Ag a hot topic: Farm Babe’s message reaches millions on social media

DECATUR, Ill. — All young people can find a way to positively move the message of agriculture forward.

“Every one of your voices can make an impact,” said Michelle Miller, a social media influencer that many know as the Farm Babe.

“As we move forward with technology our messages can go so much further,” said Miller during a presentation at the Women Changing the Face of Agriculture event organized by the Illinois Agri-Women. “With a click of a button, we have an option to reach millions of people for free and easily through the rise of social media.”

An influencer on social media is an extension of advertising, she explained during the event held at Richland Community College.

“Online influencers have a trusted fan base,” she said. “I reach 3 million people per month, so think about the power of what you can do to help raise awareness and education in agriculture.”

Building a fan base is like establishing your own little community, Miller said.

“People will feel connected and part of a tribe,” she said.

Although Miller said she doesn’t have the following of someone like the Kardashians, she has had posts reach 8 million to 12 million people.

“Think about what would happen if everyone in this room did something along those lines,” she said.

Miller has found the Social Media Bluebook is a very helpful website source.

“Whatever platforms you use, you enter the information and the website tells you what you’re worth,” she said.

Influencers can develop a media kit to provide to companies that may be interested in a partnership.

“A media kit is like a résumé for influencers to talk about what we do, how many followers you have and your demographics,” Miller said.

Miller partnered with the Idaho Potato Commission.

“This post had over 1,700 likes and it was me talking about potato storage,” she said.

“Sometimes in agriculture we take for granted our knowledge because the average person doesn’t know what a combine is or what a soybean field looks like,” she said.

“So, when you’re introducing the simplest thing like potato storage people find it really interesting and want to connect you to as young agriculturists.”

While working with the potato commission, Miller ate French fries right out of the field.

“They harvested, cut and fried the potatoes right there and they were the best French fries I’d ever had,” she said.

In addition to partnering with brands, influencers can also monetize their work by selling affiliate links or banner ads on their websites.

“There are some companies that will pay you commission per click,” she said. “And you can get sponsorship if you do a podcast.”

Sometimes little things that people do on farms everyday can have a significant impact with social media. This was the case when Miller posted on her Facebook page the day Joe was turned out to pasture, and it was viewed almost 50,000 times.

“My boyfriend, Doug, is a sixth-generation farmer and I came from a city background, so the first time I saw him turn a 2,200-pound bull out to pasture and he rolled around and kicked his feet up, I thought it was the coolest thing,” she said. “Doug looked at me like I was crazy because he’s worked with cattle his whole life.

“When you create personal stories to get people excited and interested in agriculture, little things can really make a difference,” she said.

Miller has traveled to Auburn University to learn about the science and research that goes into producing chicken and last month she was in Ecuador to tour one of South America’s largest shrimp farms.

“We’re in an industry that’s so productive, forward thinking and tech savvy that it is really neat to share these stories and see it in person,” she said.

To start advocating, Miller advised the students to choose a name that is catchy, memorable and simple.

“Comment as your page instead of using your personal name, so your handle is uniform across all platforms,” she said.

In addition, Miller told the students to be authentic.

“Stay true to what makes you unique,” she said. “Hot topics and humor are always popular.”

For more information about the Farm Babe, go to www.thefarmbabe.com.