AgCredible Social Media Masterclass

Over three weeks, the AgCredible team will host a series of webinars called the AgCredible Social Media Masterclass.

The Social Media Masterclass will teach members using #AgCredible how to engage with their audience online, both in and outside agriculture, and create compelling content to share across their social media platforms.

Each week will bring a new learning opportunity on how to build your presence online and portray the positive message of Irish agriculture. In each masterclass, we will hear from communications experts and AgCredible Ambassadors, who will tell us their story on how they have developed their presence online.

About the speakers:

Gemma Smyth

Managing Director and Founder, Gemma Smyth Communications

Gemma Smyth is an accomplished communications professional who has worked in the Irish PR industry for almost 15 years. Formerly an Account Director with a leading international communications agency, Gemma has advised on and delivered strategic communications for some of Ireland’s leading organisations and brands.

Gemma is a full member of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (MPRII) and a committee member of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists.

Edward Dudley

Kilsunny General Herd Manager

Edward has 70,000 followers on the Kilsunny Herd Instagram and Twitter accounts and has grown this following over time. Edward is the third generation of his family to farm in Dovea, Co. Tipperary. Both his parents are still actively involved in the farm and the Dudley family have been farming on this site since 1949 with both the beef and dairy herds being fully pedigree since the early 1970s.

Instagram: Kilsunny_Herd

Twitter: @Kilsunny_Herd

About the speakers:

Greg Fry

Social Media Trainer, The Content Plan

An International Social Media trainer delivering regular LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Digital Video and Social Business Strategy training and workshops for institutions such as the Digital Marketing Institute, Sure Skills and the Digital Skills Academy.

Greg has worked with top multinationals including Ulster Bank, Vodafone, Microsoft, Symantec, Virgin Media, Abbott Labs and Coca Cola Hellenic.

Alongside training, Greg has worked as a Social Business Consultant. He believes that in order to make social media work for your business you must have a clear business goal, a clearly defined strategy and make sure that everything you do is measurable.

Peter Hynes

Dairy Farmer, Rathard Holsteins

Peter and Paula Hynes are dairy farmers based in Co. Cork. They run a grass based pedigree Holstein herd and they won Zuric Independant Farmer Of The Year in 2017. Peter is also a positive mental health advocate striving to inspire people to be more proactive when it comes to utilising well-being strategies.

Twitter: @Peterhynes15

About the speakers:

Gemma Smyth

Managing Director and Founder, Gemma Smyth Communications

Gemma is a full member of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (MPRII) and a committee member of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists.

Amanda Owen

The Yorkshire Shepherdess, photographer and Sunday Times bestselling author

Amanda Owen is a shepherdess, farmer’s wife, mother to nine children, a passionate photographer and Sunday Times bestselling author. The Owens live a life that has almost gone in today's modern world, one ruled by the seasons and their animals. Home is Ravenseat, a 2000 acre hill farm at the head of Swaledale, North Yorkshire, one of the highest and most remote places in England.

In November 2018, the Owens became the stars of their very own Channel 5 TV series 'Our Yorkshire Farm', which became the channel's highest rating factual show of the year in the 8pm slot, attracting an average of 2.2 million viewers per week. The second series finished airing in autumn 2019 with equally as fantastic viewing figures and public response, with a third to follow in Spring this year. Amanda has also appeared regularly on Countrywise (ITV)
and The Dales (ITV) and featured on All Over The Workplace (BBC), Masterchef (BBC), The Museum of Curiosity (R4), Ben Fogle’s New Lives In The Wild (C5), Springtime On The Farm (C5) and Jeremy Vine (C5).

Amanda’s first book The Yorkshire Shepherdess (Sidgwick and Jackson) was published in April 2014 and offers a funny, heartwarming and inspiring account of her transformation from Huddersfield townie to rural sheep farmer. The national press and general public took Amanda to their hearts and the book enjoyed 5 weeks in the Sunday Times Top 10 bestsellers list. Amanda’s follow-up book, A Year In The Life Of The Yorkshire Shepherdess, hit the shelves in May 2016 and was another Sunday Times Bestseller, making it to number 2 in the charts. Amanda's third book 'The Adventures of the Yorkshire Shepherdess', was published by Macmillan on June 13th 2019 and reached number 4 in the Sunday Times Bestseller List.

Amanda is an ardent fan of Twitter and Instagram, regularly posting updates and images of rural family farming life to her 118.2k followers. Amanda’s family values, strong work ethic and love of the great British outdoors make her a perfect choice for like-minded branded content, including appearances for Dunlop Boots, Citroen’s Perfect Day campaign and 2018's Women Who Wear It Like A Mum campaign for clothing brand Boden.