A Deeper Look into How Wineries are Using Twitter Part 2

Using Twitter is harder than it looks. And I am not talking about keeping your tweets to under 170 characters.  Being active on Twitter takes time and engaging on Twitter takes nerves.

I wrote my initial post, wondering why Wineries were not engaging with their followers and consumers. I am sure that anyone who looked at my Twitter profile would see that I have a small handful of followers and am not tweeting all the time. So, really, who am I to judge.

Not to mention, I have heard on various accounts how wineries have reached out through Twitter, and I experienced this as well.  When I went to visit Bartholomew winery, for example, the owner, Bart Fawbush automatically responded to my tweet.  He also shared the post I did reviewing his winery to his network – thank you Bart!

My brother got into a conversation with a Mezzacorona over Twitter and they suggested a wine for my brother to try.  I have also heard of others who have Tweeted about an issue with a wine and received responses from wineries right away.  So, wineries are trying.

I have to admit, I was being naive.  I put myself in the “shoes in the clients” trying to promote my last post and engage with those that responded to me, and I found it to be a mighty big task.

First off, Twitter takes time.  For a winery, or any business, to be successful at Twitter, and other Social Media, there needs to be designated resources.  With tight budgets and limited personnel, having one employee designated to tweeting and engaging with followers is next to impossible.  Especially for the smaller wineries.   I am just one person, trying to manage a personal twitter account, and I find it challenging.  I could only imagine it being even harder for a business.

Secondly, Twitter takes nerve.  I was a littler nervous about tweeting my initial post (Part 1), to my few followers.  But I held my breath and pushed enter.  Then I got a few responses – which surprised me.  I went to respond and got so nervous composing my replies, reading them over and over.

That is when it hit me.  If I were to be laughed off the “Twitter-verse”, I could easily delete my profile and start over.  If a company gets laughed at or picked on, it is not as easy to recuperate. There is a lot more at stake for a winery.

So, long story short, I now have a better understanding of where wineries are coming from and why they are slow to engage.  I don’t think it is a lack of want, it is more a lack of resources and slow experimentation to see what works and what does not.