How To Use Video Marketing For Your Winery

Video advertising and content have been around since video cameras were a thing. Today it has exploded in popularity. Everyone walks around with cameras in their pocket which can send a direct feed to the internet. In less than a minute, a 15-second video can be seen by people across the globe. 

According to HubSpot's 2020 Not Another State of Marketing Report, video content was the most commonly used and the second most engaging marketing content type on social media. It’s been a growing trend since YouTube launched back in the noughties. Now in 2021, the biggest platforms like Facebook, Instagram, newbie to market TikTok and LinkedIn are all leaning into video marketing.  

But what does this mean for your winery’s marketing strategy?

Here are our tips on how to use video to market your winery.

1. Get Social

The popularity of short videos on social media is phenomenal. Short video sharing app Tik Tok exploded in popularity during the pandemic. And it’s not just teenagers Tik Tok’ing; it’s their parents, millennials, boomers, chefs and dancers out of work, basically everyone. It seems TikTok filled the human connection void everyone was experiencing in 2020. But it’s not the only video-sharing app. Its popularity caused other social media platforms to step up their video-sharing capabilities. Most notably Instagram.

Bought by Facebook back in 2012, Instagram has a streak of “borrowing” ideas from other platforms. For instance, Instagram Stories were 100% inspired by Snap Chat. In 2021, it launched Reels, a Tik Tok-inspired fusion of Instagram Stories and IGTV. If your winery already has a presence on Instagram you should 100% take advantage of these new features.

Loads of Aussie wineries are already embracing video and letting their customers see what happens during harvest and winemaking and we love it! You don’t need to do a silly dance or whatever the kids are doing. Looking for more inspiration? Take a leaf out of the wine influencers’ handbook and educate your followers with wine knowledge. Check out Aussie wine influencers like Lorna aka DownToAWineArt, Lauren aka LozWineNerd, or Mary aka PerthWineGirl and Gabriella aka TheWineAbout for some visual inspiration.

The best thing about it? It’s free! It doesn’t cost anything to have an Instagram account and if you already have a phone with a camera you don’t need any other production equipment. Customers will appreciate the authenticity. You are putting yourself out there to connect with them and don’t need to fancy it up with a production crew. 

2. Get Educational

You don’t need to hire out a production crew for a wine masterclass. Everything you need is right on your smartphone or on your computer. 

We’ve recently embraced Loom a video messaging tool that helps you get your message across instantly through shareable videos. It can record your webcam, microphone and screen at the same time, making it perfect for demonstrations. “It’s almost like a video voicemail service,” says our CEO Richard Owens.

“If a picture says a thousand words, then a video that is more engaging and has some personality can say 100,000”.

We use it internally for our demos and have released some “Did You Know?” (DYK) videos to help our clients get the most use out of our product. Keep an eye out for more in the “Help & How-To” section on the WithWine CRM, our community app WorkWithWine, and on our social media accounts.

3. Go Live

You may think that everyone did a Livestream in 2020 and you wouldn’t be 100% wrong. But according to Hubspot, in 2019, one in five Facebook videos were livestreams. The situation in 2020 did force many wineries and other businesses to pivot from in-person conferences and festivals to virtual counterparts. So we’ve been through the trial and error stage. Likely you’ve seen what works and what doesn’t and it’s inevitable that even though festivals are coming back, virtual events will have a place in marketing! 

Live videos are great for launches and they can be used for wine tastings – the best experience is when everyone attending the live tasting has received the wine so you can all taste it together, potentially a great experience for your wine club members?

What people love about live videos is how authentic and personable they can be. It’s definitely something to consider, especially when free social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have live video functionality.

What Now?

Too many ideas and don’t know where to start? Take a pause and reset. Figure out what is the purpose of the video. Do you want to simply entertain your customers? Do you want to educate? To let them know about a product or service? Once you know what the purpose of the video is, you can move on to the format. Where is your audience? Do you have a large following on Instagram or in your newsletter? Do you think your customers would enjoy a Livestream or prefer a short snappy Instagram Story or Reel?

As long as your content is adding value to your customers, it is worth your time and energy. 

And have fun! Experiment. See what works and what doesn’t.