2020 RVC Insights Fall Wtih Edits copy 20 pages - Flipbook - Page 18
RVC
Interns
grow
Engagement
2020 RVC interns increase engagement with social media
Karolyn Kruse, Marketing Specialist
River Valley Cooperative believes in investing in the
future of agriculture by supporting learning opportunities for those interested in ag related career fields. To
provide experience in agriculture, River Valley Cooperative offers an internship program for students. Each
summer, six to ten agronomy sales interns are hired
to fulfill roles scouting fields, sorting seed, or assisting
sales staff in their daily responsibilities.
Our interns are a part of the team and gain real-life
work experiences and knowledge to apply what they
have already learned in school. In addition to handson experience, training and networking opportunities
are provided that enhance their overall experience with
the program.
“We live in a technology-filled world, and the agriculture industry is no different,” said Matt.
As summer progressed, points were tallied as interns
tweeted pictures, videos, or informational agronomy
tidbits to the @RVCInterns account. As the Twitter
account gained more followers each week, the interns
were able to see their hard work pay off as engagement
with followers increased, and the reach of the account
grew, at one point reaching 69,000 people.
Interns engage with their mentors to learn about the
sales process, and provide input on the fields they help
to oversee during their internship program. As they
work with their mentors, they have the ability to engage with customers and provide first-in-class service.
This year, as a result of the pandemic, the usual internship activities, responsibilities, and field trips were
modified for the safety of the interns.
With no field trips on the horizon and no shortage of
fields to scout, a new challenge was developed. Matt
VanSloten, Precision Ag Specialist, and Travis Sullivan,
Seed Execution Lead, spearheaded a new competition
that integrated social media, specifically Twitter, into
the interns’ job. A new Twitter profile, @RVCInterns,
was created, and the interns were given their
assignment to upload tweets.
After sweltering days of crop scouting, several of the
2020 interns enjoyed a well-deserved ice cream break.
At the conclusion of their internship, and in addition
to the scholarships awarded to each of the students,
an additional bonus scholarship was provided to the
intern with the most points in the Twitter challenge at
the end of the internship program.
Throughout the summer, interns tweeted videos, photos, interviews with account managers, and informative
crop information to the @RVCIntern Twitter account. Follow along as the 2021 interns take over the account
next summer.
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