IDFA recently reached a social media milestone, counting more than 5,000 followers on Twitter, including social media accounts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, several members of Congress, national news reporters, association leaders and international agriculture organizations.

Followers use the platform to stay informed on dairy processing news, interact with IDFA and monitor association activity. In addition to USDA, other influential followers include Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), the House Agriculture Committee, the International Dairy Federation and reporters from the Wall Street Journal, Politico and CQ Roll Call.

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The milestone is another sign of the association’s success in social media outreach, which also earned CQ Roll Call’s recognition last year in its “Top 50 Stealable Grassroots Marketing Campaigns.” IDFA incorporates daily social media outreach in its goals of promoting the image and the enjoyment of dairy products, sharing dairy industry news and highlighting member company achievements and recognition.

Here are some of this year’s highlights:

Dairy Forum

In January, IDFA partnered with Elanco Animal Health at Dairy Forum 2017 to feature the company’s social media monitoring system in an onsite display. The three screens streaming social media statistics engaged the onsite audience and captured the significant online buzz of the event, to the tune of nearly 800 tweets, statuses and photos. The number of potential views of this content, which is based on the collective audience of all people using #DairyForum, was 3,375,000. All Twitter activity can be found by searching #DairyForum.

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National Nutrition Month

In March, IDFA joined the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics’ social celebration of National Nutrition Month. IDFA shared trivia, tidbits, facts and recipes related to a healthy consumption of dairy products using #NationalNutritionMonth. Michelle Matto, IDFA’s consultant on nutrition and labeling, participated on behalf of IDFA in several National Nutrition Month chats that the academy hosted on its @eatright account.

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Dairy Visits Mexico

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO, joined Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, for a visit to Mexico this year. Their goal was to continue a strong commitment to U.S. dairy’s partnership with the Mexico’s dairy industry and consumers. The group met with dairy leaders and government officials, including the Mexican Minister of Agriculture José Calzada Rovirosa. IDFA captured the interactions shared by the dairy groups and Mexican officials in a Twitter moment.

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Trade Tuesday

Every Tuesday, IDFA takes to Twitter to address trade issues affecting dairy and to share dairy facts and figures in the online dairy trade discussion. IDFA has used the campaign #TradeTuesday to call out burdens to dairy trade and unfair Canadian protectionist policies harming U.S. dairy exports, as well as share data about the North American Free Trade Agreement’s effect on dairy companies and the important role of U.S. dairy products around the globe.

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Grilled Cheese Month

IDFA is currently celebrating National Grilled Cheese Month in April and National Grilled Cheese Day today on Twitter with fun photos and images. Search #NationalGrilledCheeseDay to see more of the Twitter celebration.

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In addition to IDFA’s growing Twitter following, hundreds of social media users follow IDFA activity on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Follow Dykes at @michaeldykesdc, and Clay Hough, IDFA senior vice president and general counsel, at @claytonleehough.

IDFA encourages its member companies to engage on these platforms and contact socialmedia@idfa.org for opportunities to engage.

For additional questions, members may contact Audra Kruse, IDFA manager of communications, at akruse@idfa.org.