Social Media for Wineries… Your how-to guide for the #InstaTweetingFaceSnap Merlot Mike The Vineyard & Brewery at Hershey Mike@VineyardAtHershey.com @Merlot_Mike
Who Is This Friggin’ Guy? -Merlot Mike – Owner, The Vineyard & Brewery at Hershey -Background in marketing and social media -Opened The Vineyard & Brewery at Hershey in 2012 -Built the operation entirely through social media efforts -Drives The #MerlotMobile
Proof That I Am Who I Say I Am…
Proof That I Am Who I Say I Am…
Proof That I Am Who I Say I Am…
Proof That I Am Who I Say I Am…
Ahh!!! Social Media – Too hot! Like Uptown Funk…but with a longer shelf life – hallelujah! Platforms – Differences & Common Pitfalls #Winning vs. #Fail
Social Media 101 #Winning vs. #EpicFail Those youngsters…don’t just hand them the keys! -Much like your 16 year old, they may have better vision physically, but do they have the experience? -Your brand, your “voice,” your presence are at stake.
#Winning vs. #EpicFail Do your research The platforms: -Know who is using them and how they are using them before you use them yourself
Platforms – The Big Guys #TheTwitter -Conversation/discussion, events, breaking news, trending topics and ‘chats, e.g. #WineWednesday.
Platforms – The Big Guys Facebook -High engagement to drive traffic to your website and cultivate conversation. -Good for specific “call to action.” -Growing “older” audience (i.e. income). -Don’t fall into the “boost” pitfall. Read your analyitics!
Platforms – The Big Guys Instagram -Visual extension of your destination or winery. -Brand awareness, less “call to action.” -Growing “older” audience (i.e. income). -Watch where your Facebook dollars are going…guess who owns Instagram!
Platforms – The Big Guys YouTube -Wider audience for your videos. -Warehouse for video content. -Use tags to increase visibility.
Platforms – The Big Guys Snapchat -Younger audience, but fastest growing. -Not just for naughty pictures anymore! -Photo and short video driven. -Geofences and filters.
Keep Your Eyes Open Emerging & alternative platforms: -Untappd: show off your beer knowledge & expertise. Business owners can be “found” by tourists. Tie in to social media channels and build your following. -Periscope: cover live events & offer sneak peeks. Weigh Twitter and Facebook Live. -Google+: good for search discovery. -Pinterest: like online scrapbooks. Great for craft and recipe ideas using your products. -Tumblr: mini version of your blog – find a specific, unique angle. -New ones come along all the time.
Overwhelmed Yet? -The social media landscape is diverse and it changes…fast. -This year’s Snapchat is last year’s Instagram, which was Facebook 5 years ago, which was really MySpace 15 years ago, which was AOL Instant Messenger before that. -You can’t be everywhere at once. Just focus on maximum engagement on what makes sense for you for best results.
Success in Posting Plan a strategic posting schedule: -Post regularly and daily if possible…but focus on quality over content. -Always Quality over Quantity. -On Facebook, the sweet spot is about 2x/day. Or at least 5x/week. -On Twitter, somewhere between 3-5x per day. -On Instagram, 1x/day. -The analytics will tell you when your audience is most active on some platforms. Post accordingly.
Success in Posting Maximizing Visibility: -Visuals: Images, video, gifs, etc. = higher engagement. -Ask questions: e.g. “What are you drinking tonight?” -Link to your blog, relevant articles or other content. -Respond to people & acknowledge your fans/followers. Engage. -Diversify how you distribute a single piece of content across platforms. Remember your analytics. -Don’t just self-promote; be open to discussion. -Don’t be a troll. -Personalize your business. People will develop an emotional connection with you. -Be transparent! If you make a mistake, be open, honest and forthcoming. Have a truthful conversation with your followers/customers. It works! -Example from August event.
Tag…You’re It! Do tag, mention & hashtag. This translates to sharing, visibility and engagement: -Do mention others on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and be sure to tag them. -Do leverage popular/trending topics or hashtags on Twitter & Instagram. -Super Bowl example.
Keepin’ it Fresh Do design a content calendar: -Plan ahead to avoid hiccups in your content. -Take advantage of existing weekly trends, e.g. Thirsty Thursday or Flashback Friday. -Keep up with relevant holidays, like “Drink Local Wine Week.” -Plan your event calendar in advance and promote accordingly using your analytics to schedule.
Don’t Be a Tool… But Use Them Do use tools to make managing social media easier: -Buffer’s optimal timing tool. -Scheduling tools like Tweetdeck, Hootsuite or Buffer. -Hootsuite and Tweetdeck are also good options for listening tools. -Google Docs to create a very basic content calendar. -Insights on Facebook and Analytics on Twitter. -Bitly as a somewhat reliable way to track clicks. -Storify can help you aggregate all the content you’ve shared on a topic. -IFTTT or Zaps to automate where necessary. -Followerwonk to grow, analyze your audience and who you follow. -Crowdfire to show you those who unfollow – look at trends/times.
Who’s Doing it Well? That’s Up to You! -Know your competition. -Research other styles and brands that you can relate to. -Be dedicated to the efforts and have consistency in your style…not different voices.
Most Importantly… Just Be You! -There are tons and tons of wineries. -What is it that makes yours unique? Showcase that!
Merlot Mike The Vineyard & Brewery at Hershey Mike@VineyardAtHershey.com @Merlot_Mike
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