COTTON
Ginners Marketplace COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.
Can Social Media Help You In Business?
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One of the primary functions of associations is to connect people. Getting members of a group together to discuss, share, problem solve and network is an essential in any business. I dare say that businesses that don’t have that connection will eventually fail (not always, but often). That being said, there are other ways to link people or solidify those links already established. The one I’m thinking of is Facebook. Now please don’t think this is a Facebook commercial. Far from it. Facebook has plenty of warts and can be nothing more than an echo chamber for ugly thoughts and ideas no matter what your political or social issues may be. I’m talking specifically as a way for cotton ginners to get together and talk from across the county whether it’s in season or off. A quick search of “cotton ginning” found a LOT of groups out there. Many are in the United States, but some are outside. Many gins also have Facebook pages for their customers. So… why am I promoting a time sink like Facebook in a magazine article? During the gin season and particularly during the early part and the end of the season, we (associations) get calls from our members looking for parts, people and problem solving that we can’t always answer. I often give out phone
numbers to ginners in other parts of the country who might be able to help. In particular, at the beginning of the season, I got several calls for ginners and night crews and occasionally for module hauling. Most associations don’t have classified ads that work, but many gins are connected on Facebook and may be able to help. Earlier this year, I saw module trucks for sale on one of the pages. I’ve also seen postings for parts and even personnel. You can start with your own association if it has a Facebook page, but there are many ginners on ginning industry pages. The trick will be to find one with a critical mass that allows for the free and ample flow of information. Does this minimize your association? Absolutely not. Associations still have key roles in regulation, compliance assistance, information dissemination and, of course, networking. But social media actually can play a role in your management scheme if handled correctly. It’s just another tool in the belt. Dusty Findley, CEO of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, contributed this article. Contact him at 706-344-1212 or dusty@southern-southeastern.org.
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