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Full-Text Articles in Social Media

Flower Power: Testing Social Media Advertising Strategies For Floral Products, Rachel Corry, William R. Taylor, Jessica Holt, Hailey Bittles, Benjamin L. Campbell, Julie Campbell Sep 2023

Flower Power: Testing Social Media Advertising Strategies For Floral Products, Rachel Corry, William R. Taylor, Jessica Holt, Hailey Bittles, Benjamin L. Campbell, Julie Campbell

Journal of Applied Communications

Social media and the internet have impacted how companies and organizations advertise to consumers. Digital advertising has created the opportunity to engage with consumers, target specific groups, and capture metrics of use to help build effective advertising strategies. The floral industry is a large sector within the agricultural arena, which is primed to engage with young consumers. This research examined the effectiveness of utilizing static and animated social media advertisements to increase consumers’ intention to purchase floral products. Using an online survey and an experimental design, this study examined 8,488 respondents’ intention to purchase floral products after viewing static and …


Exploring Source Credibility When Communicating About Agricultural Science On Twitter, Allison R. Fortner, Alexa J. Lamm, Abigail Borron, Jessica Holt, Allen J. Moore Nov 2022

Exploring Source Credibility When Communicating About Agricultural Science On Twitter, Allison R. Fortner, Alexa J. Lamm, Abigail Borron, Jessica Holt, Allen J. Moore

Journal of Applied Communications

Universities must strategically communicate agricultural science to effectively reach millennials skeptical of agricultural innovations and constantly assessing the credibility of online information. Universities are trusted information sources and must maintain credibility on social media platforms such as Twitter, used by millennials to receive and share information. Source credibility seeks to understand message source and recipient characteristics that influence recipients’ perceptions of a source’s expertise and trustworthiness. The purpose of this study was to explore differences in engagement when specific factors affecting source credibility were emphasized when communicating with millennials about agricultural science on Twitter. The purpose was accomplished by describing …


Arguing For Argument’S Sake? Exploring Public Conversations Around Climate Change On Twitter, Kennedy Mayfield-Smith, Alexa Lamm, Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Abigail Borron, Jessica Holt Dec 2021

Arguing For Argument’S Sake? Exploring Public Conversations Around Climate Change On Twitter, Kennedy Mayfield-Smith, Alexa Lamm, Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Abigail Borron, Jessica Holt

Journal of Applied Communications

Audience-facilitated information flow has become the new norm created by a public divergence from traditional media sources. Mobile device advancements and partnerships have changed how audiences view news media and the sources relied upon to obtain information. With these advancements, social media users have become primary information providers and information gatekeepers. Twitter specifically has become a news media platform for some based on its effectiveness in facilitating information flow and triggering reorganization as it provides a platform for collaboration and coordination. Despite widespread acceptance of the threat climate change poses by the scientific community, it is still a topic of …


Perceptions Of Social Media Use Among U.S. Women Farmers, Kerry Daigle, Sarah Noel Heiss Feb 2021

Perceptions Of Social Media Use Among U.S. Women Farmers, Kerry Daigle, Sarah Noel Heiss

Journal of Applied Communications

Communication networks and knowledge sharing are important for the persistence of small farms that operate outside of industrial agriculture. In past years, internet platforms have been promoted as a tool for farm businesses to connect with customers and other farmers. Social media in particular has gained attention as a user friendly and accessible tool for small business viability. Drawing on Uses and Gratifications Theory, this study uses examines interviews with women farmers' in the United States to explore how they view the role of social media for their agricultural practice. Results demonstrate that women farmers report using social media to …


To Post Or Not To Post? Factors Influencing State Ffa Officers’ Social Media Behaviors, Tiffany Rogers-Randolph, Lisa K. Lundy, Ricky W. Telg, Joy N. Rumble, Brian Myers, Angela B. Lindsey Feb 2021

To Post Or Not To Post? Factors Influencing State Ffa Officers’ Social Media Behaviors, Tiffany Rogers-Randolph, Lisa K. Lundy, Ricky W. Telg, Joy N. Rumble, Brian Myers, Angela B. Lindsey

Journal of Applied Communications

The demand for agriculture, food, and natural resource (AFNR) messages to be conveyed via channels of social media provides a natural inclination to seek out digital natives, such as state FFA officers, to fill the present gap of agriculturalists in online environments. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence state FFA officers’ behaviors of communicating about AFNR issues on social networking sites. The theoretical framework that guided this study of communication behaviors was the theory of planned behavior. A census of the accessible population of 276 state officers was attempted, and 97 usable responses were …


Building Engagement In Facebook: A Case Study With Utah State University Extension Sustainability, Kenna R. Kesler, Kelsey Hall, Debra Spielmaker, Roslynn G. H. Brain Mccann Feb 2021

Building Engagement In Facebook: A Case Study With Utah State University Extension Sustainability, Kenna R. Kesler, Kelsey Hall, Debra Spielmaker, Roslynn G. H. Brain Mccann

Journal of Applied Communications

In order to stay relevant in an online world, Extension must properly use social networking platforms to effectively reach diverse audiences regarding agricultural and natural resource issues. However, few studies have focused on how Extension uses Facebook to effectively accomplish its goal. This study’s purpose was to explore how Utah State University Extension Sustainability uses Facebook to engage followers. The researchers conducted a quantitative content analysis of 504 messages posted to the USU Extension Sustainability Facebook page. Graphics and links were the most common post characteristics used by the organization. Text-only posts and posts containing videos were utilized the least. …


“You Call That Meat?” Investigating Social Media Conversations And Influencers Surrounding Cultured Meat, Annie R. Specht, Joy N. Rumble, Emily B. Buck Feb 2020

“You Call That Meat?” Investigating Social Media Conversations And Influencers Surrounding Cultured Meat, Annie R. Specht, Joy N. Rumble, Emily B. Buck

Journal of Applied Communications

Cultured meat has yet to reach store shelves but is nonetheless a growing issue for consumers, producers, and government regulators, many of whom have taken to social media to discuss it. Using a conceptual framework of social cognitive theory and issues management, this qualitative content analysis investigated social-media discourse surrounding the topic of cultured meat in the United States by describing the content of the discussion in late 2018 and identifying individual influencers and communities of influencers engaged in the discussion. Data were collected from Twitter using listening platform Sysomos MAP. The thematic analysis revealed eight themes: legality and marketing …


Exploring The Impact Of Ohio Agricultural Organizations’ Social Media Use On Traditional Media Coverage Of Agriculture, Leigha Haller, Annie R. Specht, Emily B. Buck Nov 2019

Exploring The Impact Of Ohio Agricultural Organizations’ Social Media Use On Traditional Media Coverage Of Agriculture, Leigha Haller, Annie R. Specht, Emily B. Buck

Journal of Applied Communications

One of the nation’s most important industries, agriculture, has adopted social media to communicate with consumers and the public. At the same time, traditional news media remains important to the agriculture industry because many consumers still receive information about agriculture from sources such as newspapers and television. Little literature at the time of this study explored how social media is used specifically as a media relations tool. The purpose of this study is to examine how agricultural organizations in Ohio communicate via social media and how the messages could impact central Ohio traditional media outlets’ coverage of agricultural issues. The …


A Pilot Qualitative Case Study Of Agricultural And Natural Resources Scientists’ Twitter Usage For Engaging Public Audiences, Jamie Loizzo, Catherine Jones, Abby Steffen Nov 2019

A Pilot Qualitative Case Study Of Agricultural And Natural Resources Scientists’ Twitter Usage For Engaging Public Audiences, Jamie Loizzo, Catherine Jones, Abby Steffen

Journal of Applied Communications

Scientists are frequently asked to broadly share their expertise and research with a variety of audiences, beyond typical academic circles in their home disciplines. That could include developing community engagement programs, school outreach, leveraging online social networks, and other activities. The purpose of this study was to examine U.S. agricultural and natural resources (ANR) scientists’ typical science communication channels, their experiences utilizing Twitter for sharing their knowledge, research, and engaging in online public science discussion. Diffusion of Innovations theory and the model of science in-reach versus outreach guided this study. Researchers used a qualitative case study design. Data collection included …


Comparison Of Extension Personnel And Supervisor Perceptions Of Communications Activities, Brittany Bowman, Quisto Settle, Elizabeth Gregory North, Keri Collins Lewis Dec 2018

Comparison Of Extension Personnel And Supervisor Perceptions Of Communications Activities, Brittany Bowman, Quisto Settle, Elizabeth Gregory North, Keri Collins Lewis

Journal of Applied Communications

Extension is often called the “best-kept secret” having low awareness with the public but high satisfaction with clientele. Extension services nationwide have faced budget cuts, creating a need for the organization to re-evaluate its activities, including how it communicates with its stakeholders. While Extension personnel are the ones who will do most of the communicating, their supervisors impact the personnel’s actions, which means it is important to assess both groups. A survey was conducted with Extension personnel and their supervisors in Mississippi assessing engagement in communications activities and perceptions of those activities, as well as personnel’s preference of professional development …