How are the changes with Facebook affecting social media strategies for wineries? Do you have to use paid Facebook posts to get in front of your fans? Owner of Bauerhaus Design, Rebecca Ritz, answers a wine marketing question from Mike at Grafton Winery in our very first video answer.

Last month we asked for you to email us your wine marketing questions for your chance to wine a free copy of our Online Wine Marketing course for wineries and vineyards. We were so excited to receive so many great wine marketing questions. Each month we are going to answer a new question via video with tips you can use right away. This month we are answering:

How are the changes with Facebook affecting social media strategies for wineries? Do you have to do paid posts to get in front of your fans?
– Mike, Grafton Winery

 Highlights:

Since Facebook changed their algorithm many business owners have noticed that they used to get 30% likes for each post and now are only getting about 6% likes per post. That is a huge difference!

So, why is this happening?

Facebook released an explanation and stated that they’re not trying to force users into buying ads. Instead they say that the amount of content that is published to Facebook has dramatically risen. Facebook says the best way to show in feeds is to create good content. What does that mean? Let’s break it down into 3 tips you can do right now.

3 tips to get into your fan’s feed:

1. Post original content (not just sale info). We recommend an 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of your posts should be entertaining, engaging, or informative – and NOT about you. Share other people’s content such as the history of a certain grape, or funny wine illustrations. Post a favorite recipe with a wine pairing. Ask a question. Write a holiday message with no sales angle. Share relevant and interesting news stories. This approach enables you to build a relationship with your fans. Only 20% of your Facebook posts should be about your winery, where you talk about your wine brand story, your wines and any promotions you may have.

2. Use images with an external link. Many of our clients have seen an increase in likes by posting photos. Facebook gives priority to posts that include a link as well so make sure to include a URL when possible.

3. Post when your audience interacts the most. The easiest way to test this is to schedule similar content posts for different times during the day and then note the times you receive the most likes or shares. Think about when your audience is most likely to be online. Test posts before 9 am, between 1 – 4 pm, and after 9 pm. Review your Facebook analytics each month and adjust the times you post based on the engagement you see.

Do you have a wine marketing question?

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