Wineries on Twitter

www.foliowine.com/pages/winemakers_studio.html 

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/foliowinemakerssudio

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/foliowinemakers

How long have you been using Twitter?

We’ve been using Twitter for about a year or so now.  It hasn’t been until the last 6 months though that we really started getting more involved and engaging though.

What prompted you to dive in?

We first signed up shortly after signing the winery up on Facebook.  Just looking for different ways to interact and build relationships with existing and new customers.

What type of strategy or approach do you use when posting content?

I have to admit; at first we were doing it all wrong.  We were using Facebook and Twitter primarily as a sales driver.  Now we see it as more of a brand and relationship builder. So we try to post things to help people keep in touch with what’s going on in Napa and also when we’re out on the road in their home area.

What have been the benefits of using Twitter/Facebook? (increased traffic, increased brand awareness, customer connection, etc)

For us the traffic and sales are tough to quantify, because you may have someone that comes to the winery but doesn’t necessarily say they saw us on Twitter or Facebook.  I’d say the biggest benefits to using social media is creating and maintaining relationships with new and old customers and spreading the word about what we’re up to.

Is there a single success story that you can point to with using Twitter/Facebook?

There isn’t one particular success story that comes to mind.  The biggest success is being able to stay connected with people who care about us nationally and internationally!

What do you think is the single biggest barrier to why we don’t see more wineries actively using Social Media tools?

I think right now the biggest barriers are 1) some companies not being able to quantify and get results to justify allocating someone’s time to work different social media avenues. 2) I also think that even though social media sites are being used by multiple generations, there are some people across all generations that just don’t have the knowhow.

What advice would you give to wineries joining the stream or getting back into the stream?

For wineries new to social media or those giving it another shot, I would say first to just be natural with your postings.  Don’t use it as a constant sales pitch.  Once you’re able to create relationships with your followers and fans, then you can have sales offers occasionally.  But if this is all they get from you, you will see your followers and fans leaving a lot quicker than they join.  Another thing is to provide meaningful content from all areas of your business (hospitality, cellar, vineyards, etc.).  Lastly, the sales results will come organically by creating long-term, dedicated relationships with people who enjoy your wine and what the winery is doing.

Briefly tell us about your winery, a new release, or something unique about you?

Our winery is Folio Winemakers’ Studio and we are privately owned by the Michael Mondavi Family along with select employees within our company.  We have a beautiful property in the Carneros region of Napa Valley, which we have been at for 3 years now making our wonderful selection of wines from Napa Valley as well as other surrounding areas.  One thing that makes us unique is that we are not the traditional winery that has 4 or 5 wines.  We have a wide variety of wines, 23 in fact, that appeal to wine novices and connoisseurs alike.  The great thing about having these wines is we allow our customers to make their own selection of which wines they want to taste!

What is your favorite rock band and why?

My favorite rock band would have to be Pearl Jam.  The thing I like about them is that they make great music and have been for about 20 years now!  They‘ve never been sell-outs and changed who they are due to their fame and success.  Plus they enjoy great wine!