Role of Social Media in Creating Brand Awareness among Rural Farmers

Abstract: Social media is being recognized in today's "digital age" as one of the world's most inexpensive and powerful communication and marketing tools available to all types of businesses. Companies in all industries have been able to increase their ability to reach customers from remote, rural areas with the improved availability of both internet access and mobile phones. In the agricultural industry, for example, many farmers are using multiple forms of digital technology to access information about many different aspects of agriculture including how to farm, the types of agricultural inputs available, and market information. Farmers are using popular social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram) to quickly obtain information about seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and equipment for farming purpose. By using different forms of social media marketing, agricultural companies are able to place targeted digital ads, share videos, provide product demonstrations, and provide general informational content to farmers. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which social media creates awareness of brands among rural farmers. The focus of the study will assess how social media has been able to enhance rural farmers' knowledge and awareness of agricultural brands, knowledge of benefits associated with products sold by these agricultural brands, and how these factors have influenced the purchase decisions made by rural farmers. According to research conducted in this area, social media has an important role to play when it comes to communicating information about agriculture products and brands to farmers living in rural locations. In addition, findings support that farmers are able to better understand advances in agricultural technology through the use of digital platforms and to compare products from multiple producers. Consequently, rural farmers will be more likely to make educated decisions regarding their agricultural purchases. Nonetheless, there are numerous barriers that still impede rural farmers' adoption of social media, such as low levels of digital literacy and inadequate internet access.