I was recently asked to join a panel discussion on how Michigan wineries can make better use of Social Media at the Michigan Grape & Wine Conference on February 26th. I am definitely looking forward to participating and helping Michigan wineries market themselves better through Facebook and Twitter.
To preview my remarks, I have compiled a short guide to help wineries get the most out of Twitter.
Log into Twitter daily. If you don't participate regularly, you become irrelevant. If someone asks you a question on Twitter and it takes you a week to respond, you have done more damage than not being on Twitter in the first place.
Acknowledge all @replies. If someone has taken the time to retweet one your posts, you should thank them (and make sure you are following them).
Don't use Twitter to solely market your wines. Post interesting facts about the harvest, winemaking, the local area, etc. You want your followers to get value from your posts even if they are not going to buy right away.
Keep your posts to 120 characters MAXIMUM. Twitter limits all posts to 140 characters. To make it easier for others to retweet your posts (and that is the name of the game, isn't it?), give them plenty of room to add the customary RT @yourwinery to the beginning of the post.
Spend 5 minutes every day searching for your winery name and wine trail name on search.twitter.com or your favorite Twitter client. First, follow anyone who mentions you. Second, engage them in conversation. If they said they had your wine for dinner, ask how it was. If they mention that they are going wine tasting, invite them to stop by and recommend a wine for them to try. This builds tremendous brand loyalty and only takes a few minutes every day.
Stop using Facebook to post to your Twitter account. Twitter limits your posts to 140 characters. Facebook gives you an unlimited amount of space to ramble. When you have Facebook automatically update your Twitter account, it stops at 130 characters and adds a link back to your Facebook post. Trust me, no one wants to take the time to click a link just to see you finish your thought. We want links to interesting photos, articles, or sites. If you litter the Twitter landscape with links back to your Facebook posts, we simply stop clicking your links.
If possible encourage your winemaker to create his/her own twitter account. It is cool when a winery thanks someone for mentioning their wine, but is is really cool AND memorable when the actual winemaker takes the time to thank them personally for enjoying a wine he created. Again, you are creating and promoting a brand.
Promote your Twitter page on your website, in your newsletters, and at your tasting room. (I know this sounds obvious, but I know for a fact that many of you are missing the boat.)
These ideas aren't entirely mine. I have picked them up by being active in the Twitterverse and conversing with other bloggers. However, the ideas are critical if you want to build your brand and increase customer loyalty through social media.
Please leave a comment with other suggestions that wineries should heed when trying to connect to their customers through Twitter.
All so true, Shannon! Do you think the Michigan wineries are getting on board?
One of my biggest pet peaves is the FB tweeter. I'll stat responding to their tweets with questions just to see if their listening...it's bad when they don't.
One winery recently told me the biggest thing that wineries need to do is CARE. They've been surprised at the relationships they've been able to develop and deepen with their clients.
Great post
Josh @nectarwine on Twitter
Posted by: @nectarwine | Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 05:20 PM
Absolutely. I agree with everything in this post as well as what Josh said. I think I've got about 30 wineries who have followed me, and they've given me absolutely no reason to follow them back. Though I'm more aware of their brand, I'm less likely to buy from them simply because it seems like they don't actually care about their customers; they seem like they're looking for easy publicity. The wineries who actually interact with their followers with personality are the only ones who are growing their brand on Twitter.
Posted by: Wineaccguy | Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 05:30 PM
Great points, all of them valid and "spot on" hopefully they use the "off season" to take your tips and implement them, and don't give up immediatley if you're not getting instant results.
Posted by: Justin Winkelman | Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 06:09 PM
Josh - Thanks for the comments. I think that a few of the Michigan wineries are getting on board. I think it will just take some time and education.
Wineaccguy - Thank you for your comments. I agree, just being on Twitter isn't an answer. You need to engage!
Justin - Thank you for your comments. I agree, the off season is the perfect time to start.
Posted by: Shannon Casey | Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 01:01 AM
Hopefully MORE wineries (and other companies) will read helpful posts like this, and actually DO it!
Posted by: Randy Watson | Monday, January 25, 2010 at 07:57 PM
Thanks Randy. Let's spread the word and see who will listen!
Posted by: Shannon Casey | Monday, January 25, 2010 at 08:11 PM
Twitter, Facebook, etc., are all great ways to communicate with people. But there is a limitation - TIME. When is a winery, or any other business, supposed to have time to communicate. Wineccguy comments that he is followed by 30 wineries and is disappointed that he does not get response back. How is a business realistically going to communicate individually with hundreds or thousands of followers? I believe there are some unrealistic expectations out there that Twittering someone gives you instant access to a personal response. There isn't TIME.
Posted by: Mike Cownay | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 11:35 AM
Thanks for the useful tips. I was pleased to note that I already do some of the things you mention! I especially liked the 120-character tip - didn't know that :)
Posted by: Fabius | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 11:43 AM
Mike - I appreciate your comments and I agree that time is the major limitation. Remember, though, you don't have to reach out to every follower to have an impact... focus on the ones that are talking about your wines or that mention your winery. You could spend 15 minutes each day simply sending 20-30 tweets to those who mention you or your products. With that, you would be light years ahead of wineries on Twitter who are not engaging a single customer.
Fabius - I am glad there was some value for you in this post. Keep up the great work.
Posted by: Shannon Casey | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 02:40 PM
Shannon - Thanks again for this great post. It has provided me with new insight about using the FB tweeter. I didn't think it was a good idea and now that has been confirmed. Your insight into the social media world is greatly appreciated!
Posted by: Coryn Briggs | Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 10:03 AM
Thru the wonders of the twitter network I came across this post. As a Washington winery on FB & Twitter since mid-last year I am no expert but with a huge staff of three(myself, husband and our asst winemaker) I am asking for a bit of a break as we continue to send posts from FB to Twitter. This seems to be unpopular but posting to both is just not possible on every single thing so we may make some unhappy. I do posts directly on Twitter at times too but for now for getting the word out FB to Twitter is all we can do.
Posted by: William Church Winery | Monday, February 08, 2010 at 01:56 PM
Thanks William for your comments. Well definitely give you a little slack, but I would still encourage you to use Twitter to interact with your current and potential clients as much as possible. It sounds like you are moving in the right direction.
Sent from my iPhone
Posted by: Shannon Casey | Monday, February 15, 2010 at 12:27 AM
You write well will be waiting for your new publications.
Posted by: Antivirus_man | Sunday, December 05, 2010 at 05:35 PM