Last month CattleGrower conducted a poll asking members if they would like the ability to post listings of their stock at CattleGrower.com  

Results were conclusive with the vast majority of members indicating a desire for this function.

We believe what we've created is a first in the industry given it's flexibility to list most any type of livestock (bovine, equine, canine, caprinae, swine, camelid, etc.) quickly and easily without making compromises in any livestock area.

Here are a few of the features we've integrated into the new listing application for the CattleGrower community:

• There is no cost to post listings
• Streamlined and easy entry approach which focuses on core areas of your stock
• Multiple yes/no fields for quick entry and extended information for the viewer 
• Value ranges rather than actual (example: $3,500 to $5,000 to open negotiations)
• Tagging and status option  
• Automatic global mapping
• Generous areas for text input and photo display
• Ability to receive instant comments, feedback, and votes on the quality of your stock

Not to be confused with Classifieds. Classifieds are designed solely for buying and selling, Listings are designed to post, keep track of, and show off your stock with an option to mark specific animals for sale.

Featured Listings:

Featured listings show up first in searches. The more views and votes your listings receive the better chance they have of being featured. 

How it Works

• To see an actual completed listing, please click here
• To see how listings will show up on your main profile page, please click here and use the "listings" tab to the right of my picture.
• To search for listings use the "Listings" tab on the main menu bar
• To post your listings: While logged in use the "my apps" icon on the main menu bar and select "manage listings"

Note: While our back end software will try to re-size your photos, you'll have the best experience if you limit image size to less than 2000kb and 500X500 pixels.

As with most anything new, there may be small bugs and/or changes to the application. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you experience any problems or have any suggestions for improvement.

Group and Event leaders now have the capability to send a mass message to all of their respective members through the CattleGrower.com network.

Back Ground
The Group and Event applications at CattleGrower.com are an excellent way to network.

When a Group or Event is created, typically the creator invites others that share the common interest to participate.

Other community members may join as they become aware of the new group or event. In addition CattleGrower.com regularly features stand out groups and events in its e-letter to over 25,000 other ranchers.

Any member can create a Group or Event at CattleGrower.com - To do so simply select the "my apps" icon on the main menu bar then either "Group" or "Event". Note that you must be logged in to see the "My Apps" icon.

SPAM Tolerance
As with any new feature at CattleGrower.com the use, or abuse, will dictate possible restrictions and approvals on any new feature moving forward.

If you are a Group or Event leader please carefully consider the context and frequency in which you message others. Any form of abuse may result in immediate termination, or assignment of your group or event to another member without notice.

As a Group or Event member who receives messages from Group or Event leaders, certainly realize it is your option at any time to leave a group or event if you no longer wish to receive messages from it.

New Year Clean Up
In order to help keep our community focused and clean, please take a moment to delete any Groups you may have created in the past that are no longer in use by you.

Make New Connections and Share Common Interests
Chances are there is a Group or Event at CattleGrower.com with others who share your same interests. To explore them, simply use the "Group" or "Event" tabs on the main menu bar.

PS - Be sure and check out the new Exhibitor area at CattleGrower.com too. Here you can find, comment, rate, and even become a fan of various ranch related businesses. You can also list your own business for no cost - Simply select "Exhibitor" from the "My Apps" drop down while logged in.

Questions, Comments, Feedback? Feel free to post below...

The new Links area at CattleGrower.com is a place to discover and share content from anywhere on the web related to your livestock species and other issues primarily surrounding ranching and farming.

Everything in the Links area — news, video, audio, images — are submitted by Members of the Community like you.

Different than most link directories you've likely seen, and a first for the agricultural community, links rise to the top as voted on by Members. So, every link has an equal shot at being the next big thing on CattleGrower.com.

How Does it Work?

Once something is submitted it goes in the 'Upcoming' area for thousands of visitors to see and vote on what they like best. If three or more members give your link a 'thumbs up' its promoted to the 'Popular' page where it competes with other popular links for placement.

In addition to being able to vote on links, you can also comment on them and even place a voting widget on your web site or email to increase your link popularity.

Use the "Links" tab on the top menu to check it out after reviewing these common questions:

Common Questions:

• Can the public view the links? Yes, unless they are made private by the link poster.
• Can I put the same link in more than one category? No duplicate links are allowed.
• How many votes does a link need to be moved to the 'Popular' page? Three
• Why isn't my link being moved to the 'Popular' page? It either does not have the required three votes, or it has been longer than 30 days since it was first submitted.
• Why can't I edit a link? You only have 60 minutes from initial submission to change your link information and you are not able to change the web address of your link once submitted.
• Why won't my picture upload? It must be of file type jpeg, jpg, gif, or ping - Be no larger in file size than 200 kb - And be no larger dimensionally than 120X120 pixels.

Would you like to know immediately when when something you are looking for comes up for sale, or when someone is looking for something you have?

Livestock, Supplies, Services, Equipment, Property, Etc.

Simply use the "RSS" link at the bottom of any page of CattleGrower.com and select what type of livestock or other items you want to be notified of when a posting is made in the Classifieds area of CattleGrower.com

You don't have to be a Member of CattleGrower.com to receive these notices, only if you want to post a classified.

The ability to post classifieds for free, have others receive instant notice of your postings, and have these postings available to over 20,000 visitors a month makes CattleGrower.com an excellent place to find or sell what you need. In addition, all classifieds are deleted after 90 days so you don't waste your time chasing dead ends.

To post a classified: While logged in, simply select "classifieds" from the drop down menu of the "My Apps" icon on the top menu bar.

How RSS Works:
"RSS" is short for "Really Simply Syndication" - Which is simply a way to receive instant information on your computer through your email or other software.

No personal information is needed, not even your email address - Your computer actually pulls the information rather than it being sent to you and you can turn it off anytime you like.

Generally you don't even need to install any new software, or need anything special with most modern computers. For most, you just click a button and your computer will pull from the "feed" and place in a separate folder of your email as often as you like.

Very easy to use and only takes a few quick clicks. Give it a try by using the "RSS" link at the very bottom center of this page.

Other RSS Feeds at CattleGrower.com

Receive instant notice of:

- Events
- New Groups and New Group Posts
- Blog posts
- Polls
- Much More

Best of all, you can narrow down by species, topic, etc. to get only the type of updates on information you want.

Please post any comments or questions below rather than messaging me in order to help others who might have the same question.

Thank you to those who commented and voted on the proposed classified policy.

In order to keep classifieds current and the directory clutter free, all classifieds will be deleted after 60 days.

Posting classifieds on CattleGrower.com is still free to any Member and you are welcome to re-post any item that might be deleted to give it another 60 days.

We'll begin deleting dated classifieds in a few days, so please take a moment to review any older ones you might have and re-post them if you like.

Note: To ensure you receive updates on Blog posts concerning CattleGrower.com use the "subscribe" link below my picture while logged in.

Sometimes too many options isn't a good thing...

As this network continues to develop we're continually look for ways to provide Members with the best posssible ways to network and communicate without spreading Members time or our resources too thin.

The "Group" feature is very similar to the "Forum" feature. Perhaps in many ways better as it allows for more focused converstaions and much more member control.

Perhaps the biggest hindrance with having both is that it spreads our small Member base out too thin. Secondly, the Forums are a bit slow and cumbersome to use as compared to the rest of the network while taking more than five times the resources to manage.

We all hate change, but it might be much easier now with a choice rather than being forced to later.

For those that are active on the Forums and haven't used the Groups, please take a moment to view these two example to see how Groups might be a better way for you to invest your time and combine more Member talent, resources, and feedback here at CattleGrower.com

Lowline Angus Interest Group
http://www.cattlegrower.com/group/7/

Women on the Ranch
http://www.cattlegrower.com/group/12/

After reviewing how both applications serve basically the same purpose, and knowing that we would certainly allow plenty of time for those posting on Forums to migrate to their own new or existing Groups, please take a moment to vote on my Poll to help decide which direction we go from here.

Use this link to vote and/or provide any feedback:
http://www.cattlegrower.com/CheyenneOutlaw/polls/47/

Thank you!

Note: To receive instant notice on new Blog posts be sure and use the "subscribe" link under my picture while logged in.

The latest addition to CattleGrower.com is a "Chat" Application.

This application is a great way to interact with others and develop new and closer connections.

There are two ways to utilize Chat - Both of which you must be logged in to experience;

1. On the bottom right of your screen, you will see those of your connections who are online and you can privately chat with them there.

2. If more than one of your contacts are online and you want to bring the conversation together, each would need to select "Chat" from the "My Apps" drop down on the top menu bar to meet in a larger chat room.

Note: If you don't want to be contacted for chat while online, use the icon on the bottom right of the screen and select "offline".

Please feel free to post any questions, or feedback regarding this application below (must be logged in).

It's been said that everyone in this world is connected through just six relationships (six degrees of separation).

For example... you know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, etc., and through just six relationships we all know each other.

The "Friend Explorer" is a powerful application available to you at CattleGrower.com that was built on this idea and will help you to rapidly increase your networking reach, build your sphere of influence, and help you to realize more friendships and business contacts.

The application does several things for you:

1. It will randomly select 20 people, who are friends of your friends, that you might know.From there you can discover more about them, send them a message, or request they add you to their contacts.

It is important to note that the quality of recommendations the program makes is only as good as your initial list of contacts. So, you might want to consider removing people from your contact list who you haven't really connected with first.

To see your friend/contact recommendations, use the drop down on the "My Apps" icon and select "Friend Explorer" (you must be logged in to do this).

2. The Friend Explorer will search your Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, and any email list file you might have to find people you already know here at CattleGrower.com.

After accessing your Friend Explorer using the instructions in #1, simply select the "Find Friends" tab to use this feature.

3. While logged in, when you select the "What's New" icon a few people will be recommended to you that you may know on the bottom right of your screen. Again, these recommendations come from friends/contacts of those you are already connected with.

It is worth repeating that the quality of contact/friend recommendations the system makes for you is only as good as your initial contacts are to begin with and you might want to first consider removing anyone from your contact list who you really haven't connected with.

Not to worry... If you remove someone from your contact list, or deny any friendship/contact requests, the other person does not receive any notice of this. Your simply removed quietly on their end.

Separately, if you haven't had a chance to comment on the Poll about how your best enjoying CattleGrower.com, or if you have but would like to offer new comments, it would be appreciated.

Please feel free to use the comment section on this poll (while logged in) to share any successes you may have realized at CattleGrower.com - Here is the link:

http://www.cattlegrower.com/CheyenneOutlaw/polls/11/

To receive immediate notice of new Blog posts, please use the "subscribe" link below my picture while logged in.

A better way to organize your local riding club, breed association, or most anything where two or more people share a common interest.

Groups at CattleGrower.com are an excellent way to:

• Attract and network with other Members at CattleGrower.com
• Facilitate communication and organization through outside Groups, Associations, etc.
• Encourage your outside contacts to join to keep closer contact with you.

Through the "Group" function, CattleGrower.com Members may create and/or join virtually any type of Group.

Group Creators Can:

• Give their Group Members titles (President, Vice President, Treasurer, etc.).
• Promote Group Members to Officers (this will give them the same Group abilities as the Group Creator).
• Optionally require approval before someone joins their Group.
• Easily invite their Friends/Contacts at CattleGrower.com to join.

Here are a few of the Group option settings that Group creators control:

• Make your Group Public or Private.
• Include or Exclude your Group from search results.
• Allow comments from everyone, all Group Members, or only select Group Members.
• Allow discussions from everyone, all Group Members, or only select Group Members.
• Allow photo posts from everyone, all Group Members, or only select Group Members.

Any CattleGrower.com can create up to Five Groups, with maximimum file size of 5 MB per Group to store photos, etc.

It's easy to create a Group. While logged in use the drop down on the "My Apps" icon on the top menu bar and select "Groups"

Other Informational Blog Posts for Members:

• Using Subnetworks at CattleGrower.com (activity for only your species: bovine, equine, etc.)
• Six Tips to Creating an Effective Blog
• Guiding Priniciples of CattleGrower.com

If you have any questions regarding Groups, please comment on this post below. For other questions, please see my other Blog posts, check the Forum Boards, check the FAQ link at the bottom of any page, or use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of any pages as a last resort.

To receive immediate notice of future updates from my Blog post use the "Subscribe" link below my picture on the top right of this page. You can unsubscribe from this any time you like.

With many types of livestock producers at CattleGrower.com, subnetworks provide you an easy way to see what's happening with just your species.

For example, if you are a Bovine Member you can quickly and easily view only activity and posts from only other Bovine Members.

To participate, you simply need to update your profile so the system will recognize what type of member you are and place you in the correct subnetwork with the new software.

You need only do this once as new Members from this post forward will automatically be placed in the appropriate subnetwork:

1. Hover over the drop down arrow on the "Profile" icon on the top menu bar and select "Edit Profile Information"
2. Make sure you are in the right category
3. Click "Save"

After you've done this, any time you are logged in use the drop down arrow on the "What's New" icon and select "My Network" to view only other Member activity in your subnetwork.

Notes:

• Full Member activity will not show until everyone who originally joined before Jan. 25 goes through the process of re-saving their profile information.
• There is a glitch in the Equine category that may prevent some Members from re-saving their profile. We are working hard to resolve this.
• You can belong to more than one species. For example, Bovine and Equine, but only be logged in at any one time as one or the other by changing your category in your profile settings.

Other Informational Blog Posts for Members:

• Using Groups at CattleGrower.com 
• Six Tips to Creating an Effective Blog
• Guiding Priniciples of CattleGrower.com

If you have any questions regarding Subnetworks, please comment on this post below. For other questions, please see my other Blog posts, check the Forum Boards, check the FAQ link at the bottom of any page, or use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of any pages as a last resort.

To receive immediate notice of future updates from my Blog post use the "Subscribe" link below my picture on the top right of this page. You can unsubscribe from this any time you like.

Having started out with only a handful of friends and associates, it certainly is a thrill to see the CatteGrower.com membership break the 100 Member mark.

For those newer members who may not know me yet, this Community was initiated out of my own frustration with not being able to fully connect with others in the Industry. I had a chance to do something about it this past Summer when my primary business (a real estate trade magazine) decided to launch a similar social network for real estate professionals.

With a budget of $150k for the real estate project, I saw an opportunity to leverage the same efforts and technology towards a passion that is equally important to me - breeding cattle.

So far, I'd say the platform has been quite successful with week over week growth of over 25%. But most importantly with the meaningful connections I've made and what I've already been able to learn from others through the Community.

Sure, not everyone I have invited has joined. In fact, I am quite suprised at some of those I know who haven't. Likely you've experienced the same. This does not discourage me and shouldn't you either. Just focus on the ones that you are able to bring in and reach out for others who join whom you didn't know before.

As the community grows, so too will your connections, knowledge, and as a result, business. I personally have met and established connections with more people in a week through CattleGrower.com than I had previously all year. How about you? This is Networking 101 - As far as the others who are resistant to come along, you know the saying about leading a horse to water.

Inviting your outside contacts in to the Community, while not critical to your success here, is important. When they join they bring firends and you get to connect with them. Sort of like a Pyramid program, but no one loses in the end. The best strategy for these would be to simply show them.

A perfect example would be to share with them your photo album along with a note about how easy it was and the new connections you are making at CattleGrower.com - Just know that an an Early Adopter like you stands the most to gain and Johnny-Come-Lately's usually miss the best part of the pig.

While it isn't a requirement to encourage your contacts to join the Community. As a Member with a vested interest who enjoys the contacts others are working to bring it, it is more of a moral obligation to do the same. I can't personally sit by, especially in my position, and watch others work hard to grow the Community without doing everything I can to reciprocate, despite how well the Community may be growing without my help.

Through a friend of mine, who is in the Cattle Industry, and who also runs a significant email list of Cattle Producers, arrangements have been made for an e-mail to go out on Wednesday to several thousand other producers. This is a small test run, and if it works well we will do more.

At the risk of setting myself up for failure in your eyes I am sharing this with you for a few reasons:

1. Although we only expect, and need a handful of these people to join (25-50), several thousand should be viewing the site.
2. Notice to you seems proper so you can have anything your working on in place for the "visitors" to see.
3. While most will not be interested in joing the Community, some may be interested in your Operation.

Again, while part of the original plan to do these types of things, we are just beginning to test the waters. Whereas I have over a decade's worth of experience marketing to real estate professionals, I only have a few weeks of the same to Livestock Producers.

As such we do not expect to be very successful at first. Hopefully what is important to you is the effort that is being made and knowing that there is firm commitment to the Community you are helping to build.

One last thing to help with motivation for the Community... When you have a moment please visit www.BrokerAgentSocial.com to see what is possible here. This Community is the one I spoke of earlier and it just launched a week ago Saturday.

Not just me, but the same people and resources behind BrokerAgentSocial.com are behind our Community here. Even so, as a Charter Member we won't be able to do it without you.

Many more things are lined up for this community: Groups, Video, Articles, etc. but we need to get the numbers up a bit first. Here are a few things you can do to contribute:

1. Invite, (But Don't Hound) Your Contacts to Join. Remember, their contacts can eventually be yours. Plus it is the best way to reciprocate the efforts others are making.

2. Get Active! Simple, but meaningful things go along way.. Like voting on a Poll AND leaving a comment. here is one I would really like to hear from you on http://www.cattlegrower.com/CheyenneOutlaw/polls/11/

3. Explore Other's Profiles. Especially new members. A simple hello, and welcome to the community goes a long ways - Besides, you never know where it might lead. Again, Networking 101

4. Start a Blog, Put up Pictures of Your Show String, etc., etc. Remember that this network is indexed by the search engines. Because of its relatively large size, as compared to most sites, You have a better chance of being indexed here than on your own web site.

4. Stay Informed about What's Happening in the Community. Probably the best way to do this right now is to subscribe to my Blog so you receive notice when something new is posted here. If you'd like to do so, simply use the link underneath my picture above and to the right.

Looking forward to more continued growth and success with you. And certainly, feel free to leave a comment below with any thoughts or ideas you may have.

Blogs are a powerful way to share your thoughts with others, grow your network and increase your market presence.

Unlike email, static web postings, or other forms of one-way communication - Blogging on CattleGrower.com will allow you to open up a chain of dialogue for other members to comment on and review.

Before you post on your Blog, below are six principles that may help you get more views, readers and comments.

1. Put Some Thought and Effort Into Your Posts. There are many things you can write about: your operation, events, personal experiences, other members, merkets, etc. If you invest a small amount of time thinking about your post and your readers, their perceptions and what you are trying to get across, the better your posts will be. Always remember that your post will be there for all the world to see unless you deside to delete it.

2. A Great Title for Your Post: Coming up with a good title is often times over-looked and under-estimated. Put some time into creating a title that grabs the readers attention, but is also on course with your subject. If readers like your title, they will be more inclined to open it.

3. Pleasing to the Eye: Your post needs to be on point, not much longer than 1,000 words, pleasing to the eye and easy to read. Rule of Thumb: Try not to have more than 3-5 lines of text before you have a paragraph break..

4. No One-Liners: It's unlikely that you'll get any value from your posts that are only 25 words or less.  You need to be able to engage your readers without teasing them in a short post, or boring them with a long one. Readers can tell a lot about you by your posts. Your intelligence, your intentions, and your personality.  Also don't forget to preview your post and double check for typos.

5. Quality Content: This is essential in creating a good post, and more importantly, creating comments and returning viewers. Your content must look, feel, and flow smoothly, but also take your readers to a final ultimatum.  They'll either just read it, or read it and comment. Ultimately, you want them to also subscribe to your Blog and add you as a contact.

6. Use Links, Bullets, Numbered Llists, Graphics and Font Syling Where Appropriate: All of these features are available through CattleGrowr.com and should be used to carefully enhance the view and attractability to your post.. be careful not to over do it and remember to keep graphics proportionate to your text and content.  Using relevant links to other posts, events, etc. within or outside of CattleGrower.com will increase your "Exchange in Value" on your post when done correctly and in moderation.

- To understand the guiding principles behind CattleGrower.com please see Guiding Principles for CattleGrower.com
- To start using CattleGrower.com today please see 3 Easy Steps to Start Using CattleGrower.com

Special Note: The CattleGrower.com network is extremely dynamic and robust. If you should find additional needs such as new category or profile fields to better represent you and your discusions anywhere throughout the network please comment on this blog below.

1. Sign-up and create your profile.

Initial Sign Up: During the sign up process you are asked a few select questions that are important to the network to identify you. Only primary profile questions important to the network are required. All other fields are optional and at your discretion. In no event will any of your contact information be shared with any third party for any reason.

Your User Name: When creating your user name be mindful that this will compose part of a direct link to you at CattleGrower.com For example, with a user name of CheyenneOutlaw your inque link to your profile will be www.CattleGrower.com/CheyenneOutlaw.com

Your Photo: During your sign up you will have the option to upload a photo as part of your profile. First impressions are important as you will be immediately featured within the network as a new member. if at all possible be sure to upload a picture of yourself, your brand, your prize bull, or something else professional and unique to you.

Additional Profile Fields: After you sign up be sure and re-visit your profile field by using the "Profile" tab in the top menu bar. Here you can ensure all your original entries are correct and have the opportunity to share more about yourself.

2. Explore CattleGrower.com.

No Experience Required: With just a few clicks around the site you will quickly be up to speed with the various features and elements of the network.

Basic and Easy to Use: You will find there are only a few areas and tools within the platform (modules). This initial design was intentional to keep the network easy to understand and non-intimidating for its members to use during its infancy stages.

Several more modules are already built in to the platform and will be turned on as the network evolves. You will be notified when any new feature is available and given proper instructions on how to use them.

3. Start Earning Points.

CattleGrower.com has a unique point reward system. Points are awarded based on most any activity you perform within the network. More points are awarded for major activities such as referring friends, posting events, etc. 

Points will allow you to gain status within the network, "purchase" promotion for your blogs, events and other listings. You will also be able to redeem points for various promotions.

To learn more about points click the "My Aps" tab in the menu bar after you sign up.

Status: Your point accumulation and activity within the network will also determine your "status" within the network: Yearling, Junior, Senior, Champion, Grand Champion and National Champion. Immediately after completing your profile you wil be classified as a "Junior".

We're happy to have you consider CattleGrower.com and hope to welcome you as its newest member.

- To understand the guiding principles behind CattleGrower.com please see Guiding Principles for CattleGrower.com
- To learn the benefits of blogging on CattleGrower.com please see: 6 Tips to Create an Effective Blog on CattleGrower.com

1. The CattleGrower.com community rests entirely with its members. We admire the spirit of livestock producers and believe our goal is to fully engage their talents and knowledge for the benefit of all members of the cattle industry community.

2. We believe the divide is increasing between traditional and forward thinking Livestock Producers. CattlGrower.com is dedicated to shrinking this divide by facilitating a knowledge base of its members for the benfit of all where even the most experienced in their field will stand to learn and gain by sharing with others.

3. We believe sound livestock management processes are a positive force for social good. CattleGrower.com is committed to empowering Livestock Producers to become as efficient and profitable as possible while serving the ultimate end user (consumers) in superior fashion.

4. We welcome the active participation of all Livestock Producers, irrespective of their operational size or affiliation with industry groups or trade associations. CattleGrower.com believes a vibrant and diverse livestock community is essential to maintaining a strong organization.

5. We believe the constructive dialogue at CattleGrower.com will foster transparency among Livestock Producers about the industry. CattleGrower.com will strive to play a key role in demonstrating the integrity and professionalism of those engaged in our industry.

6. CattleGrower.com prides itself on editorial independence. We believe that an open, free exchange of ideas is our primary reason for being. We are not captive of any point of view or agenda – other than to advance the interests of of Livestock Producers.

7. CattleGrower.com encourages dissenting or contrarian points of view because our industry is better served by continually examining the status quo. Challenging conventional wisdom is often essential for the evolution of our industry and the development of new opportunities.

8. CattleGrower.com believes in spirited discourse, but personal attacks or predatory behavior will not be tolerated. Respect and civility are the shared values that unite all of us.

9. We do not stand on ceremony or hierarchy. CattleGrower.com is a two-way street. We believe that a continual conversation with our community is critical to our continued growth and vitality. We are fully committed to incorporating member feedback and ideas to improve CattleGrower.com. 

10. We believe it is in the best interests of Livestock Producers to build a community that is focused on educating one another. CattleGrower.com believes its future depends on members of all experience levels openly sharing their experiences and best practices with others in the field.  This communal dialogue offers a unique opportunity for professional growth and is the way to share in the dynamism and excitement that constitutes the modern cattle industry.

- To start using CattleGrower.com today please see 3 Easy Steps to Start Using CattleGrower.com
- To learn the benefits of blogging on CattleGrower.com please see: 6 Tips to Create an Effective Blog on CattleGrower.com