I have never really wanted to believe I was “old school”. However, there does come a time in your life when you have to accept the fact your thinking was formulated from another time, providing you live long enough. Those of us from an older generation of ag-pilots probably realize this most when we try to figure out something related to the Internet, or some new software on our computers. For me, one of those challenges has been the social media site Facebook.
I am not a Facebook user for a couple of reasons, mainly that I don’t subscribe to displaying my life on the Net; the same reason I don’t Tweet. Of course, I am often told you only place what you want to be viewed and that I would ultimately control the situation. That makes me think of those who found themselves in a pickle from a Facebook post!
Facebook is undeniably a fantastic communications tool and that is exactly why AgAir Update has a Facebook account (not me). I am grateful the industry as a whole does not feel the same way that I do about Facebook, otherwise, it would not be an effective communications tool. My son, Graham, is AgAir Update’s IT guy. He launched the AAU Facebook account a couple of years ago. He is very astute at not over posting, only data that is of interest at the time, nothing frivolous. Thirty days between print dates for AAU can be a long time when something important takes place. This is where Facebook is so useful; we can post information to the industry in a very timely manner.
Since we launched AAU’s Facebook account in English, it has gotten a little over 4,200 Likes. For such a small industry, that is pretty good. Even more notable is last month, Graham created the AAU Brasil Facebook account and within four days, it had about 3,000 Likes. A month later, AAU Brasil’s Facebook Likes exceeded 6,300! What is going on here?
There are 231 registered ag-aviation companies in Brazil with an estimated 1,900 ag-pilots, far less than the 6,300 Likes. Obviously, many more people than the number of pilots are in someway involved in Brazilian ag-aviation. It also points out how “in tune” Brazilians, as I have found in all of Latin America, are with social media and the Internet. Some of this is because the printed mail service is so poor and slow in Latin America, as a general rule.
AgAir Update’s challenge is to stay relative for its newly acquired Likes on both of AgAir Update’s Facebook pages. Trust me when I say, “challenge” to manage these social media sites. It is not just dealing with the differences in languages, but also cultures. Ag-pilots in the U.S. are different than those in Brazil and other Latin American companies, yet we are all the same. There may seem to be a conflict in that statement, but not really.
Ag-pilots worldwide generally have the same values and are all excellent pilots. They are motivated by the same things. I have no problem finding commonalities whether I am in South Africa, the South Pacific, Latin America or the U.S. Each geophysical location has its own culture, but all are still ag-pilots at heart.
If you have not visited AAU’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/agairupdate2, please do. You’ll find tidbits of information that will hold you over until you get the full story in print. Be sure that you “Like” us!
Until next month, Keep Turning…
