Social media marketing – the ever evolving medium

Thinking about jumping into the social media world? It can be daunting to say the least because things change so fast. New applications launch daily and the existing ones evolve and add new features.  In the past 12 months we’ve witnessed the debut of Google+ and the introduction of Facebook Timeline. Even the Merriam-Webster Dictionary moved into the 21st century of technology last year when they added the words “tweet” and “social media.” The dictionary company is a little late to the game as the The Oxford English Dictionary had already added “tweet” and “retweet” along with “sext” while the Collins English Dictionary had already added “Twitter” as a verb and noun way back in 2009.

It’s clear that Blogs, Twitter and Facebook are the most popular forms of social media.  But is it enough for a winemaker just to have a profile on these platforms to make a presence for their label?  The answer is No.  The goal here is to produce quality content, find and engage your fans, build relationships, inspire word of mouth… and actually have a little fun while doing it!

I don’t have a tasting room – how will Social Media sell more wine?

There are a number of ways Social Media can help your marketing and distribution efforts.  Content and activities such as an active blog, videos, and “Twitter Taste Live” events (such as the successful St. Supery East Coast Wine Tweetup Tourin 2009)  bring wine lovers together to taste and celebrate your brand. Drive people to your website by linking blog posts to Facebook and Twitter or with a QR code on your label.

Your label becomes your virtual storefront

Can I hire someone to do this for me?

Yes…and no. It’s always a good idea to get some coaching before jumping in. However, keep in mind that social media is transparent and full disclosure is critical. You wouldn’t send someone to a networking event and tell them to pretend to be you, would you? If you decide to hire someone or an agency to be in charge of social media, make sure they sign their posts and disclose to the audience who they are and why they are engaging with your audience. They also must understand the strategy behind your marketing campaigns, vision and goals.  Creating a Facebook or Twitter page and occasionally putting out generic, one-way messages is a waste of time and nobody will pay attention to it.

To properly engage with your consumers online and create quality content you need someone dedicated; someone who understands how all the social media platforms work together.  I’ve seen a small wineries give this task to a staffer who already has enough on their plate. Unfortunately, as with any project, you only get back what your able to put in. Instead, consider tasking your  social media marketing to someone who has a firm grasp of all the platforms and applications, who is able to keep up with the ever evolving technology and trends, who has a passion for the wine industry,  who cares about your wine, and can approach the brand from a consumer’s point of view.

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I think I’m over the whole Dr. Seuss thing – visit my website and you’ll see what I mean. Time to grow up – put on my “Big Girl” pants and really tackle this business of being in business. Don’t get me wrong…I’ve been tackling, wrestling, jumping, cursing, joyful, sweaty and exuberant about my business for 4 years now. But I have been struggling with exactly who I am. Big no-no in the world of branding. I am listening to my clients, prospects and mostly (gulp) my former clients – most who have left because I efficiently worked myself out of a job, by the way – and now I realize what they need most is a coach. Face it, marketing is the fun part of owning a business. No Excel, Quickbooks or calculators needed! Just creativity, tenacity and guts! I enjoy teaching and our small business community seems to really enjoy learning.
So now that I am sure I have the right formula to take my business to the next level I need to decide what to do with my website. I think I’ll chuck it.
I love the idea of a blog instead because it’s conversational. It’s what I do for a living – I have conversations with my clients about their business – I help them strategize and plan. I like this.
I found this great article by Darren Rowse (www.problogger.net) about the benefits of a blog and i have to agree:

1. Blogs give Individuals, Companies and Brands ‘Voice’ – 5 years ago I was a guy with a ‘voice’ that reached a few hundred people on any given week – today what I write and say is sneezed out to hundreds of thousands of people on any given week. My blogs are the vehicle for this.

2. Blogs are Conversational – both in the style of writing, the way they interact with one another and the way that they are designed with comments at their heart blogs are all about the conversation.

3. Blogs build Trust – as a result of being a relational/conversational medium a blogger can build trust with their audience (something that most businesses would kill for).

4. Blogs build Profile – looking to become an ‘expert’ (or at least be perceived as an expert) in your field. Blogs have the ability to showcase your expertise and help you become the ‘go to’ person in your field. Just today my blog brought me the opportunity to appear in Australia’s national newspaper – the result has been numerous other opportunities.

5. Blogs are Immediate – blogs are a great way to communicate with people because they are so quick to use. Have a thought, write it down, hit publish and within minutes it can be being read and commented upon by your readers.

6. Blogs are a doorway to Search Engines and Social Media – one of the great things about blogs is that they are indexed so well by search engines which love sites that are focused upon a topic, updated regularly etc. Social media sites (particularly bookmarking ones) also love blogs.

Smart organizations face uncertain times with optimism. It is during chaotic times that fortunes will be made. Out of chaos comes order… and market leadership.

Research indicates that companies who continue to spend on marketing and sales survive a recession better, plus come out of the recession stronger than their competitors.

Research also indicates that companies who reduce other staff before reducing marketing staff have a better chance of surviving than companies who cut marketing first.

If you represent one of those companies with a limited or non-existent marketing staff, how can your company or products come out of this mess as a market leader? The answer is simple… outsourcing.

Outsourcing tasks to an independent consultant is like hiring a Virtual Marketing Manager. You can activate the Virtual Marketing Manager only when you need it, and not have to pay for the gaps in between like a full-time employee. Plus, you get all the experience of a seasoned marketing veteran, unlike hiring a low cost entry-level person.

How Do You Know If You Need a Virtual Marketing Department?
~ Do you have a great marketing goals and no one to implement them?
~ Are you tired of having to select and manage costly web developers, graphic designers and writers to get
your marketing initiatives done?
~ Have you considered hiring a full-time marketing staff person, but can find the right candidate with the
skills you need at a price you can afford?
~ Are you focused on your business operations and have little time to set the strategy and implement
effective marketing programs?
~ Are you read to accelerate your company’s growth?

I really believe that in this stressful (economically speaking) time our small businesses should strongly consider virtual employees or contractors. What is the downside? I don’t see one. Save on payroll taxes – Use this person when and if you need them….Objectivity…it makes sense to me…How about you?