Bringing small wineries into the social media world with 2.0 platforms -- Guest Post by Mavi Balabanian*

Who doesn’t love to hear good stories? Who doesn’t want to live exciting experiences? Who doesn’t want to hear what their friends have to say? Nowadays, wine consumers want to participate and to feel a part of the world of wine.

Social media allows companies be a part of the lives of their consumers. But in social media, you do not always have to be in “sell mode” (although increased sales volume is one of your key goals). One of the most common mistakes of wineries unfamiliar with social media use and management, is to constantly harp on the themes ‘buy it, buy me’ and to use the same language style in all of their social media platforms, repeating one thing in all of them.

Social media platforms should be used to interact with your target, adding interesting information to all the other marketing campaigns that your winery conducts. Another very important guidepost is to use a coherent communication strategy. Each platform should be used differently but following similar principles. And, a social media plan is a must.

Wineries not only should be in, but also measure everything they do in social media. They need to track and analyze what they are doing constantly. This tracking and analyzing are the only means of knowing whether the time and effort expended are yielding results. 

Wineries need to be in possession of a set of basic facts before launching into the social media fray: 

• Markets
• Who is your target market?
• Where are the constituent parts of this market located?
• Do they use social media?
• What are their wants and needs?
• What language style do the use?
• Platforms
• On which of the available platforms do you have to be present?
• Why?
• Personnel
• Do you have the time and qualified personnel to constantly review and renew the information coming out of your enterprise?
• Do you have the time and personnel to constantly review and respond to information posted on your platforms from the outside world?

Some of the most important social media platforms are:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com Connect with people. Fans. More visual.
• Twitter: www.twitter.com Conversations. Closeness. Trending Topics. 
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com Professional use.
• Pinterest: www.pinterest.com Pictures. Online shopping.
• Instagram: www.instagram.com Pictures.
• Youtube: www.youtube.com Videos.
• Google +: www.plus.google.com Connect with people. Google ranking.
• Foursquare: www.foursquare.com Geolocation. Offers. Popularity.

Most small wineries know that they need to be in social media, but do not have the time, money, or personnel/capability to allow them to participate effectively. Some, on the other hand, don’t know why they have to be present, but they understand, intuitively, the importance of being a part of the social media world.

Facebook? Twitter? Pinterest? There are a lot of options and wineries have to become familiar with the particular characteristics of each platform before attempting to jump in. What is important is that if your target market is there, you should be there. Communicate that your brand is 2.0. and be a part of the community where your consumers are resident.

*CEO of Marketing Vinícola (www.marketingvinicola.com), a Logroño (Spain)-based marketing company focused on wine marketing and especially on unearthing and servicing the social media needs of small Spanish wineries.


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