Social Media for Agricultural Institutions: A Case Study of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad

 

Social Media for Agricultural Institutions: A Case Study of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad

 

In today’s digital age, social media has emerged as a powerful tool being utilized across various sectors for communication, networking, and outreach. For agricultural institutions, particularly those focused on education, research, and extension services—such as the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad—the effective use of social media can revolutionize the ways of sharing information, distributing knowledge, and engaging audiences. The Prime Minister of our country, Shri Narendra Modi, has spoken about the positive use of social media, stating that, "The positive use of social media can lead us toward a new direction. It enriches us through the exchange of ideas and empowers our role in bringing about social change."

Role of Social Media in Agriculture

Agricultural institutions play a vital role in supporting farmers, agricultural professionals, policymakers, and rural communities. They provide information on the latest agricultural trends, research findings, innovations, and policy developments. Traditionally, this information was shared through seminars, printed publications, and direct interactions. However, with social media platforms, agricultural institutions can now reach a broader audience more quickly and efficiently. Social media offers agricultural institutions an opportunity to enhance their visibility, engage with diverse audiences, and build an interactive community where real-time knowledge exchange becomes possible. From small-scale farmers to agricultural researchers and policymakers, the reach of social media is nearly limitless, with the potential to elevate global agricultural development to new heights.

Why Agricultural Institutions Need Social Media

Broad Reach and Accessibility: Through platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, institutions can reach a wider audience at minimal cost, especially those who may not have direct access to formal education or training programs. For instance, a short video on modern irrigation techniques or a demonstration of crop monitoring and pesticide application using drones can reach thousands of farmers, extension officers, and agricultural researchers. This allows them to receive timely information and improve their agricultural practices.

Interactive Communication: Unlike traditional media, social media offers a two-way communication tool. Agricultural institutions can engage with their audience through comments, feedback, live Q&A sessions, or polls. This direct interaction helps institutions better understand the needs and concerns of farmers and agricultural stakeholders, allowing them to tailor their content effectively to address these issues.

Real-Time Updates and Information Dissemination: Agricultural institutions often handle time-sensitive information, such as weather forecasts, pest outbreaks, or policy changes, as well as irrigation requirements, harvest timings, disease outbreaks, price fluctuations, and agricultural program details. Social media platforms enable rapid dissemination of such information, helping farmers make prompt decisions that enhance productivity. This is especially important for farmers whose activities depend on time constraints and environmental conditions.

Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building: Social media serves as an excellent platform for sharing research findings, best practices, and success stories. Agricultural institutions can use platforms like LinkedIn to publish research papers, case studies, and articles, while YouTube can be utilized for instructional videos. Additionally, farmers and experts can share their successes and challenges on Facebook and Instagram, creating a collaborative environment. This not only enhances knowledge sharing but also builds the capacity of individuals and communities involved in agriculture. In this process, training programs, webinars, and online discussion sessions foster skill development, increasing farmers' awareness of the latest techniques and practices.

Effective Social Media Strategies for Agricultural Institutions

Agricultural institutions that provide education, research, and extension services can make the most of social media by developing a well-thought-out plan and adopting a strategic approach to share information with a wider audience. Below are some strategies that can be implemented:

Selecting Social Media Platforms: Not all social media platforms are suitable for the same audience. Therefore, it is essential for agricultural institutions to select the right platform based on their target audience and the type of content they wish to share. For instance:

• Facebook: Ideal for sharing updates, success stories, and visual content like images and videos.
• X (formerly Twitter): Great for quick updates, real-time information sharing, and engaging with policymakers, agricultural experts, and the media.
• YouTube: Best for creating long-form videos, such as tutorials, webinars, and expert guidance.
• LinkedIn: Suitable for professional networking and sharing research papers, policy briefs, and articles aimed at academic or policymaking audiences.

Content Creation and Curation: High-quality, relevant, and engaging content is key to social media success. When creating content for social media platforms, agricultural institutions should focus on these values:

• Educational: Provide valuable knowledge, such as “how-to” guides on agricultural practices, farming tips, and expert insights.
• Timely: Post about current agricultural trends, seasonal practices, and new research findings.
• Visual: Use infographics, photos, and videos to make the content more engaging and easy to understand, so that it benefits a broad audience, including those with limited literacy.
• Interactive: Encourage audience participation through polls, contests, live streaming, or Q&A sessions to make agricultural practices engaging.

Consistency in Posting: Consistency is essential for maintaining audience engagement. Agricultural institutions should create a content calendar to post regularly on relevant topics. This helps establish trust with the audience and keeps them consistently informed.

Collaboration with Influencers and Experts: Influencers and experts in agriculture, such as successful farmers, agricultural scientists, and policymakers, can play a key role in amplifying the institution’s message. For example, MANAGE Hyderabad can collaborate with such individuals to write guest posts, host live sessions, or participate in discussions. This collaboration enhances knowledge sharing and expands the institution’s reach.

Engaging Visuals and Multimedia Content: The agricultural community greatly benefits from visual learning. By incorporating high-quality images, step-by-step instructional videos, and data-rich infographics, institutions can make complex agricultural information more accessible to their audience. A short video demonstrating a new farming technique or a series of impactful case study images can leave a lasting impression.

Localized Content for Farmer Engagement: Many farmers, especially in India, may not be fluent in English or Hindi, depending on their region. Creating region-specific content in local languages enhances the institution’s reach and engagement. Even with language barriers, institutions should ensure that vital information remains accessible to all audiences.

Analyzing Metrics and Feedback: Tracking social media metrics like “post engagement,” “follower growth,” and “click-through rates” helps institutions measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. Feedback from the audience, whether through comments or direct messages, provides insights into their concerns and needs, which can be used to improve future content.

Role of MANAGE Hyderabad in Adopting Social Media

As one of India’s leading agricultural extension management institutions, the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) in Hyderabad has made significant progress in utilizing social media to promote its campus events. Through platforms like Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, and YouTube, MANAGE has successfully engaged with a wide audience, including farmers, agricultural professionals, and international researchers, by sharing research findings, training materials, and extension strategies. MANAGE consistently shares detailed information about all campus events on social media daily. To ensure participation in upcoming events, MANAGE shares registration links, posters, and event details well in advance.

Regular webinars on various agricultural topics are hosted by MANAGE, with pre-registration and viewing links shared online. After each event, recordings are made available to farmers and agricultural experts. MANAGE also shares information on key programs, such as:

• Post-Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Extension Management (PGDAEM): A one-year diploma program
• Diploma in Agricultural Extension Services for Input Dealers (DAESI): A one-year diploma program
• Post-Graduate Diploma in Agribusiness Management (PGDM): A two-year program
• Certified Farm Advisor/Certified Livestock Advisor (CFA): A certification program
• Post-Graduate Diploma in Agro-Warehousing Management (PGDAWM): A specialized program
• Jai Jawan Kisan Training Program: A four-month program for ex-servicemen, aiming to turn them into agricultural entrepreneurs.

Virtual Platforms Utilization

MANAGE offers a variety of programs, covering fundamental agricultural topics such as agricultural principles, extension, digital agriculture, agricultural economics, marketing, integrated pest and disease management, climate change, floriculture, horticulture, video production techniques for agriculture, ITEC international programs, and capacity-building sessions. Information about these programs is shared daily across MANAGE's social media platforms.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical workshops and training sessions were canceled, prompting MANAGE to transition to virtual platforms to continue its capacity-building activities. This shift allowed the institute not only to maintain its reach with regular audiences but also to engage rural farmers who previously could not participate in its programs.

MANAGE’s Social Media Presence

MANAGE Hyderabad’s social media presence reflects strong engagement with its audience, especially on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. With a significant following on these platforms, MANAGE has established itself as a key player in the agricultural extension sector. Engagement metrics indicate that the content resonates well with the audience, especially through interactive posts. Demographic analysis shows that the audience primarily consists of young adults aged 25-50, with both male and female representation.

Over the past 360 days, MANAGE’s social media platforms have received notable responses:

• Facebook: Over 200,000 views and 5,000+ likes
• Instagram: Over 100,000 views and 20,000+ likes
• LinkedIn: Over 200,000 views and 30,000+ likes
• YouTube: Over 1,700 videos available, with more than 100,000 views

Each year, MANAGE reaches over 800,000 people with more than 5,000 posts through its social media platforms. With over 70,000 followers, this demographic data presents an opportunity for MANAGE to optimize its content strategy, enhancing relevance and engagement. This approach not only establishes MANAGE as an authority in the field but also attracts a diverse audience interested in agricultural innovations and expert insights.

Challenges and Opportunities

While social media presents numerous opportunities for agricultural institutions, there are also challenges that need to be addressed. A major challenge is digital literacy, particularly among rural farmers. Despite the high mobile phone usage in rural India, many farmers lack the skills necessary to effectively utilize social media platforms. Agricultural institutions can help bridge this gap by providing digital literacy training under their extension services.

Another challenge is misinformation. With the rising prevalence of fake news, it is essential for agricultural institutions to maintain their credibility by sharing accurate, research-based information. Institutions should actively monitor their social media platforms to correct any misinformation that may arise.

There are significant opportunities for agricultural institutions to collaborate with technology companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international organizations to develop innovative digital tools that can enhance social media outreach. These partnerships can lead to the development of mobile apps, SMS-based information services, or social media bots that can provide personalized agricultural advice to farmers.

Social media has transformed the way agricultural institutions connect with their audiences. For organizations like MANAGE Hyderabad, effective use of social media can not only expand their reach but also amplify their impact in promoting sustainable agricultural practices, sharing knowledge, and supporting rural communities. By adopting strategic approaches to content creation, platform selection, and audience engagement, agricultural institutions can position themselves as the most influential entities in the digital agriculture era.

 

Mr. Krushna (Outreach Specialist, MANAGE)