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WINES OF BRITISH COLUMBIAHOW TO WORK WITH WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA’S DIGITAL MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO BUILD YOUR BRAND AND BUSINESS
1 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDEBUILD YOUR BRAND AND BUSINESS WORKING WITH WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIAWine Growers British Columbia (WGBC) is active across seven social media marketing platforms offering member wineries the chance to join the discussion and to talk about their wines and winery. Our social content is dedicated to building the premium quality perception of BC wine and growing a consumer and trade audience for our member wineries. Social media allows WGBC members to connect with wine lovers, visitors, tourism partners, inuencers, industry and trade, and potential wine buyers. With every post, Wines of British Columbia strives to live the brand. Our hope is to inspire with a genuine authentic voice that reects a grounded love for an awe-inspiring place, rened experiences and condence in illustrating the unique qualities that make British Columbia’s nine wine regions distinct. With a focus on promoting premium wines and sustainable winemaking practices, local wine and food trends, and memorable wine tourism experiences, there is ample opportunity to join us in the conversations online. The power of social media can work to strengthen a collective brand story by answering questions and motivating visitors to share their own genuine experiences and photos. Our goal is to have all WGBC member wineries share in “Living The Brand” through social media. So, let’s get started!The following is an information guide to assist in connecting our members with and leveraging WGBC’s digital and social media platforms. Our aim is to support your brand and business, and collectively, the industry as a whole.Wines of British Columbia Industry ChannelsLinkedIn: Wine Growers British Columbia Twitter: @WineGrowersBCWines of British Columbia Consumer ChannelsTwitter: @BCWine Facebook: Facebook.com/WinesofBC Instagram: @WinesofBC YouTube: Wines of British Columbia Pinterest: @WinesofBC TikTok: @WinesofBC
2 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINKEDINLocate the latest priority BC wine industry updates and news on the Wine Growers British Columbia’s LinkedIn Company Page. As the number one lead generation network with 830 million plus member reach, LinkedIn connects and encourages community discussion with industry experts, buyers and professionals across the global wine sector. WGBC LinkedIn is growing. More than 2,100 industry professionals follow our posts that feature the latest opportunities and industry news. Posts are strategically shared after regular business hours (evenings and weekends) and in a mobile-friendly way to achieve the widest reach. This platform allows members to catch up on the latest WGBC member opportunities and industry buzz when it works for them. Here’s how you can work with and engage with WGBC’s LinkedIn account: • Use LinkedIn posts to enhance your professional reputation, and to increase the visibility of your brand. Visit LinkedIn and learn how to create a professional prole for your business• Once you have a prole, follow the Wine Growers British Columbia’s company LinkedIn page• Share WGBC LinkedIn posts and share updates to your professional prole • Comment, share news and add your voice to the LinkedIn conversation to help broaden a collective voice as part of the Wines of British Columbia community • Further build and grow your connections in the wine industry and identify international and local colleagues and buyers, past and present. Tailor your posts to this audience and other industry professionals• Advertising on LinkedIn can be one way to potentially reach trade and industry audiences with targets that may includes specic job titles like “wine buyer”. Important! If you are advertising on LinkedIn make sure your audience is 25 years+ and that you change specic targeting preferences to “and” versus “or”. This will encourage LinkedIn’s advertising team to review and accept your Ad as responsible alcohol promotion. Questions? Connect with us• Take advantage of LinkedIns free tool for job recruitment or investigate the paid recruitment options• Secure your LinkedIn account by using two-step verication. Link to more information here
3 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDEINDUSTRY VS CONSUMER TWITTERWhat is the difference between the WGBC industry account and the Wines of British Columbia consumer account? This chart might help:@WineGrowersBC (Industry) @BCWine (Consumer)• CEO updates and industry news• Photos and tweets about industry events and new member announcements • Awards results, WGBC reports, member job postings• Article and blogs on topics important to industry and stakeholders• Member resources and information on how to take part in consumer or trade targeted campaigns• Updates on WGBC member portal resources including new training webinars, statistics, data, campaign assets and marketing collateral• Consumer-targeted programs and campaigns lead or sponsored by Wines of British Columbia• Photos and tweets about BC wine, geographical regions, events, virtual events, activities and contests to inspire consumers• Travel planning resources, education and information to equip consumers; ie Wines of BC Explorer App• Blog posts on timely topics of interest to engage consumers• Earned or sponsored media articles of high value to consumer audiences
4 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDETWITTER (INDUSTRY)@WineGrowersBCWine Growers British Columbia’s industry Twitter account continues to grow in audience reach and engagement since it launched just over two years ago. The channel communicates industry and trade news and works collaboratively with member wineries, wine partners, trade, industry and business stakeholders. Relevant and timely information is shared ranging from new member winery resources and programs, advocacy and policy updates, industry news and events, webinar training, to wine awards and member job postings. Here’s how you can work with and engage with WGBC’s industry account: • Follow @WineGrowersBC and retweet our tweets from your personal, business, corporate or industry accounts. Use hashtag #BCWine, secondary #CdnWine• Copy us on BC media coverage or winery accolades (e.g. your winery wins an award or is featured by a media outlet) by tagging @WineGrowersBC• Share photos from media, trade and other industry partners by tagging @WineGrowersBC• Copy us on any new job postings, exciting milestones or announcements about your winery• Tag us in a photo or retweet us with a comment (or quote tweet) to add your insights on positive industry news and to help strengthen our BC wine community voice• Locate timely relevant industry resources and tools, webinar replays, research and data from channels like YouTube, WGBC Weekly newsletters and access member exclusive content on WineBC.com/Industry through your member portal. Contact us for details• If you have a Twitter account, make sure to upgrade it to a Professional Business Account to enable professional category tagging, prole spotlights, and more• Secure your Twitter account with two-factor authentication and save the back-up code that Twitter provides you in a safe place. Note information link here
5 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDETWITTER (CONSUMER)@BCWineWine Growers British Columbia’s recently rebranded consumer Twitter account is now optimized for search and aligns to our central hashtag #BCWine to further grow audience and reach of close to 22,000. Every day we seek to engage with active and potential BC wine lovers and visitors, looking for ways to improve their experiences and connect them directly with our member wineries and tourism partners. We also regularly share photos and content from across the province to inspire visitors to come and explore our wine regions. A host of valuable content can be found and reshared on your own winery Twitter channels. We look forward to engaging with you! You can be a part of our online community and connect with consumers by doing the following:• Follow @BCWine and share your BC photos and tweets by tagging us and using hashtags #BCWine and #SwirlBC• Follow and search your winery conversations and search the hashtag #BCWine to nd photos, videos, contests and content ideas that you can share• Retweet with a comment (quote tweet) to add insights to our tweets that may be relevant to your wine region or online community• Add us to your conversation by tagging @BCWine. Respond to all visitors’ questions in comments and amplify all positive comments about your wines and winery• Look for opportunities to creatively engage with curious wine consumers and travel seekers using your genuine photos or short-form video; if we tag you in a conversation with a visitor, it means we think they could benet from your knowledge and expertise• If you have a Twitter account, make sure to upgrade it to a Professional Business Account to enable professional category tagging, prole spotlights, and Twitter shopping• Secure your Twitter account with two-factor authentication and save the back-up code that Twitter provides you in a safe place. Link to resource here
6 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDEFACEBOOKThe Wine Growers British Columbia’s recently rebranded Facebook page, found at Facebook.com/WinesofBC, has a growing loyal community of more than 38,300 who regularly enjoy engaging with BC wine on successes, trends, travel, contests and events. Our Facebook page regularly shares videos, photos, tourism news, facts on local wines and wine regions, wine and food pairings, harvest activities and national and international wine awards from our members. Facebook content is a mix of blog posts, partner content, campaigns and contests, paid sponsored media, and high-valued consumer-interest content.Participate in our community by doing the following: • Like us at Facebook.com/WinesofBC remember to like us both from your personal and business page• Copy us on posts from your Facebook page. Ensure @WinesofBC is part of your Facebook page conversations• Comment on, like and share posts directly from our page to help “Live The Brand”, share the message and conversation• Answer consumer questions that specically reference your winery or wines. We frequently tag WGBC members in our Facebook conversations to bring you into the discussion• Establish a crossposting relationship. Crossposting is a way to use videos across multiple pages. First, establish a crossposting relationship with us by following these instructions. Once we conrm the relationship, videos can be shared on your page and ours as new, valuable content• Explore Facebook’s virtual online events to see if it’s the right t for your business objectives• Market your winery and wines using Facebook’s Advertising Platform. Locate a tutorial here• Protect your brand! Note BC Winery Facebook Privacy Policy template and Facebook Moderation Policy template for member use• Reminder! Keep your Facebook Account and Business Ads Account safe and secure by following instructions here
7 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDEINSTAGRAMInstagram continues to be a dominant social media channel for reaching, engaging with and selling to Millennial and Generation Z audiences. (source: BusinessofApps)The Wine Growers British Columbia’s newly launched Instagram account @WinesofBC proles winery experiences, wines and story tellers, both novice and professional, including media, consumer and industry inuencers. Every day, we share inspiring photos of BC wine regions illustrating our place, people, premium wine products and programs. We curate from a #BCWine or #SwirlBC hashtag to enable consistent alignment to a “Living The Brand” community voice.Be part of our community and raise awareness by doing the following:• Follow us @WinesofBC. Like and comment on our Instagram content. Share our content with your audiences• Interact with users by commenting and sharing your wine knowledge and expertise. We will copy you in on any conversations in Instagram that mention your winery or wines• Always include #BCWine with #SwirlBC and copy @WinesofBC in your Instagram photos and videos so we can engage and support• Repost and engage with Instagram posts, reels, stories, and LIVE discussions that we tag you in. Note we archive key stories in case you missed anything• Learn how to best hashtag and use Instagram’s Algorithm to your advantage. A simple tutorial is available here• If you are looking for fresh content, consider reposting Instagram content from our channel and/or use WGBC seasonal campaign visual assets available in the WGBC members portal• Search for high resolution photos available on the WGBC Smugmug Photo Gallery here. Use keywords relevant to what you are looking for ex. ‘Okanagan Valley’, ‘Vineyard’ to browse photo options.• Dip your toe into using more Instagram LIVE broadcasts, IGTV long-form video, and Reels• If you are working with an inuencer, we suggest trying a collaboration Reel or contest to enable mutual amplication of content on both your feed and the inuencers.• Important! Follow Instagram’s instructions available here to keep your Instagram account safe and secure
8 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDEYOUTUBEYouTube is the world’s largest video sharing website. Wine Growers British Columbia is now investing in paid advertising across YouTube and is currently promoting and housing more than 100 videos. Viewer subscriptions continue to climb. You can make use of the videos and engage with our content in the following ways: • Subscribe to our YouTube channel here. Help us get to 500 subscribers• Take a couple of moments to look at the videos and video playlists featured • Note any videos of interest. Like or comment on the videos. Reshare the video on your Twitter or Facebook using the share link• Feature any of our videos on your website! Email us to receive the HTML video code that can be embedded in your own website or blog• Connect with us on any winery videos that you have posted to YouTube and we will consider adding them to the Wines of BC YouTube playlists• Take advantage of short clips or B-roll available on the WGBC Smugmug here• Note WGBC member newsletter updates with access to member training webinar playlists. Locate timely industry seminars from WGBC or industry partners, and Wine Growers Canada.
9 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDEPINTERESTWith a Global reach of 459 million, Wines of British Columbia’s Pinterest business platform launched in 2021. Pinterest’s nine million Canadian consumer audience is growing and is looking for creative ideas that include interesting food, beverage, and tourism experiences. Presently, Pinterest reports 215 million monthly searches in food and beverage alone, with 72% of weekly food and beverage pinners making a purchase based on branded food and beverage content.Today’s Wines of BC’s Pinterest channel is earning an average of 387,000 monthly views and continues to build engagement and following though creative posts and sponsored advertisements.Participate as part of our Pinterest community by doing the following:• If you are on Pinterest, follow our Wines of BC channel available here• Review our Pinterest boards, add a comment, like a Pin, or share Pins • Note and participate in WGBC member Pinterest campaign “call-outs” for full WGBC members; WGBC Pinterest campaigns will be promoted with digital marketing dollars. Opportunities communicated via email in our WGBC Weekly Update deployed every Thursday.• If you have a Pinterest business account already, or are interested in getting started, make sure to email us your account information, so we can follow and support your pins! Don’t forget to tag @WinesofBC in your pins!• Attend upcoming WGBC Webinar Training specic to Pinterest. Dates to be announced• Secure your Pinterest business account by using a strong password and two-factor authentication. Learn more
10 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDETIKTOKWines of British Columbia launched a TikTok business platform in late 2021. TikTok is the sixth most-used social media platform in the world, with 131 million active US users, 1 billion global active users, and more than 3.5 billion downloads. It is a social media platform that continues to grow and is here to stay.The estimated the number of brands using TikTok is expected to increase by 40% this year (source: Shopify). Social media users in the US spend an average of 38 minutes on TikTok every day compared to 35 minutes on Twitter and 31 minutes on Facebook (source: e-marketer). Furthermore, 49% of TikTok users have purchased products they have seen on the TikTok app, versus 41% for Facebook (source: BusinessofApps) TikTok attracts a younger and a slightly more female consumer audience. Roughly 44% of TikTok followers are aged 18 to 24 years with 32% of TikTok users falling between 25 to 34 years or the millennial age range. The remaining 35 to 55+ age range accounts for 23% of the total audience.Important to note, while TikTok’s advertising policies specically state a prohibition on wine, spirits, alcohol or any “alcohol culture”, there is alcohol content consistently shared and promoted across the channel. Beyond simply organic posting, the Wines of BC channel has seen growing successes in working with TikTok’s advertising platform specic to promoting inuencer content. We work with established inuencers on TikTok to reach a specic consumer audience target and then, additionally, promote the inuencers content via our Ads platform.How to start and work with Wines of BC’s TikTok channel:• If you are interested in starting a branded TikTok channel, access a beginners guide here with start-up link here• Follow our Wines of BC TikTok channel available here• Post short wine narratives similar to what you would share in Instagram stories or reels. Add music and note best practices here• If you are working with an inuencer who is creating a TikTok, make sure they follow TikTok’s Ad best practices, as ideally you may wish to put advertising dollars behind it via your TikTok business account• Learn how to promote a third-party TikTok inuencers content within your TikTok business advertising account using the inuencer’s ad authorization code• Participate in upcoming WGBC webinar training specic to TikTok. Dates to be announced
11 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDEKLEARWine Growers British Columbia utilizes Klear, an inuencer marketing campaign management platform, to help vet and identify genuine online social inuencers. Social media marketing “inuencers” can help to amplify the Wines of British Columbia brand, earning larger reach and engagement from segmented audiences that can sometimes be difcult to reach through traditional marketing or corporate social media channels.How to work with us:• Identify a few social media inuencers that you believe t your brand image and digital marketing objectives• Contact WGBC for a quick report on the inuencer’s reach, demographic and work experience with professional brands. The report will audit the inuencer’s social media channels to ensure audience following is real versus fake• Obtain advice from WGBC before negotiating rates and nalizing a contract for services• Reference WGBC inuencer protocol template to ensure professional conduct of your BC wine brand at all times
12 WINE GROWERS BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDETRACK PERFORMANCE AND PLAN FOR SUCCESSEach social media platform offers built-in insights on how your social content is performing. It is important to check-in and monitor social media posts regularly to see how your audience is responding. Track sentiment on posts, clicks to your website, and engagement numbers. Note when the best times are to post your content and observe how frequently you need to post to keep your audience present and engaged. There are helpful social media distribution platforms that also work to track, optimize, and analyze your content. Some of these platforms are free and others are paid. Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Later, are examples of social media distribution platforms that can help winery brands plan for success while offering data analysis, optimization, and reporting metrics for social media content. Question? Contact us. GOOGLE MY BUSINESSHarnessing the power of Google is critical for Wine Growers British Columbia members in communicating with consumers online. Consumers search Google to learn about your winery including reviews, operating hours, key contact information and more. Google is the most used search engine in the world earning more than 63,000 search queries each second.Optimizing your Google My Business search has never been more important to ensure visitors can nd your winery online and have the best experience possible. If you do not have a Google account for your business, please visit the link below to get started.• Get Started. How to Verify Your Business. Learn more• Latest Features at Google My Business. Visit• WGBC Video Tutorial. Optimize Your Business on Google Business. Watch tutorial