Websites and social media can be powerful tools for processors to use to communicate to consumers. More than half of adults who go online use two or more social media sites, finds a Pew Research Center survey conducted in September 2014. This marks significant growth from 2013 where the number stood at 42 percent. Facebook holds the highest usage among consumers, but its growth has slowed, Pew says. In turn, other social media sites, such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest, saw growth of many more users across a variety of demographic groups.
With so many consumers partaking in social media, it is important for processors to tell their story, talk about their products’ benefits, and to share facts about meat products with consumers, says Chris Young, outreach specialist at American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP).