Last Updated on July 28, 2021 by

Wine marketing is an art, but not everyone is an artist. Luckily, we’ve got seven tips for successful digital marketing for wineries right here.

If you have a new or established winery that’s in need of more customers, it can feel daunting to decide how to get started. Although you may feel tempted to do everything and anything when it comes to wine marketing–from print advertisements to coupons–the way forward is now solidly in the digital world. 

Read on to learn how to tell your winery’s story through successful wine marketing! 

Digital Marketing for Wineries:

1. Social Media

Both young and old enjoy wine, and you’ll find that the majority of your customers use or at least browse social media sites at least once a day. With this in mind, utilize social media consistently and purposefully in order to have a successful wine marketing strategy. 

For Instagram, it’s recommended to post at least once a day with the maximum amount of relevant hashtags that you’re able to find. Use images and captions that speak to your target audience and remain on-brand. 

2. Create Knowledgable Content

You’ll also want to become the authority when it comes to wine and of course educating customers about your own wine. Pay attention to common search terms and create easy to read, entertaining content.

For instance, many of your customers may not know how to distinguish between dry red wines or really know the difference between red and white besides their color. 

If your audience is more educated about wine, instead of basic educational content, you’ll want to meet them where they’re at. Instead, talk about the flavor profiles of your wine, recipes that you recommend pairing it with, and more.

Just like your social media accounts, you’ll want to post your written and video content on your website on a consistent basis–think once a week or twice a month. The Google algorithm will slowly understand the relevancy and quality of your content and boost your website to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). 

3. Influencers and Micro-Influencers

It can be difficult to grow a following on social media or stay relevant if you’re just starting out. You can find that your content quickly becomes lost in the daily shuffle. A great way to boost your following and attain instant authority with audiences is to hire influencers or micro-influencers to help you market your wine to their followers. 

While influencers can easily have 100,000 followers or more, micro-influencers will have an average of 2,000. However, micro-influencers will be less expensive and they typically have a closer and more personable relationship with their followers. 

Of course, you’ll want to find influencers that relate to your wine in some way. Perhaps they post recipes that go well with wine or they have a lifestyle brand. 

4. Honing Your Brand

You can’t be everything to everyone. At the simplest level, if your winery produces dry red wine, you know that not everyone enjoys it. Instead, you’ll be marketing towards the people who would enjoy your wine and relate to your story.

In order to do this, you need to get very specific about who your audience is and what they care about. Consider your audience’s: 

• Age
• Location
• Spending power
• Spending patterns
• Interests/hobbies

To find this information, you can use your Facebook or Instagram Audience Insights. When you have a better idea of who your main audience is, you’ll be in a better position to create content that directly speaks to them. 

5. Reward Loyal Customers

Although you want to try and reach out to new customers, you want to be able to make them loyal customers down the road. The easiest and most effective way to do that is to reward them for being loyal to your brand! 

Create a points system that rewards customers after a certain number of purchases, or host giveaways and coupons if they join your mailing list or following you on Instagram or Facebook. If you have a high-end brand, create exclusive events or sales that only exclusive customers can take advantage of. 

6. Your Winery Venue

The most fun part about marketing is that you’re often rewarded for being flexible and adaptable. One way to market your winery as well as earn more revenue is to market your winery as a wedding venue. 

Wine-lovers love the idea of getting married at a winery, and they may already be loyal customers. Remember that their friends and family may also be interested in your wine, especially if they have fond memories of attending their loved one’s wedding at your venue. 

Contact local, online venue listings and see how you can add your winery to their list of venues. 

7. Host Events

Beyond weddings, you’ll also want to take advantage of your beautiful space by hosting events. You can offer free tours and tastings at your winery for tourists and locals alike, who will often grab a bottle on their way out. Even if a person’s tour doesn’t result in a direct sale, you’ll still be receiving free advertising as they post on their own social media profiles. 

Another option is to hold informative wine classes. Not only will people get to drink your wine, but they’ll also know the best foods to pair it with and how to properly store it so it stays fresh. 

The Art of Successful Digital Marketing for Wineries

As you can see, you have a number of options when it comes to successful digital marketing for wineries. The important things to remember are to be clear about your target audience and your brand, post consistently on social media and your website with quality content, and take advantage of your winery as a destination. 

Ready to boost digital marketing for wineries? Contact us today to schedule a consultation!