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We are still in the midst of reviewing where the key players to the Murphy Goode Wine Country Social Media gig have come since Hardy was appointed.  I want to take a moment to pause and cast our view to wider circles out there and catch a peek at what the buzz is today about wine and social media:  Should (wine) companies be investing in Social Media?

Over at Work, Wine and Wheels we are reminded again that there is true value in social media campaigns.  Jumping into social media is simple enough if you follow the three steps which Chris deals you up:

  • Have a strategy for social media that supports your business goals — “we’ve got to get in because our competitors are” doesn’t cut it
  • Integrate the sales team from the beginning — Strategic helps its clients meet revenue goals, and if the sales team perceives social media as just another marketing campaign, they won’t buy in
  • Produce good content, repurpose existing content and focus SEO efforts around a small set of keywords

Hopping over a few blogs and we see the same questions popping up:  What is the ROI of Social Media?

Melinda Knapp offers this answer in her guest post over at DrinkNectar:

As a consumer, walking into a wine store or the wine section of the grocery store can be intimidating.  I could go with the old standby, but I really want to try something new.  How do I choose?  What is going to make a bottle jump out and say “buy me”?  Familiarity.  I am looking for something familiar to me like winery, vineyard, region etc. This is where social media comes in.

She goes on to explain how her engagement with the brand on social media platforms has increased her awareness and familiarity while expanding her choices by the power of suggestion simply by brand recognition.

And finally, if we join Rick Bakas and his interview with SmartBrief editor Liz DeHoff, we can read Rick’s answer to the ROI question:

I always say social-media strategy is like planting vines. You don’t get fruit right away, but if you nurture the vines organically, they will eventually produce results year-over-year. We are moving out of the first phase of our SM strategy into a phase where we are going to start answering this question. We’re just now starting to get the fruits of our labor.

Rick goes on to say that it is not the buzz of social media, it is simply people connecting with each other (via the internet).  Keeping the person you are communicating in mind is how you pair wine with social media.

My question to you is this:  do you *see* the people you are communicating with, are you aware that it is a two way street or are you just out there blasting your message to the masses?

Your ROI will reflect the degree of relationship and connectedness you have with your readers.  Give your message a personality, a face and a voice.  This is what social media is all about.