new blog post @Zebrafinch Twitter at the Farmers Market

Thank you for promoting Hungry Garden and Twitter at your local farmers market.  I am not surprised to hear as I have had similar experience that most farmers do not tweet -- yet.  But, I am thinking maybe the problem is in trying to sell them on Twitter when there is no direct ROI (return on investment) of either time or money.  As you and I both know this is really not true.  And, as many farmers on Twitter like Kubileya, Rosemont Farm, Podchef can attest.  There is ROI from proper use of social media.  It just takes time and money and only over time could direct correlation to sale be revealed.

Nevertheless, I think a solution that will work for farmers markets and farmers must have two things;

1. Its got to be drop-dead simple to use
2. goal must be understood and measurable.

If a system addresses these two key points it has a hope of up-take by customers.

DId you know that Twitter works with SMS messaging?  And, did you know that since Hungry Garden #want, #have and #discuss work with Twitter, farmers and farmer markets can USE SMS to send and receive #want #have #discuss (with another hashtag) messages with customers near to them!!!!

Lets forget telling them about twitter and ask them if they have a phone that sends and received text messages. The convenience, low cost and prevalence of inexpensive phones makes it more understandable and easier to use.

Twitter already lets you setup Twitter account using SMS so having CUSTOMERS and FARMERS and FARM MARKETS use sms to trade want/have offers is possible today.

And, by June, I hope to have a SMS short code that farmers and customers can use to directly enroll in Hungry Garden without the need for Twitter.

What I am looking for is marketing opportunities where farmers, farm markets and customers actually send SMS request and get response AND TAKE THAT STORY TO LOCAL MEDIA!

You are half way there in talking it up at the market.  I think I am going to target Farmers Markets.  They talk to both farmers and customers.  They could benefit from encouraging communication between farmer and customer and arrange physical pick-up at the market