I am not an expert in the cattle industry in any way shape of form. I can however offer what I feel MAY be a unique perspective on this. Let me explain.
I was raised in the cattle industry, and showed both purebred cattle and show steers.
I have been completely away from cattle/show cattle for 20+ years.
I got back into the show steer hobby last year with my youngest kids. (Had some extra money that we wanted to throw away! HA HA HA)
I am going to give you the customer's point of view......your prospective customer, that you don't even know exists.
I know and understand A LOT about internet exposure, websites, e commerce, social network, etc.,...I own a car dealership, and 75% of our customers are on our website before they buy.
So here is my take on this whole thing. When we decided to show steers about a year ago, I had basically no idea where to start. So the easy answer is lets head out to some club calf sales and check them out. Well guess what? They don't have those anymore. Nope, they do those on the internet. So I find a couple internet auction sites and start watching on line auctions until I see one that is really close to home. I look at the pictures and the videos, they look pretty good, so I load up the kids and drive over to walk through the calves. I am pretty sure that we are at the wrong place. These calves don't look anything like the pictures and I quickly figure out that I am in way over my head.
So we head back home, I think things over, and I quickly come to the conclusion that I am going to have to rely on something more than a picture or a video to buy steers. I am going to either have to find an old friend that is still in the business or I am going to have to find one of these internet based sales where I can call the guy and figure out if I can trust him. How do you think I sorted through all of these on line auctions? Website. No website, no phone call. The end. Why do you suppose I did that? Reputation. Your website is PUBLISHED VALIDATION OF YOUR REPUTATION. Your track record in the show ring is proof that you sell good steers, if it is at the county, district, state, or national level. It does not matter what the level, it is proof.
Now, so as to not hurt any egos on here, some of you are going to say "Well by gosh I have sold 2 Denver Champions, 4 Kansas City, 2 Ft Worth, State Fair, blah blah blah...and I darn sure shouldn't need some website for you to figure that there stuff out". So I don't hurt your feelings if you are "that guy"...I don't care what you have done, because I don't know about it. I have been away from it for 25 years, and I don't care what you have done...I am looking for a $5,000 steer to win a couple small jackpot classes and a county fair and all I have to go on is a laptop and your reputation. There are more of us out there than you think, and there are more coming. I know we just got back into it, and I have personally talked with 3 old friends that are in the same situation as me. Away from it for a long time and wanting to start up again, but have no idea where to start.
If you don't have a website, get one. If you have one, KEEP IT CURRENT. Take a picture of the spring thaw, or a blizzard, or your kids basketball game, or who cares what, but update your website. If you do, people will come back to it. Do something on your website so that your customers know that you are taking it serious. Have a "Winners" tab, but they don't have to win a show to be pictured. I really don't understand that. If you sell someone a good steer and they do a good job, and the calf takes a good picture...the kind of picture that will help you sell more steers, then post the picture! If you do, people will come back. Post content on your website that is relevant to the industry and your operation and interesting. Express your opinions, and tell the world that you thought little Suzie (that is pictured) should have won that class because ______ , and we are proud of you Suzie. If you do, people will come back. (Stay away from politics and religion...REALLY, stay away from it.) If you sell a steer to a trader, keep track of him. If that trader is a well known trader, post that information on your website (with the permission of the trader of course). That information is relative, interesting, validating, and it enhances your reputation. When you do that, people will come back.
Social Networking such as Facebook and Twitter are a whole different conversation. I believe that they are exactly what it says...Social. Spread the word, stay in touch, here is what is going on, blah blah blah. Does it actually sell anything? Well, that is kind of a loaded question. Advertising "could" be split into two distinctive categories. Price and item, and Institutional. Price and Item would consist of March Monopoly Steer, super stout, 625#, $3500. Or Monopoly 2 Semen $25/straw. Price and Item advertising can be done through social networking, and can actually sell product HOWEVER, it will actually only sell low ticket items on a consistent basis. Institutional advertising would consist of XYZ Show Steers On line Auction Coming up February 12th, Check out our website. Institutional advertising does not directly sell anything, but indirectly...yes.
Does Facebook and Twitter actually sell product? No. It will drive traffic to your website, which WILL sell product. Go ahead, let me have it. I don't mind. If you think you are going to get a Facebook page and sell any cattle with it, you are wrong......with the only exception being IF you are using your Facebook page AS IF it were a website (which is actually pretty stupid no offense). That is actually pretty funny...you're stupid, but don't be offended?
If anyone is considering a website, but feels overwhelmed by it, or doesn't understand it, PLEASE send me a PM. Do not feel ashamed to ask me any question, no matter how stupid you think it is. I am so grateful and thankful for this site. I have learned so much on here in the past year and a half, and I have not run across one person that would not help me. I can and will help you with this. It is not that hard, and it is not nearly as confusing as lots of people want you to believe it is. I will even show you my website, and how it works from the inside out.