A survey has revealed over half of farmers use social media to promote their work. Increasingly, media and computer literate farmers are turning to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook for a range of reasons, including sharing ideas, advice and news, and promoting their businesses. image expired

1,000 farmers were interviewed in the survey, conducted by JCB workwear; 53 per cent said they used social media to communicate with customers and raise awareness of issues affecting the industry.  87 per cent believed social networking was an effective tool, with some going further to say they used it as a "direct line" to policy makers, useful for showing the effects the economic downturn and rising input costs were having on the industry.

Of the reasons given for using the technology, the most common among farmers (given by 41 per cent of respondents) was flagging up farming-related issues. However, the farmers surveyed revealed social media has a variety of uses to the profession.

28 per cent of those who use social media said they do so to communicate directly with customers, 14 per cent use it to tackle rural isolation, 8 per cent as a direct line to policy makers and 9 percent said they use it for other reasons.

The survey also revealed that farmers are largely optimistic about the industry's future, with 63 per cent describing their outlook for the future of farming as "positive." However, a significant number (35 per cent) did say they were "worried" about the future.

The results show many farmers see social media as a way of promoting their business and publicising the issues affecting them. They also suggest such technologies will become ever more important to farmers, allowing more people in the industry unlock their potential in communicating directly with the public and face up to the issues affecting farming together.