Beekeeping Education: The Role of Social Media.

Introduction.

This is my lovely online friend Liz Childerley with whom I’ve been sharing beekeeping information and laughs for some time now. Liz is going to get a plane up from Birmingham to Inverness later in the year to visit me and plot more beekeeping adventures. We’re currently study buddies on an online course, and we might even put our writing heads together for a Childerley and Chilcott piece. Like myself, Liz grew up with an innate love of the land and remains inseparable from it. I’ve only dabbled around on tractors for fun, but Liz drove to a different standard entering ploughing matches (competitions) and doing productive things on the farm with a tractor.

Calling on support from Liz.

After 11 years serving my local beekeeping committee I took a break for a few years to let others take the lead, carry the load, and develop the group. Now we have the most competent and efficient secretary than I’ve ever met, and I’ve come back to support the dynamic individuals who want change and to improve provision for education which hasn’t kept up with the many recent changes in beekeeping over the last ten years. I’m excited to be working at developing education within a team of engaged beekeepers who want to move forwards.

For a minority, social media still represents the spawn of beelzebub and they refuse to engage with it. We all know the pitfalls and how misinformation can easily spread via these channels, but we also know that social media can be useful too. Indeed it is essential today. This is where Liz enters the scene to help us find a clear way through the tangle of different communication threads.

Background.

Liz left behind a career in advertising and marketing to move to rural Mid-Wales.  This gave her space and time to start keeping bees. Two colonies turned into 4, and 4 into 8 and so on. She was hooked.

Seven years later, beekeeping is now her career as well as her hobby. As a Seasonal Bee Inspector, Liz has the opportunity to help maintain welfare standards amongst beekeepers in Wales, and assist with learning and education. Liz keeps around 12 colonies across three apiary sites. Liz fully recognises that the more you learn about bees, the more you understand how little you know, so is always keen to improve her knowledge about this fascinating little creature. She is undertaking formal qualifications through the BBKA (British Beekeepers Association) and Cornell University.  

Liz is also the Exam Secretary for the Welsh Beekeeper Association, encouraging others to keep learning about their bees.

The Role of a Social Media in our Beekeeping Education.

Long before I was a keeper of bees, I was a keeper of brands.  I was employed in the communications industry for many years, working for some of the UK’s leading marketing agencies.  The main task of any marketing resource is to change attitudes and behaviours in favour of the product or service on offer.  In other words, to persuade and influence.  To be effective in my job, I had to know what made people tick, how to get them to listen and how to keep them engaged. Whether it was a chocolate bar or a bottle of vintage whisky, the principles were the same.

Years later, as a shiny new beekeeping beginner, I was charged with the task of ‘looking after’ my Beekeeping Association Facebook page.  I’m not sure that they were particularly passionate about this platform, but they felt they needed to tick a box and be ‘present’ online.

I suspect many Associations suffer this low-level conflict – aware of the need to be online, but not quite sure how to get the circus to perform!

However, as a beekeeper, with a marketing background I see huge potential in the use of social media to complement and support to the irreplicable ‘practical beekeeping’, where we come together and share ideas, build relationships, learn.

In this article, I hope to provide some inspiration and perhaps provoke a discussion at your next branch meeting as to the usefulness and value of social media because as with any tool, be it a smoker, the zip on a bee suit or a social media platform – used well, it can be an incredible force for good!

What’s new?

I suspect we’d all agree that the world has changed since Covid lockdowns. And, my goodness, how things have changed for beekeepers and the ways in which they now learn about their hobby. We have all become accustomed to a rich diet of online education – through webinars predominantly – in our homes, usually on the sofa with a glass of red. Never have we had such unfettered access to world-class speakers at the touch of a button.  Arguably, this situation has brought more of us to the ‘learning’ table than if the apiary on a Sunday was the only option.

But anecdotally, post Covid, I hear how BKAs are struggling to get beekeepers to return to the outdoor gathering in the apiary, or to lectures and talks in person.

And this is where social media makes a dramatic entrance. For despite the dark days of lockdown, there is a silver lining in that many beekeepers have given up stressful, full-time jobs, fleeing to the countryside, whilst retiring at a younger age.  The beneficiaries are the local Association Committees as they are bolstered by this more tech-savvy contingent, with more time on their hands.

Hang on, we’re not all on Facebook!

I just want to deal with the elephant in the room before we contemplate how we use social media to our (beekeeping) advantage. I hear this protest often when it’s suggested that Facebook be used to communicate with members as if it’s use will alienate huge swathes of the membership! So, to reassure those that fear the devils work I must state that I believe that communication is best served up via many, not just one, channels.  For example, if a Facebook page is combined with an email (or printed) Newsletter, nestled between a regularly updated website, joined by a smattering of WhatsApp you are going to catch just about everyone in the Association that wishes to engage.  Add in face-to-face time for practical beekeeping – and you’ve got the perfect mix.

I absolutely respect an individual’s right at a personal level to opt out of social media. But we absolutely must keep in mind that our Associations are the trainers, educators, inspirers, influencers, and custodians of the welfare of our honeybees – and to do this job well, we need to get out there and fish where the fish are, with content that has a value to the membership.

In Association terms, at the very least, social media provides an online notice board where the occasional picture of an apiary cake is posted. At best it is a tool that facilitates the learning and development of the full membership – a complimentary, engaging and ‘go to’ platform.

Fish where the fish are.

Before we talk strategies, we are going to talk audiences.  Yes, I know you are a Beekeeping Association, wishing to attract beekeepers but it’s more nuanced than that.  For example, do you wish to use a social media channel solely to coach your beginners with pre-recorded tutorials?  YouTube might be your best bet.  Do you want to engage with local gardeners to encourage them to plant meals for pollinators?  That’s an Instagram job. Do you want to capture the imagination of young beekeepers in your area and start a Juniors Club? Go to TikTok or Snapchat. Do you want to provide a monthly beginners ‘drop-in’ online webinar to answer questions? Use Zoom, perhaps.  And if you want to advertise your ‘Sublimation Masterclass for Lady Beeks’ then you better make sure you create a private group on Facebook and ask for their contributions and chat.

My point is this – for each of these audiences there is a ‘perfect fit’ social media platform which will allow you to ‘fish where the fish are’.

I might add here that WhatsApp (the UK’s most popular free-to-use messaging app) is a great baseline platform for all age groups and tech-skill levels – most of us own a smartphone and can send an SMS. WhatsApp allows everyone with a smartphone to engage in the joys of the group dynamic.  Great for sharing links, posting videos, dealing with issues at a distance, mentoring, problem solving, making plans, breaking plans and checking that someone has baked a cake for the apiary on Sunday. A very worthy and even more secure alternative to WhatsApp is Telegram.

What’s your point, caller?

So, now we’re at the strategic bit. Without exception, all Association Committees need a Social Media Strategy, which ideally aligns to an overall communications strategy (i.e., a minimum of a website, regular emails and perhaps a quarterly print Newsletter for those that don’t use the internet). A strategy feels a bit too fancy for us, Liz – why do we need this?  For several reasons, so stay with me. 

The first reason is that your Social Media Manager (SMM) needs a purpose. Wafting around sharing a cartoon graphic of a queen honeybee is OK, but it’s not doing much for upskilling your membership.  Your SMM needs to understand what the brief is, so that they can execute the instructions given to them and report back on successes.  Culturally, creating a strategy might mean a bit of a mindset shift for the Committee – it really does not need to be more than a page to describe what you hope to achieve.

The second reason is that by setting some objectives, understanding your social media purpose, and discussing some measures of success is going to lead to everyone getting on the same bus. And more importantly, it allows other members of the Committee to support the Social Media Manager by providing relevant content, as prescribed in the strategy.  The absence of the latter being one of the biggest downfalls of any battle plan as so often, the SMM is left to ‘get on with it’ with tumble weed blowing between them and all those that promised to support at the AGM!

As an example of how this plays out, let’s proffer the fictitious example of ‘Snowborough BKA’.  They have decided that they wish their Facebook page to support this year’s intake of Beginners and will form a key part of their education toolkit. To create a safe learning space for those new to beekeeping, they have chosen to create a private group via their Facebook platform.  The SMM has been asked to communicate monthly to this group, highlighting the key tasks required by month.  The content will be provided by the Training Officer.

This is followed up by the Apiary Manager at the Training Apiary on a Sunday with a Q&A on the content published to embed the learning further. Those that could not access Facebook, are directed to the Association website where the same content has been uploaded. Can you see how every beekeeper has been served, albeit through slightly different channels?

Team work makes the dream work!

Finding a Social Media Manager can be tricky and of course it’s essential they have some experience of the online world, is a willing communicator and can demonstrate a competent understanding of beekeeping principles.  It is not a great idea to ask your latest enthusiastic beginner to ‘update the Facebook page every now and then, please’. Only expose a beginner to this role if they are FULLY supported by more experienced beekeepers that help curate content and responses on a regular and reliable basis. The Training Officer is an obvious choice for this back-up role.

Unless you’ve got a volunteer SMM that can give endless time, has days to search the internet for suitable content and is sitting at a screen waiting for something to do, you are – as a collective – going to need content contributions from a wider team. This doesn’t need to be time consuming and endlessly polished before publication.  A simple link to a newspaper article about pesticides, or a graphic that shows a Bailey Comb Change – it’s all valuable to your membership and takes seconds to share online.

I would also suggest that the enthusiasm for and uptake of your social media platforms comes from the top – the Committee.  Unless the members of the Committee are promoting the benefit of social media because they genuinely believe in its value, the platform will wither due to neglect. If you have some Committee members that are not familiar with the key social media platforms, take the time to run a short familiarisation session – not a lot of detail is required just an understanding of the basic premise and what the interface looks like. Most importantly, describe what it can help the Association to achieve.

It is entirely at the behest of the Association Committee as to how their social media ‘serves’ their membership.

Deal with the rule breakers!

Many fear using social media due to the threat of boorish, keyboard warriors.  There’s always one, isn’t there? Spoils the party, the police get called by the neighbours and it ends in tears!  Make your social media platforms famous for being a safe place to engage – zero tolerance on discourteous behaviour. Publish rules that demand kindness, courtesy, and empathy and jump on offenders quickly.

Generation Bee.

Never mind Generation Z – consider ‘Generation Bee’ made up of our younger apiarists who have grown up with technology quite literally in their back pockets. Another reason why Associations should be mindful of future-proofing their communications strategies to ensure they can communicate with younger generations. I don’t just mean ‘juniors’ here – think teenagers and young adults.

Even better, invite a younger Beekeeper to join your Committee – let them contribute to the dialogue and guide your thinking when it comes to communicating with this important audience.

If in doubt, do only one thing well.

I am very aware that many Associations struggle for volunteers and to those teams, I would simply say cut your cloth accordingly.  Do one thing well, rather than trying to do many things and falling short of your expectations.  But do try to do more than a website on its’ own.

It strikes me, as I conclude what a difficult task Beekeeping Associations have in finding ways to communicate with their membership, with the average membership age profile spanning (almost) from the cradle to the grave. But if you get the mix of channels right, and you have the full complement of Officers and volunteers pulling in the same direction, your social media can be one of your strongest tools in the box and be a fantastic support to you practical beekeeping, which should remain the key focus.

Social media can really help Associations remain relevant and a dynamic force for good when it comes to training, educating and improving the skills of many of our beekeepers.

Facebook Dos and Don’ts.

Because most of us personally are familiar with Facebook, I have put together a summary of pitfalls and best practice of this platform – most of which translate to other platforms too.

DO	DON’T
Agree with your Association committee what you want your social media to achieve.  An information platform for Association business, is very different to an education tool for beginners. A roadmap for the Committee will guide content decisions and avoid disagreements over the perceived value of social media	Rely on your privacy settings to police your platforms – your need to be actively moderating the engagement your posts prompt
Give, give, give – your social media should be rewarding and useful to your audience	Leave any element of your platform unfinished – all details should be complete
Make it sticky! Engaging an audience is one thing, but keeping them coming back for more requires an approach that invites a two-way conversation (nobody likes the office bore who only talks about themselves)	Assume that your entire audience is on social media – be respectful of those that choose another path and adopt a blended communications strategy (Facebook, email and a quarterly Newsletter is as complicated as it needs to get)
Tailor your posts to the interests and needs of your audience. Hint – to achieve this, you need to know your audience – members only?  members and public? Interested onlookers? Beginners?  All?	Try to be on all social media channels – you are a volunteer, with limited time – if in doubt, do just one thing well.
Before you post, ask yourself what your audience will gain from it – what’s in it for them?  Always establish your reason for posting before you touch the keyboard	Never ‘automate’ across all platforms – each platform has a slightly different audience, which a slightly different message and/or tone of voice
Make your social media platforms famous for being a safe place to engage – zero tolerance on shaming and discourteous behaviour. Publish rules that demand kindness, courtesy, and empathy and jump on offenders quickly.	Settle for ‘it’ll do’ – your grammar and punctuation need to be spot on
Use analytics to understand your sweet spots and plan to do more of the same	Don’t over share or spam your audience – if in doubt, remain quiet. Post at a frequency that keeps your platform active but not irritating
Become a proof-reading demon – read from the end of a sentence, backwards…you’ll spot the mistakes easier	Avoid long posts – a couple of sentences is good, followed by a link to longer content
Credit images and use hashtags sparingly – you can overdo the hashtag thing so that it just becomes white noise – your audience will switch off	Get involved in public ‘tit for tat’ – embrace negativity professionally and always be the adult (oh, and never post in anger)
Create original content that is relevant and personal to your audience – curating others content and sharing it is OK, but we all need reminding that there is a real world out there and a local Association to support	Forget that social media leaves a permanent footprint
Use video.  Oh, and use video. Hands down, it is the Golden Goose of ‘engagement’ and capturing attention (it doesn’t have to be Spielberg quality)	‘Spam’ your audience – make it meaningful, relevant, and useful.  If in doubt, remain silent.
Try ask a question in your post – invite responses, encourage engagement – talk WITH your audience, not AT them. Imagine a ‘I saw this and thought of you – what do you think?’ kind of approach	‘Tag’ someone into your post without their permission
Have a more experienced beekeeper to answer more complex or challenging responses – don’t throw your enthusiastic beginner under a bus	Simply ‘forward’ others content – take the time to have a view, ask a question or invite debate/engagement.  Share – but do so with meaning.
Be topical – when appropriate – in a sensitive manner	Put the enthusiastic beginner in charge of your social media – you need a blend of enthusiasm and wisdom in your social media team
Deal with persistent offenders (impolite and unhelpful contributors) by blocking and removing.  Have clear rules/protocols that back up your stance on acceptable behaviour.

Thank You.

Thank you very much Liz for sharing all this valuable information with us. I hope it has helped other readers as much as it has me. A version of this article was published recently in BBKA News.

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Thank you, Ann 🐝