Kim Kolb
The point is, is that no matter what you do to advertise, you have to be consistent and on it all the time. It use to be the person with the biggest pockets won the space. Now it is a whole new ball game. Now, the person who talks the most is the winner!To many times when I bring up to wineries that they need to first have a website (which by the way, actually has to be a functional piece of marketing or it is frustrating to navigate), a Facebook Page, maybe a LinkedIn and Twitter account and they need to... wait for it....Blog! This is the new "four" letter word!
Realize that the world has literally gone digital over the last 10 years. More people use their smart phones to communicate than their actual desktop computer. What does this mean for wineries and all companies alike? People are talking about you and if you are not part of the conversation, you could be at a disadvantage. People are not going to call you and tell you that they are dissatisfied, they are going to Facebook it to all their friends. Or if someone had a Spectacular time at your Winery, they aren't going to call you on that either.
Most wineries do have a facebook page. But...how many of the wineries actually check it on a daily basis and post to it? Some wineries have upwards of a 1000 Fans... that is awesome, a built in marketing tool to those 1000 fans. They become fans because they like you and they are waiting for you to say something. I have a winery friend who when the crush comes around puts photos of the stages for us to see. Now, I know that may not seem like anything exciting, but it is.. You get to interact and feel like you are getting special attention.
Embrace the technology and get use to using it... It is only going to get better! Don't wait for people to find you. Go tell them where you are!
What do you use to market your winery?
Photo credit: Orange County Social Media Consultants
