Social media can be fun and entertaining; it is also an effective marketing tool. However, it can be tricky as we all know how inauthentic it can feel when you see marketers exploiting #WineDays and other hashtag holidays online with reckless abandon. Not to mention how irritating it can be when you see some random Joe celebrating #SandwichDay with the same enthusiasm you’d expect from someone celebrating a milestone birthday. But that doesn’t mean that celebrating these marketing days can’t come in handy or can't be fun. So don’t be surprised if you see us celebrating a #WineDay over on our socials. It’s all in good fun after all!
So why should you consider celebrating #WineDays on social media? And how do you use wine days to actually sell wine?
Wine days and other hashtag holidays are a great excuse to celebrate random things online. Make a note of the #WineDays you want to celebrate and plan out social media posts and email marketing sends around that day. Here's a list from Travelling Corkscrew that we follow. Let's use Chardonnay Day (May 27th) as our example of why it can be a great marketing ploy.
You can imagine the email subject line: “We Are Celebrating Chardonnay Day with X% Off Our Chardy Case!” or “Celebrate #ChardonnayDay with Latest Vintage Chardy.” You get the idea. You could even use WithWine’s detailed data collection to send emails to your wine club members who you know love Chardonnay or to visitors to your cellar door who bought a bottle or two.
Want to get a little more engagement online? Utilising #WineDays can be an easy way to boost your online engagement. Instead of the harder sell line “Celebrate #ChardonnayDay with our Latest Vintage” from the email plan, go softer on social. Perhaps you could post a snap to Instagram of you and/or your winery team enjoying a glass of Chardonnay with some cheese (or cheese toasties or doughnuts or whatever) with the caption:
“We’re celebrating #ChardonnayDay with our latest vintage Chardonnay paired with our favourite cheese. It’s the ultimate pairing for us, or is it? What’s your favourite food pairing with Chardonnay?”
Asking your online following questions is one of the best ways to engage with them. Of course, you’re going to get the comedians who will definitely respond with “A perfect pairing is a second glass lololol” as well as people genuinely sharing their perfect food pairings. Respond to everyone, like comments and create a memorable and nice online moment with your followers.
Alternatively, or additionally, you/your winemaking team could go live on Facebook or Instagram and talk in real-time to your friends and followers all about Chardonnay and its various styles and regional differences etc. Create a simple low production (and low-cost) event. It’s a perfect way to have a little fun with your audience and promote your product.
Most wine regions here in Australia rely on the local tourist trade, which we have been sorely lacking thanks to border lockdowns and such. But no man, or winery, is an island. And no matter how excellent your Chardonnay is, food and wine are meant to be enjoyed together. So why not reach out to your cheesemonger mate down the road, or the chocolatier over the hill, or the beekeeper around the corner? Wine regions are often filled with artisanal food producers who would love extra free publicity - and could send over some extra grub so it’s a win-win.
Perhaps you could run a #ChardonnayDay tasting special with the perfect pairing options in your cellar door with local additions. Perhaps the #ChardonnayDay email, mentioned in point 1, that you sent out to your newsletter base could include a food pairing article you posted on your website that links out to the local producers.
So the three points above make up an entire marketing campaign (you’re welcome). But let’s not lose the run of ourselves. This could have gotten your creative juices flowing with content articles and catchy email subject lines (“Who’s Up For a #ChardyParty This #ChardonnayDay?”), but remember to be relevant. For instance, there is a #WineDay for nearly every varietal you could think of, but that doesn't mean you need to celebrate every day.
Is there any point in you promoting #FurmintDay - a Hungarian grape that is celebrated on February 1st - or #XinomavroDay on November 1st? Are they on your wine list?
However, there could be other hashtag holidays that do make sense for you to celebrate. Remember #SandwichDay (November 3rd)? Well, there's also World Chocolate Day in July, a Music Day in June, and numerous pets and puppy days. Heck, if there are Star Wars fans in your team why not run a special "Light Side VS Dark Side" tasting with light zesty white wines stacked up against dark brooding and edgy reds on May 4th aka Star Wars Day ("may the fourth be with you…"). If there is a #day that suits your winery and brand why not get involved? Check out Social Bakers' list of hashtag holidays for ideas.
This is why marketers of businesses small and large love #days - it can really help when creative juices are tapped dry!
Wine Days and other holidays can be great opportunities to have a little fun on social media AND run great campaigns. But what happens if you don't keep track of the days and miss out? Not much, but if you want to stay on top of these #WineDays, we have you covered! We have created a Google Calendar that is publicly available. You can add it to your own Google Calendar and never miss a #WineDay again.
To add to your Google Calendar:
Check out our other posts on creating your own social media calendar or the top 7 places to find the best free content for your social media accounts.
Want to discover new ways you can engage with customers with effective data collection? Chat with our team today.
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