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WINE WISE MARKETING ELIZABETH SLATER tive or negative comments – shows others that you care. Miller regularly checks Yelp and Trip Advisor, to learn what consumers are saying about the winery and its products. Blogging: The winery posts on its blog each week, as part of its newsletter, often offering winery specials and recipes. Miller said that blogs work best when customers know when to expect them. If you are going to start a blog, post regularly and on a schedule you know you can stick to (every week on Friday afternoon, for example). Telephone: Miller knows that picking up the phone is also an effective way to reach customers, consumers and trade – particularly those who belong to the wine club. If they have problem with a shipment or anything else concerned with the winery, she calls rather than dropping them an e-mail. A phone call is more personal and the customer will feel taken care of – and is more likely to be loyal to the brand. Website: It's obvious from the St. James Winery website that it understands the value of making an emotional connection with its customers and prospective customers, through storytelling. When you go to the About Us page of the website, you're not met with facts, but with words that will stir emotions. It's not until the third paragraph that facts and figures enter the conversation. St. James also has a robust trade section on its website, making it easy for those who sell its wines, from distributors to retailers to restaurants, to easily access information, logos, pictures and more. The name, phone and e-mail of St. James vice president of sales, Dean Chalem, are prominently featured on this page, as is technical information on the wines, sorted by brand/variety. This information includes awards won and critics' reviews. There is also a map of the states in which St. James wines are sold. This sort of trade section is a must for any winery website. MORE TIPS FROM MILLER + To make social media successful for your winery, the most important thing is to have an authentic, and not contrived, voice. + To make the most of e-mail, have a clean database (regularly updated) and clear messaging. + Don't expect to lower your mar- keting expenses as time goes on. As your business grows, there is more to market, so your marketing expenses will grow as well. + To get the most out of your marketing dollars, use metrics. Make sure that whatever you are spending on marketing creates measurable value for your brand. The tactics used by St. James Winery are a mix of traditional and modern marketing. It uses the best of each and tracks the results, so it knows what works best for the brand. Do the same at your winery, and plan early to get the best results. Elizabeth Slater is the owner of In Short Direct Marketing, a direct marketing company that works with individual wineries and winery associations. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. visit us online vwmmedia.com w w w. v w m media.com M a y - J u n e 2 0 13 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 23