Facebook, Twitter | Consumers connect with producers and learn about management practices
PONOKA, Alta. — Ivan Smith wants to build an empire and is looking to social media for help.
Smith may not have an empire yet, but sales of bison products have jumped since he launched a serious social media campaign.
“Social media is helping me grow fast,” Smith told the recent Bison Producers of Alberta conference.
Bison meat sales have tripled since Smith’s wife, Sharlyn Carter, created a “bison whisperer” campaign.
Smith as bison whisperer caught the attention of media from across Canada.
While he is no bison guru, he is a hard working bison producer and owner of a Red Deer meat market and deli, Big Bend Markets.
“It created buzz and brought some national attention to the bison industry,” said Smith.
Carter, a marketing specialist, said getting producers’ names in the media creates attention and helps create a leader or expert in the industry. “You become someone with authority,” said Carter.
She said Facebook and Twitter are inexpensive tools that keep the bison business in the news.
