By Shelby Mettlen, Angus Media
The field of agricultural communications is comprised of a small group of very talented individuals –– individuals with diverse backgrounds and one thing in common: passion for agriculture.
Perhaps the greatest thing about our profession is the opportunity to tailor it to each of our own set of personal talents. Your talents and interests (whether you’re proficient or need polishing) can be combined to create your ideal career. Maybe you’re a skilled writer intrigued by videography, or a beginning photographer looking to start your own business: Ag Media Summit is an absolute must for any budding (or established) agricultural communications professional.
“Here’s my card”
Ah, networking. It’s the buzzword of the working world. Whether we enjoy engaging in networking or not, it’s the most important component to marketing ourselves in this industry.
Ag Media Summit is the premier event to attend if you’re looking to grow your network. While you can network just by having a short conversation and handing your card to the person next to you on your flight, Ag Media Summit provides the opportunity for one-on-one conversation with some of the most intelligent and motivated professionals in the agricultural communications industry.
Encouraging young leaders
Ag communications is a specialized field –– very few of us understand and know how to represent agriculture. Given that, we’re in high demand. With that demand comes great responsibility: We are expected (if not required) to be good at what we do, and to differentiate ourselves as individuals.
Farming and ranching are aging industries. The average farmer or rancher is nearly 60 and male, and increasingly looking to young ag communicators for guidance. From my experience, I’m asked questions like, “What would you do to make this better?” “How can we reach more consumers?” “How do we connect with our consumers?”
We must not only give the industry what it needs, the industry is willing to see what we want to do next.
That’s why Ag Media Summit is such an incredible, don’t-miss event. With sessions ranging from networking to creating layouts efficiently; from tips on how to photograph black cattle when the sun is high, to choosing words effectively; it’s truly a career-defining event.
As young ag communicators, we know where we want to go. We’re always looking ahead. Ag Media summit offers the chance to connect with industry greats that can offer mentorship, friendship and opportunities for professional development.