No…you don’t really need a video, but one of the greatest characteristics of our industry (lucky for us) is the curiosity our customers have about day to day life at the winery. For those that are fortunate enough to work at one, it’s great…there’s no doubt about it, but certainly not always as glamorous as it appears from the outside. Nonetheless, all are welcome as we open our doors for our customers to take a peek behind the proverbial curtain!

But… what happens after a great visit? How do we extend the experience?

George Christie - Founder & President of WIN

For direct marketers, email, and now social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, have been outstanding tools to maintain dialogue and relationships and provide a “virtual” extension of the “winery experience”, but how do we leverage the one thing that no one can copy…the people behind the brand?

This is where video crushes the competition! Nothing, and I mean nothing, captures the passion and personality of a winery’s people better than video! Good news…your customers would always rather watch a few minutes of video on your winery happenings than read another email and the bonus… search engines LOVE video!

Here’s the best part…your video doesn’t need to cost a ton of money or look like a Hollywood production. In fact, some of the most interesting and engaging videos that I’ve seen are the simplest and are shot with a flip camera. I know these videos drive the “real” videographers absolutely nuts, but guess what…the viewers don’t care. They just want something authentic. That doesn’t mean that hiring a pro isn’t a good idea, just don’t let a small budget deter you from exploring and including video in your plans.

Here’s a great example of video at its best: Seghesio Harvest Video. They wanted to capture the family’s involvement around harvest, and more importantly, give the viewer a real sense of their commitment to quality.

Harvest is just around the corner…think about bringing your customers onto the crush pad!

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