Twittermania is right! Read how the communication phenom that is Twitter has taken the wine industry by storm.

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$14 Clif Family “The Climber White” 2007 (California).

Wineries that are ahead of the game are tapping into social networking as part of their online marketing strategy. Here are ten reasons why you should consider it for your brand.

1. BECOME YOUR OWN BEST MEDIA.
   How do you get people talking about your wine? Answer: Incorporate online social networking into your traditional public relations strategy. This feeds the emotional connection customers have to your brand.
2. TALK DIRECTLY TO A HUGE AUDIENCE.
   Approximately 64 million people in the United State use social networking websites. They’re baby boomers, they’re millennials. And they’re wine drinkers.
3. HAVE MORE EFFECTIVE PR AND MARKETING.
   Social networking enhances and strengthens your current PR strategy by attracting real people who love to share their expertise and opinions about wine and wineries with others.
4. RANK HIGHER ON SEARCH ENGINES.
   Google and other search engines are always looking for “new” content —and that tweet you posted five minutes ago is the definition of new. That, plus your blog, plus your Facebook page, plus your media stories puts you at the top of the search results.
5. EXPAND YOUR REACH.
   Watch your blog get messages from a publication in Spain, from a wine bar in Dubai, and from a wine tasting event in Australia, places you probably would not (or could not) advertise.
6. BRING YOUR BRAND TO LIFE.
   Your winery has a unique personality, one that will link you to your perfect customers. Help that customer find you by telling your winery story – in detail, personally, with the wit and PASSION you and your team bring to your brand.
7. BUILD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS.
   Once a customer experiences that “aha!” moment, reinforce that connection with replies to their comments on your blog, responses by real people picking those grapes, testing brix, pouring the wine, makes your customers feel connected to you.
8. NURTURE AND DELIGHT YOUR WINE CLUB COMMUNITY.
   Social networking DOES result in an up sell to loyal customers (like wine club members). So try it and multiply your current member sales. Nice.
9. ARE GREENER.
   Save trees, and keep that ink out of the environment, by printing fewer newsletters, postcards, etc. Those elusive millennial wine aficionados? They keep their cellar list on their computers (as do young sommeliers, and reporters). How thoughtful of you to send them an online newsletter about your wines right where they can use it to update their spreadsheets.
10. LET YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT THEM AND THEIR WORLD.
    You contribute to community organizations, there’s no better way than a blog to make this known. It’s important information — consumers use it to make decisions. You get to decide how to talk about it, in a way that’s true to your brand.

Maggie Zeman wrote this article in collaboration with Virginia Reuter at Ardentio