreement. Independent retailers who use soil test information, both current and historical, to plan crop fertility build trust and team-focused relationships with their growers – a currency that is vital to their business.
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The best laid plan is one that bases its fertilizer needs on accurate information derived from the soil test. Understanding the chemical and physical characteristics of soil and applying this knowledge by optimizing crop nutrients is a key component of a soil test. It removes the guesswork and provides accurate information for the development of a crop fertility plan, which can have economic impact on the customer’s farm, and a possible environmental influence on the local watershed.
the level of a specific micronutrient is in the red (deficient) or yellow (low level) zones, then crop growth, development, and yield can all be negatively impacted. Creating a crop fertility plan allows you to make proactive, calculated additions before nutrient deficiency can impact yield.
When it comes to protecting your Nitrogen against leaching, denitrification and volatilization ....it’s your battle to win.
PENXCEL TECHNOLOGY
For more information call us 866.373.2972 or go online nexusag.com
NexusAg
™
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Clubroot in Canola
(Plasmodiophora brassicae)
Clubroot disease attacks cruciferous crops
to be localized to only central Alberta,
like canola, broccoli and cabbage. Yields of
clubroot has recently been found in the
infected crops can be seriously impacted and
Peace Region, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
severe infections can result in yield loss of
Spores are spread by soil or water movement
more than 50 per cent. Disease incidence is
and can survive in the soil for a number
the canola root, causing swollen “club“
increasing in Western Canada. Once believed
of years.
shaped roots or galls. This swelling
Did you know? DID YOU KNOW? shepherd’s purse also reduces the
that will control this disease, but crop
overwintering survival of the soil-borne
rotation with canola grown every four
pathogens.
The pathogen is soil-borne and infects
constricts the translocation of nutrients and water. Symptoms of clubroot in canola are wilting, yellowing, stunted growth, premature ripening, and aborted pods.
years will reduce the number of spores in the soil to a manageable level.
If clubroot is suspected, growers can
Controlling volunteer canola and
select canola varieties that offer genetic
cruciferous weeds like stinkweed and
resistance to specific pathogen strains.
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more? Check out Canterra Seed Varieties
Discussion of specific pest control methodologies may not be specific to the laws and regulations for your Province, Territory or Country. Product claims originate from supplier-provided information. Products may not be registered and/or available in all areas. Always check with your local Univar office for specific information to your area. Always read and follow label directions. © 2018. Univar Canada Inc. All rights reserved. Univar, the hexagon, and other identified trademarks are the property of Univar Inc., Univar USA Inc. or affiliated companies. All other trademarks not owned by Univar that appear are the property of their respective owners.
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There are no crop protection products
SYMPTOMS
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You doubled their yield, now what?
Resolve to understand your customer’s whole business.
Customers depend on your team for the best
information and advice when it comes to crop inputs. They want to know how to grow the best crop possible, and what combination of inputs is going to yield the best results. But what happens after the crop is grown? Do you know what their breakeven number is? Are you aware of the marketing constraints facing your customers? What about the price direction for each crop? If we grow twice the bushels and sell it at half the price, what have we really accomplished?
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If we grow twice the bushels and sell it at half the price, what have we really accomplished?
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Collaborating with other experts that deal in different areas of a farm’s business, like accounting and marketing, can give your customers more information to make better decisions. For example,
using market intelligence and cost of production information to investing in crops that are highly profitable and/or have a strong positive price direction for the year. You can bring your customers the advantage of an integrated team without adding in-house costs. This year why not resolve to better understand the ‘sell’ side of their business. Strengthen relationships with your key customers by understanding their whole reality and contributing more value to their input decisions. Maximize the reward for their hard work with better information to maximize their profitability before they plant. Chris Corbett
Product Lead, Farm At Hand Agronomy
306.752.4564 chris@farmathand.com
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THE ANATOMY OF A SUPERIOR PULSE SEED TREATMENT. { And how its benefits go well beyond the seed. }
The first pulse seed treatment with the unique translocation and mobility characteristics of Xemium®
Increased germination, emergence and vigour, even under cold conditions
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More consistent and continuous protection against key seed and seedling diseases, including ascochyta
Enhanced ability to manage environmental stresses
Find out how Insure® Pulse fungicide seed treatment and the benefits1 of AgCelence® can improve your lentils, field peas, chickpeas, dry beans, faba beans and flax – as well as soybeans and mustard. >> Learn more
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AgCelence benefits refer to products that contain the active ingredient pyraclostrobin.
Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation; AgCelence, INSURE, and XEMIUM are registered trade-marks of BASF SE; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. INSURE PULSE fungicide seed treatment should be used in a preventative disease control program. © 2018 BASF Canada Inc.
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This year... is going to be different.
Resolutions bring with them the desire for improvement and change. One of our resolutions this year is to bring you Connectivity in a new, simpler format that will enable us to provide eight issues per year over the previous four. Timely, progressive communication will help us all achieve our resolutions. Positive alteration to our personal and business spheres is obviously not restricted to the dawning of a new chronological number. It can be undertaken at any time, but it seems we usually use this annual moment as our major marker for change, and always a progressive change. “This year…this year is going to be different”. Different, by resolution’s definition, means better. Better means everything from trimming the muffin top to plotting market dominance. As an Ag retailer, no doubt many of your aspirations will be business related.
Many resolutions die in the early darkness of mid-January for a variety of reasons, none of which have anything to do with the intention, but more likely the size of the challenge layered onto the solitude of execution. In other words: it’s tough to tackle big change by your lonesome. Resolution success rates skyrocket when merged with in-sync partners who are devoted to helping fulfill your outcomes. Want to lose 10 pounds? Jenny Craig and about a million others are right outside your door willing to move that goal forward with you. The bitter cold of this January has ensured that by now most people have reneged on their personal resolutions, but their cropping ones have yet to unfold. Partnerships in purpose help move big goals forward, and Univar is your most dedicated partner. Sometime over the holidays, you
probably reflected on ways to improve your business. Perhaps you even jotted out a line or two about improving your staffing situation, broadening your market reach, stared at your margin equation or any number of other business resolutions for 2018. We can help with all of them. Share your aspirations with your Univar representative and we’ll work alongside you to ensure the building blocks of strength and success are positioned to achieve the results you expect. Everyone at Univar is dedicated to your future. Work with us, lean on us, depend on us, and I can assure you: this year…this year will be different. Sooner than we realize, winter will be behind us and spring will be upon us. Kevin Jacobson
©2018. Univar Inc. All rights reserved. UNIVAR, the hexagon, and other identified trademarks are the property of Univar Inc., Univar Canada Ltd. or affiliated companies. All trademarks not owned by Univar Inc., Univar Canada Ltd. or affiliated companies that appear in this material are the property of their respected owners. Univar makes no representation and warranties as to the statements of third party producers or manufacturers included in this material. Always read and follow label directions.
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Humans have an inner optimistic barometer that somehow facilitates an ability to reset our attitudes and intentions for the future. In its physical form, it’s known as a calendar, and the mere ritual of rolling over a page to expose a new year gives license to new and exciting commitments of achievement, improvement and success. This is the infamous resolution.