Is your social media strategy tasteful?
This past weekend, my boyfriend surprised me with an amazing birthday weekend in Victoria, BC. While away, we went on an unexpected adventure around the local wineries and did some wine tasting, an activity I had never participated in before. As we received our flights of many different wines, it got me thinking about the similarities between wineries and social media marketing. I overheard conversations between the winery owner and other customers as they talked about learning the process of wine making and how it can be unpredictable sometimes. Sounds like social media to me!
3 Lessons Wineries Taught Me about Social Media
1. It won’t make itself.
One winery we went to won three awards its first year. The winemaker thought that the job was going to be easy since it didn’t seem like she had to do a lot to make such great tasting wine. But that year, the weather was perfect, crops were ideal and the wine practically made itself. The following year, however, the weather was colder and the crops not as independent. The wine turned out terrible. Instead of giving up, however, the winemaker took it upon herself to dive into the art and really learn how to make wine successfully.
Apply this same method to a social media strategy. When you’re first starting out, it can seem easy and the followers are coming fast because you’re new and you have all this spicy content that has practically written itself. But that won’t last long. Take the time to really understand social media and the trends that are occurring so that you are always growing.
2. A little taste goes a long way.
I am now a lover of visiting wineries and participating in wine tastings. It sold me right away with the delicious variety and the overall experience of trying new things. When people visit a winery, the winemakers don’t give them a bottle and tell them to drink it all at once. Instead, you get a taste of many different wines and you can make further decisions from there. For example, I adored the Merlot at one place but greatly disliked their Pinot Noir. So I had more Merlot, learned a little bit more about the winery and what I could do with the Merlot. It catered to my tastes and what I was looking for. Treat your audience like wine tasters. Give them a little taste of what you can do and let them make the decision, offering feedback about what they would like more of.
3. Be open to trying new things.
One of the wine makers had stated that she refused to make a Chardonnay. She hated the taste and didn’t want it to be part of the cellar’s repertoire. But she knew that she had to keep an open mind and provide her audience with what they wanted. So instead of simply giving in and creating a mediocre Chardonnay, a route she easily could have taken, she played with chemistry and created a very unique concoction. What she created was a heavy wine that rested well on the palate, greatly satisfying her customers and letting her sleep at night. She chose to be creative instead of complacent.
What other lessons from wine can you apply to social media?
Photo Credit: Paige McDaniel
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