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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Welcome to a new feature on our blog! My husband is a beer lover and I am a fan of the grape….He has his reasons and I have mine and we decided to have a little fun with it.

Which pairs best with the Playoffs?!?!

He Said:

I’ll be enjoying a very chilly espresso stout from Oakshire Brewery. OK, I’ll most likely have more than one….or two….Poured carefully into a frozen mug fresh out of my private beer refrigerator that sits nicely behind the poker table.  I’ll pair that with a pulled pork sandwich (hint, hint Denise), lime flavored tortilla chips and guacamole….Oh and honey, I’d like some of those neat little Devils on Horseback (bacon wrapped dates). Yumm!

She Said:

Well this is a no brainer for me….Clearly the 49ers are destined to win the Super Bowl (especially since their quarterback shares the same name as my oldest son) so an easy choice for me is the 2008 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon (Estate, Yountville, Napa Valley). Casa Piena is owned by former 49er President and CEO Carmen Policy. I’ll be enjoying a bowl of hearty home made chili (you can make your own pulled pork, sweetheart) and caesar salad.  Cheers!

Go NINERS!!

Short on time but in need of a quick and easy GOURMET breakfast or brunch? Try my fabulous breakfast casserole. I make this when I have 30 minutes to spare during the week then save and serve as needed. It’s so easy! Of course we’ll be pairing this on Sunday morning with Domaine Meriwether’s Celebration Cuvee!!

In a large mixing bowl mix one dozen eggs, one medium onion diced, 5 large Italian sausage links cooked and sliced, “lots” of spinach (sorry – I just throw a whole bag in…I never have exact measurements!), and “a bunch” of sliced mushrooms. Whisk and pour into a 9 x 11 casserole dish. Shred cheddar on top and bake at 350 for aprox. 30 minutes. VOILA! That’s it….My husband cuts a square and puts it between the slices of an English muffin for a homemade “egg McMuffin”. You can either pre-cut squares and store in single, double or triple servings in zip locks bags, or you can be lazy (like me) and shove the casserole dish into the fridge then cut to serve….

Pair with this and you are GOLDEN!
Domaine Meriwether
88324 Vineyard Lane
Veneta Oregon 97487

(541) 935-9711

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: 11am-4pm
FOR DIRECT ORDERS
AND CORRESPONDENCE
Our mailing address is
PO Box 5863
Eugene Oregon 97405
Send us an e-mail at: info@meriwetherwines.com

My “other hat” is as the Marketing Director for the South Willamette Wineries Association and as such I have the horrible tedious task of running wine tours (sigh). Yeah, yeah, my job sucks.

One of my favorite clients, Sam’s Place, bought a “party bus” and basically turned it over to me to run folks out to the tasting rooms. On Mother’s Day Weekend I guided a bus full of rambunctious women on a fun-filled “Girl’s Day Out”. The wonderful Julia Crowley wrote a blog post about the day – check it out!

Spent a fabulous weekend with old girldfirends (and when I say old – I mean OLD…we are all celebrating our 50th this year!) at Stinson beach….One long walk on the beach and BAM – I get reflective…

This time I was reflecting on services, companies, non profits, etc.. that have made a difference in my life and community. I want to pass on some recommendations….

Lane Apex – Local, cheaper and they pick up recycling every week!

NextStep Recycling – An amazing group of green, community minded, generous, smart people who are saving our environment, educating kids, providing job skill training among other things…

Yumm Sauce – what can I say? Yumm!

Modern Family – LMAO (OK, it might not actually make your life better but you WILL laugh!)

Search Engine Friendly Web Design – Sammy rocks and is the King of WordPress Sites (if you like mine, call him!)

South Willamette Wineries Association – OK, they’re a client. Shameless plug…but honestly we have such fabulous wineries with such amazing owners and winemakers in our beautiful valley! (And yes, Sammy built the site)

Dr. Natura Colonix & Toxinout Program – Been on it for a month and plan to run the three month program. Feel better! (NOT a client- not paid to endorse)

Yurt Camping – I’m addicted (in the winter). Camp every month if I can…Love it! Heading to Silver Falls first weekend in Feb.

Facebook – seriously. I love Facebook. I love it for business and I love it because it made planning my 30th High School Reunion a breeze (and enabled me to stay in touch with lots and lots of people!).

Become a Homestay Family! We love our Chinese “son” – a U of O student who lives with us. For more information about becoming a Homestay Family shoot me an email!

That’s it for now….Hoping your new year has started out peacefully and prosperously!

Denise

Spending a little time today reflecting on the year, setting new goals and revisiting old ones. I’ve archived some really fun, helpful and just plain cool stuff this year – Here’s a sampling. Enjoy!

100 People I hate on Facebook – I particularly appreciate #21, 79 & 91

Top 75 Apps for enhancing your Facebook page - One of my goals for 2011 is to become absurdly proficient at landing pages and other handy FB apps.

20+ awesome and unique uses of google reader that you probably didn’t know about – I sure as heck didn’t.

12 gifts most freelance designers only dream about – I admit to dreaming and yearning for #1

Mapping America; Every City Every Block – this is so cool! Put in your zip code and find out how diverse (or not) your neighborhood is…

The top 40 iphone apps of 2010

One of the BEST twitter cheat sheets I’ve seen so far!

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” Theodor Seuss Geisel

What the Grinch ALMOST figured out is that Thanksgiving is the ultimate holiday. Thanksgiving is Christmas without going into massive debt buying gifts. It takes the best part of Christmas (family) and takes out the pressure of buying the perfect gift…

Seems I hit a nerve with some folks with my first (brief) post about hating Christmas. People who know me well simply didn’t believe it – How could someone who loves her kids, her husband, family, puppies and babies for Chrissake, HATE Christmas? How is it that a person who volunteers in her community, cries (OK, bawls) while watching Extreme Home Makeover (OK, I start crying during the trailers) possibly hate Christmas? Here’s why:

My palms are sweaty, I am suddenly feeling behind and inadequate and I realize that yes, this is my “Christmas feeling” (It must be October). I am not overcome by romantic notions of chestnuts roasting nor the happy faces of children who really do believe in the magic of Santa…but rather by a loathing towards a season that is too long, too false, too commercialized and just simply too much for me. So yes, I guess I do hate Christmas! Or at least some things about Christmas…

5 Reasons why I hate Christmas:

1. Christmas Cards – I love getting them, but also feel like a complete failure that mine don’t ever get out before Valentines Day. What a loser.

2. Christmas Trees – Love the smell, hate the needles. I have begged for an artificial tree for years but am threatened with divorce, being cut out of mom’s will and disowned by my kids. Great. Do they deal with the fear of a massive fire (our tree is always completely dry by December 5th), do they vacuum? Do they deal with the damn thing when the dog knocks it over…no, that would be me.

3. Christmas Greed – The most adorable, well behaved kids turn into greedy little monsters during this time of year. My nine year old, who appreciates a pack of gum to the depths of his soul (really, mom? can you afford it???) suddenly thinks he should get a DSI, a laptop and an iPad from “Santa” – WTF?

4. Christmas Shopping – This is the worst of it..Christmas displays at Target in September. Seriously? You can’t wait unitl December 1st? 3 weeks isn’t enough time to make us feel like shit because we can’t afford a gift for all 27 people in our family, 10 at the office, the stupid exchange at church and, oh ya – THE KIDS? They even have filled stockings at PetSmart – more guilt.

5. Christmas Credit Card Hangover – I start this pleasant feeling around Halloween – and I haven’t even shopped yet! God help me.

So if there is something that you hate about Christmas and have always wanted to share your feelings – here’s your chance.

1. Know your audience. – The content you put out into the social media world must be of value to your target market. I still live by the adage “Don’t publish (on the internet) anything you wouldn’t want your grandma (or biggest client) to see or hear about!” Keep it relevant and interesting. Offer up some value; an inspiring quote, an interesting anecdote or a link to some fascinating tidbit. Engage with your friends and colleagues without sharing so much that your other 430 followers are made uncomfortable. On Twitter there is no space to waste. 140 characters means get to the point and get me interested!

2. Plan your content. Content is definitely the hardest component of social media presence. It’s a constant, ongoing demand on an organization’s resource so having ‘timeless’ content or snippets of content to hand can fill in those gaps of information. Create a theme and collect a “library” of snippets that you can pull from.

3. Use readily available tools. As social media continues to gain millions of users, tools (apps) are flying at us. Research the tools that will best suit your needs and use them! I use Seesmic Desktop to easily manage several twitter and facebook accounts in one spot.  Other favorites are Tweedeck & Hootsuite. I also recently discovered Tweeple, an app that helps me manage followers on twitter. What are some of your favorites?

4. Don’t use in isolation. Social Media should be a part of your overall marketing plan – it is not a stand-alone. Combine SMM with your direct mail, advertising or networking plane. Publish your social media “handles” on your business card and in your email signature. Cross promote your pages among various SMM platforms.

5. Remember it’s a conversation. Social media is a great platform for your organization to actively engage in 2-way communication with targeted audiences. One terrific example of how this conversation can truly benefit your company (and save you money) is The Gaps’ recent logo change attempt – the feedback on Facebook and twitter was overwhelmingly against the change so The Gap was able to put the brakes on a re-brand that would have cost them millions and flopped.

Still feeling a bit overwhelmed but you KNOW this is a must for your business? Rossetti Marketing offers Social Media Starter Kit which is designed to help you understand and implement your own SMM strategy. Click on the briefcase below for more information!

Christmas came up twice today and I am not at all happy about that. First I was in a shoe store and two women were talking about Christmas (hello? seriously – it’s not even Halloween yet!). One woman said “I love everything about Christmas except the music – I hate Christmas music”. I couldn’t contain myself and blurted out “Are you Nuckin’ Futz?! The music is the ONLY thing I like about Christmas!” Sheesh.

Then about an hour ago, I crawled up into the  attic to retrieve the mountains of Halloween decorations my husband drags up there every year. Halloween is a crowd favorite around here. Our 9 year old son loves costumes (year round) and decorating. He is destined for the theater. While up in the attic I came across a Santa that stands 4 feet tall. For a fleeting second I thought  a small child had made a home in our attic – scared the crap outa me!  I jumped up and banged my head on the rafters!

God I hate Christmas.