WTN Services- Facebook and wine…
Facebook is viewed by many as the hottest social-networking site on the internet. Due to the site’s press, attention and growth in recent months, marketers wine and non-wine are scrambling to find a way to access the site’s millions of users who could be potential wine consumers.
As with most online communities, wine marketers must take care in how they attempt to approach and interact with the community’s members or face a backlash.
Some companies have modeled themselves after Facebook and attempted to create a Facebook for wines WineCommune would be an example of such a place. An interesting article on building a Facebook for wine entitled BUILDING A FACEBOOK FOR WINE can be found on Businessweek.com at…
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2007/sb2007127_891227.htm?campaign_id=rss_smlbz
If trying to promote wines on the original Facebook -be careful. In an article published by Mark Collier specific to this topic he cautions, “If your primary reason for joining Facebook is to promote your company and your products to existing Facebook members, don’t even bother joining Facebook. It isn’t built for marketers; it is built for people who want to stay in touch with their friends and meet new ones. If you want to be a member of this community, you have to use Facebook as the other members do. You have to go in with the mindset that you want to use Facebook as a tool to meet and understand your customers.”
Though this feedback was not specific to the wine industry I’m confident the points are equally valid for wine folks.
He continued with a few other relevant thoughts to consider…
“Among the great features of Facebook are the thousands of groups organized around every subject, personal or professional, under the sun. These groups are a great place for you to meet new friends and gain knowledge from fellow members. But groups can be a big stumbling block for marketers if they aren’t careful. Groups are like any other area of Facebook: You create and share value first, then receive value back. You might be tempted to use groups to simply promote your company and products, but this would likely cause a huge backlash. Remember that the driving forces behind Facebook are connections and community, not commerce. You have to use Facebook as your customers do.”
Finally he points out: “Facebook’s groups can be an incredibly powerful tool for marketers, if approached properly. Instead of attempting to use groups as a promotional channel, use the groups as Facebook members do. Find ways to contribute to groups by answering questions and asking your own. When you begin to create value in groups, you will find that users will respond positively to your efforts, and many will probably want to “friend” you. As with every area of Facebook, consider what you can give to the community, with the idea that the community will respond by giving back to you. “
All are very good and valid points to consider if considering Facebook for wine marketing.
The wine industry is unique in wine is much more social than other purchase opportunities but it takes the very special marketer to walk that fine line between socializing about great wines and overtly selling. We’d love to hear others thoughts.
You can learn more about Facebooks and articles from Mack Collier who is a respected social-media consultant and writes for one the fastest-growing marketing and advertising blogs on the Net: The Viral Garden