activities (again, always with a reminder to check the link in my profile for more detailed information). I will also often live post photos from events as they happen – action shots from hands-on Extension field days are especially popular with followers. I frequently post photos of field work or photos that are related to research questions I’m pursuing. When I’m clipping pasture forage, for example, and all of the cows in the pasture come to see what I’m doing, I’ll post a photo along with a brief description of my research. This can sometimes generate questions from clientele, as well as elicit observations from other scientists and practitioners. As I learned with my Sheep 365 project, my followers appreciate an accurate and honest portrayal of what I do as a shepherd (and as a scientist). Consequently, I have learned not to shy away from sensitive or potentially controversial topics. For example, I recently posted a video showing how we dock lamb’s tails, and described the reasons for doing so. The post received substantial viewership and generated a number of positive comments and questions. Finally, used appropriately, social media can help build community (both geographically and virtually). I am now part of a large virtual community of sheep producers that includes shepherds from North and South America, Europe and the UK, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. I also connect with neighbors who live just down the road, or who ranch in the counties I serve through my Extension job. For a tangible benefit of these communities of interest, see the sidebar.
IGTV – A New Tool for Longer Format Videos
Most recently, I’ve started posting longer format videos to several IGTV channels I’ve created. Instagram limits video length to 60 seconds, but IGTV videos can be longer.
I have found several benefits to this approach. First, these videos are easier to upload than they would be on YouTube. IGTV allows some simple graphics (including titles) as well as descriptions and hashtags of the
video. I can also organize my videos by subject matter. I currently have channels that feature forage and weather information for the Sierra Foothills, working dog (both herding and livestock guardian dog) information, and basic information on pasture lambing systems. Viewers can make comments and ask questions, which creates significant opportunities as an Extension and engagement tool.
And it’s all accessible on a user’s smartphone!
Measuring Impact Instagram provides a number of metrics that can be helpful in tracking impact and application use. I track the number of followers as one important metric – this indicates the number of people who directly see my posts. While Instagram does not provide for tracking changes in numbers of followers over time, I do evaluate year-to-year changes in the number of followers on my account. Instagram also tracks the number of views and direct interactions (likes and comments) with each post, including IGTV videos. These can provide some objective metric for reach and impact. Finally, Instagram allows users to see how much time they are spending on the application on a daily and weekly basis. I find that
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