Is There Still A Place For Wine During A Pandemic? Today the World Health Organization formally announced that we are in a pandemic. With news like that, all sorts of topics leap to mind, but wine probably isn’t one of them. Wine and the coronavirus don’t typically come up in the same sentence, but I’m thinking that perhaps they should. And before I go any further, let me be clear… Read More »Wine And The Coronavirus
Helping The Wine Buyer Find The Wine Seller Keyword research is a significant part of any good marketing mix. But, wine keyword research can be more challenging than most consumer products. That’s because the big brands and retailers dominate broad, highly competitive terms like red wine, vineyards, etc. The cost to rank against these terms is prohibitively expensive for small wineries. Drill down on specific, less competitive wine terms, however,… Read More »Keywords For The Wine Seller
By now we’ve all read the SVB 2020 State of The Wine Industry report by Rob McMillan. In many ways the news is familiar. Aging boomers, industry consolidation, health concerns, and a difficult labor market are all ongoing concerns. What’s new is the reluctance of Millennials to embrace wine. This isn’t the only driving factor, but it is changing the game. We’re seeing low to negative volume growth, pricing pressure,… Read More »Why The SVB 2020 State Of The Wine Industry Report Is Good News
Or maybe it’s your bloodstream. Whatever the metaphor, it’s what keeps your business alive. Your business depends on traffic, and there are few better ways to build traffic than to build your mailing list. The Direct Marketing Association estimates that in 2018, ROI for email marketing was an eye-opening $38.00 for every dollar spent. Not only that, but 81% of responding businesses say their primary acquisition channel is email (Emarsys,… Read More »Traffic Is Oxygen
When you’re marketing your wine, it’s natural to be super-protective of your brand and your image. It’s difficult to “sell” your wine; it should really go without saying that it’s very, very special. After all, wine is a luxury good, and should marketed appropriately. Or is it? Unless you’re in the rarified atmosphere of less that 1% of the wine that’s sold around the world, your wine is very good,… Read More »Why Do We Think Wine Is So Special?
Words Sell Wine No question about it: you’ll sell more wine if you really pay attention to the words that make people take action. Used well, words will excite and motivate customers and convert sales. In my experience, I’ve found three simple habits that make my writing more powerful, effective, and action oriented. Let’s dive right in and look at them. Not We and Ours. You and Yours. Before you… Read More »Sell More Wine With These 3 Simple Writing Hacks
Content = Storytelling Plain and simple, without great copywriting you don’t have great content. Marketing is about telling a story, and stories get told with great writing. This is especially true in wine marketing; we have such rich, varied stories to tell, but our audience is often confused, intimidated, or easily bored. It’s our job as marketers to build content that our customers can relate to, get excited about, and… Read More »What Does Effective Content Marketing Mean For The Wine Business?
I’m happy to announce that I’m starting a new chapter in my career in wine by launching Fine Wine Marketing, a copywriting consultancy for the wine business. It seems appropriate that my first post here should be a look back at where I’ve been, and a glimpse at where I may be going. I hope you enjoy this little peek through the looking glass. In the summer of 1980 my… Read More »Forty Years Of Fine Wine Marketing