Six Tips for Highly-Engaging Virtual Farm Trips
By Alex Miller
Picture this: a front-row seat to the farm, where sights and sounds are brought to life through live interactions. Although you might be physically miles away, you feel as if you’ve been transported right onto the farm, as if you were standing amidst the crops or livestock yourself.
Whether you’re part of a special group or just curious about what happens on the farm, such experiences shatter geographic barriers and connect you with the heart of agriculture from just about anywhere. They could be hosted by anybody and called anything, and applied in a multitude of formats that cater to diverse audiences.
At Shift•ology, we call them Virtual Farm Trips® (VFTs for short). Our VFTs are highly-specialized and customized to focus on LIVE, engaging experiences we host with our esteemed partners. Through real-time interactions with farmers, we create a sense of connection and immersion that leaves a lasting impact on every participant. This is especially true for K-12 students that attend the majority of our trips. A VFT is an educational adventure like no other, igniting students’ curiosity and providing them with a truly unforgettable learning experience.
Engagement is the key to success! No matter the style of trip, the key lies in creating experiences that forge a connection with all participants.
Here are six tips to help your VFTs hit the mark:
- Content Versus Questions: To ensure an engaging VFT, balance show-and-tell segments with interactive Q&A sessions. This combination keeps participants actively involved. Allocating equal time to each area you visit creates a captivating and well-rounded experience. Bonus tip: You can also consider providing activities or lesson plans to help enhance the learning experience in the classroom.
- Moderation Makes a Difference: Have you ever watched the news without a news anchor? Imagine a VFT without a moderator. Skilled moderators with a vibrant presence and expert facilitation help maintain engagement levels and bring the experience to life. They keep conversations lively, introduce participants, and manage content and questions, ensuring attendees stay captivated and connected.
- Let the Talent Shine: Farmers or guest speakers are the stars of the show. Highlighting the personality and passion of farmers also adds authenticity to your Virtual Farm Trip. Showcasing their knowledge and unique experiences creates a genuine connection with participants.
- Metrics, Metrics, Metrics: Evaluate and analyze each step of your VFT. Pre- and post-trip evaluations can be used to measure the success of each trip and gain valuable feedback to improve. Depending on the video hosting software, you can measure view time, attendance and many other valuable metrics that can increase the ROI on your trips.
- Partner with Professionals: Just as the moderator makes the farmer shine, Shift•ology strives to help our partners captivate their audience to clearly share their message. This proven framework provides seamless logistical and technical support for partners, farmers and attendees.
- Experience it Yourself: Put yourself in the attendees shoes! Participating in live VFTs or watching trips on-demand exposes you to diverse formats and styles to help you get a feel for how to best engage with your audience. Visit virtualfarmtrips.com to watch live and on-demand trips to experience it yourself.
Diving into the realm of Virtual Farm Trips is an immensely gratifying venture, capable of leaving a lasting impact on your audience. By placing emphasis on live engagement, expert moderation and genuine connections, you have the power to nurture curiosity, enhance understanding and create an unforgettable impression that entices your audience to return for more.
Watch trips, chat with us or learn more about Shift•ology’s Virtual Farm Trips program at virtualfarmtrips.com.
Alex Miller shares the expansive landscape of what could be considered a Virtual Farm Trip during a recent episode of Shift•ology’s “Shooting the Shift” podcast.