Wineries on Twitter: @sokolblosser on Twitter

The goal of this series is to connect with wineries and wine business that use Social Media (Twitter and Facebook) effectively. These interviews can serve as a catalyst to help other wineries and wine businesses to see the benefits (and pitfalls) of joining the social revolution.

Interview Questions

How long have you been using Twitter?

Sokol Blosser has been using Twitter since the fall of 2008.

What prompted you to dive in?

A few of our consumers and colleagues were using Twitter and other free social media outlets to express their food and wine interests, share information, and quickly get the word out about events and other industry news.  We wanted to be in that “inner circle” and make sure Sokol Blosser stayed in the forefront of our consumers’ minds.

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

We didn’t want to just jump in and hope that social media worked.  Once we learned how to use sites like Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter, we created a plan that mapped out several specific things: what kind of information we would post, whether or not we would use social media to sell wine (promoting deals and sales), the “voice” of our brand on social media, how many times a day we would post, what our goals were for social media, among other things.  Having a plan from the beginning helped us to have a clear understanding of what social media could provide for us, spared a lot of headaches of the “figure it out as we go” method, and helped us to feel confident.

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

The biggest benefit to us is the connection to our consumers.  We don’t use our social media for promoting deals, simply for relating relevant content to fans who are interested in what’s going on at the Winery and in the wine industry.  We get a lot of visitors to our Tasting Room who say they’ve been following us online and just had to come out and see what Sokol Blosser is all about.

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

There are many!  We have seen more visitors to our Tasting Room in the past year than ever before, more RSVPs to events, and more press releases being picked up by the media.  By connecting with people using social media, we are taking advantage of a free tool to tell our message to an audience that is interested and wants to learn.

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

I believe that most wineries think that social media tools take up a lot of time – time they can’t afford with their already full schedules.  Sure, it takes a little time to get your social network set up, but those wineries might be surprised to know that we really devote very little time during the day to social media – we’re just consistent.  Every day there are more tools available that make networking easier, and with the possible return on what is actually a very small time commitment, I’m surprised more wineries aren’t jumping on the 2.0 bandwagon.

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

Create a plan!  Know what your company’s goals are for your social networking endeavor, how much time you plan to invest each day, and who will be in charge of the “voice” of your brand online.  Then – and this is the tough part – stick to the plan and be consistent.

Also, keep it real and stay positive.  Nothing turns fans, friends and followers off faster than promising something you can’t deliver,  over-posting about certain topic or special deal, or bashing other companies, wines, or people. 

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

In 1971, Susan Sokol Blosser and her husband planted grapes on just 5 acres in the Dundee Hills.  As one of the pioneering wineries of the region, Sokol Blosser has played a key role in developing and shaping the now-prominent Oregon wine industry.  The winery is still family owned and operated, with the second generation now at the helm: siblings Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser.  While the estate has grown to over 85 certified organic acres, the winery works to create wines of world-class quality, produced in a sustainable manner, which reflect the distinctive flavors of the grapes, soil and climate.

What is your favorite rock band and why?

Personally, my favorite rock band is No Doubt – I dig their hip style and the way their music has evolved over the years.  Around the winery during harvest time we listen to a lot of Beatles tunes, though – gotta love that!

Wineries on Twitter – Woodward Canyon @woodwardcanyon on Twitter

The goal of this series is to connect with wineries and wine business that use Social Media (Twitter and Facebook) effectively. These interviews can serve as a catalyst to help other wineries and wine businesses to see the benefits (and pitfalls) of joining the social revolution.

The Interview: Woodward Canyon

How long have you been using Twitter?

We’ve been on Twitter for only about 8 months now.

What prompted you to dive in?

I’ve personally had a twitter account for a couple of years and I knew that it was the direction that marketing and social media was heading. When I approached our GM and our marketing coordinator they had also heard about twitter and knew that it was something that we needed to get into before we were doing nothing but chasing the market.

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

It really depends on who is posting that day. There are a couple of us who try to keep it updated and we each have our own style. But, I like to try to post and re-tweet anything with relevance to the wine industry, Walla Walla Valley and Woodward Canyon. I’ve tried to develop more of a connection with others but will also throw out specials or things going on at the winery as well.

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

We’re still fairly new in the whole world of social media even though we’ve been on Facebook for over a year now. I hope that having a profile on both makes us a little more accessible in the eyes of the public and increases brand awareness.  

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

I know that there have been a few times where I’ve posted something about a wine being released or poured for the first time and someone has seen it and they’ve come in specifically to taste it. The first time it happened was fun for me because it meant that someone was actually reading the stuff I was posting and I wasn’t just posting things for my own enjoyment.

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

Social media is a hard one. I’ve seen some who join because it’s the new thing or fad and then they fall off in a couple of months. Others are still going strong. It’s definitely something that you have to have a plan to follow. It’s not a form of marketing that usually shows immediate results or sales and I think that this deters people. It’s definitely a large amount of time spent on building up your brand awareness and making connections with people rather than trying to directly sell them wine. It is such a foreign concept. 

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

If you’re interested in social media then you should definitely do it. Make sure that you have someone who is somewhat familiar with what is going on or is willing to learn. Enthusiasm for your company and the different forms of social media are necessary along with enough time to put everything into action.

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

We are a small, family owned winery in the Walla Walla Valley and we are the second oldest winery in the valley. Rick and Darcey Small started the winery in 1981. Rick and Darcey are both a part of the every day decisions at the winery. Rick, our original winemaker is now head of production and Darcey is our general manager. I love working for them because they treat all the employees very well. We just finished birthday lunch for Kevin, our winemaker, which consisted of Thomas burgers, Rick buns, salad, sweet potato fries and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. We don’t mess around here!  And of course I wouldn’t be talking about Woodward Canyon and some of my favorite things without mentioning our wood fire oven out back. I didn’t realize what I was missing in terms of good pizza until I had one of Rick’s very famous, homemade, garden fresh pizzas! Rick makes the dough himself and then most of the toppings are either from our Estate Garden or from local merchants. Yum, I’m getting hungry again just thinking about them!

What is your favorite rock band and why?

Hmmm … that’s a good question. I’m not sure I have a favorite rock band. There are so many good ones out there. I guess I’ve been following Pink Floyd for years now so they would have to be one of them. Floyd just brings back so many fond memories from high school and college and gathering with friends. I’m a big fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Dave Matthews Band. And then there’s Kings of Leon – I love this upcoming band!

Follow Woodward Canyon on Twitter http://twitter.com/woodwardcanyon and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/woodwardcanyonwinery