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Feature Stories
Teaching and Marketing Agricultural Education – It Starts with You
Marketing 101: Do great things, involve lots of people and tell everyone about it
Sharing Your Story: Spreading the Ag Ed message |
Recruiting the “Microwave Generation”
Teaching and Marketing Agricultural Education – It Starts with You
Marketing expert and author Jay Abraham said, “The fact is, everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell.”
Everyone except for you, right? After all, you’re an agriculture teacher. What does teaching have to do with sales and marketing?
In a word, everything.
Unfortunately, agricultural education isn’t considered a core program in schools, like language arts or math. You’ve got to have a school administration supportive of offering agriculture classes, students who are interested in taking the classes and parents who support their child’s interest in agriculture. And if you sit idly by, waiting for all of these to fall into place, well, you could be sitting for a while.
In addition to teaching, mentoring and inspiring students, you also need to sell them on the importance and relevance of agricultural education. The best marketer for your program is the success of your students, so getting them excited about agriculture is key. From there, they will tell friends, parents, the school board, and even their congressmen how they’ve been positively affected by agricultural education, helping to build a strong and supportive network. But the fact is, it all starts with you.
This issue of Making a Difference is dedicated to the fifth National Quality Program Standard, marketing and advocacy. Don’t worry if you’re not a salesman by nature. We’ll show you tips and tricks on how to make your program thrive.
Most agriculture educators are happy to blow their students’ horns, but ask them to create a marketing plan, and the hesitation is understandable. Most have never even set foot in a marketing class. But there is hope! Check out Marketing 101: Do great things, involve lots of people and tell everyone about it for marketing ideas.
As far as being a teacher goes, your plate likely has a lot more on it than most. In addition to teaching, mentoring and encouraging students, you’re actively helping kids with SAE projects and contests and attending workshops and conferences. So where do you find the time to throw in marketing? Read Sharing Your Story: Spreading the Ag Ed message to learn how some teachers make it happen.
Many label today’s high-schoolers as part of the “Microwave Generation,” or those who find identity in the latest technology and expect the instant gratification that comes with it. These kids often expect to be entertained and have more options competing for their time than generations of the past. How do you as agriculture educators recruit these students into your programs? Read Recruiting the “Microwave Generation” to learn how.
The Three C’s of Agricultural Education Marketing and Advocacy, an editorial by retired agriculture teacher Jack Roszel, focuses on connections, communication and community, and how these pieces of the puzzle fit to form a marketing plan of action.
The key ingredient to making any marketing or advocacy program a success is not only knowing the audience that you are addressing, but also knowing the product you are marketing. As educators, the product that is your greatest asset is the success of the students you teach. It is important to make sure that the students are utilized and that they have the opportunity to be spokespersons for the chapter. Read Students: Our Greatest Assets to learn more and get a free LifeKnowledge lesson plan!
And finally, let us know your tips or challenges when it comes to marketing your program by visiting the Communities of Practice page on NAAE’s website and answering this month’s Question for the Profession: How Do You Market Your Program with Intent?
I hope you find this information useful in building a thriving agricultural education program. Have a great FFA Week, and don’t forget to visit ffaweek.ffa.org for fun ideas on how to use this special week to do some marketing to potential students!
Amber Striegel
Editor
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