A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but a picture of Riesling with evocative copy that explains its provenance, the people who crafted it and the flavor it delivers in the glass is money in the bank for winemakers.

The bad news is, that copy needs to be created by the winery and disseminated on social media and its website. The good news is, wineries can farm that work out—and control when and how it is disseminated.

In an increasingly competitive and challenging market, selling through telling is becoming essential for a winery’s bottom line.

Hook Wine Lovers on Social Media

For many wineries, the best way to get in front of more eyeballs is on social media. Close to half (45%) of wine consumers use social media specifically for information about wines and wineries, and at this point, 75% of B2B marketers are using influencers to help them spread the word, according to a study conducted by Ogilvy.

While most wineries may not be able to afford a team of marketers to assemble pithy and engaging reels about their crackerjack team of cellar works and the merits of their Cabernet Franc, they are more than capable of crafting posts in-house, or farming the work out to trustworthy scribes and social media influencers.

Wanda Mann, the East Coast editor of The Somm Journal and Tasting Panel, and a board member of the Society of Wine Educators, wears many hats: as a journalist, educator, speaker and wine media consultant for hire.

Part of her mission, Mann explains, is to “taste wines but [also] to learn the story behind the wines so they will be inspired to purchase them or visit.”

Mann’s personal work focuses on Instagram, but she acknowledges that other sites, including TikTok, are becoming important. Mann recommends posting three to four times a week to gain traction. But posting just any static photos won’t get the job done.

“The algorithm favors videos, so try to post two per week, and supplement those with interesting photos,” she says. “Viewers are drawn to content that gives them a look behind the scenes and shows the personalities of the key people on the team.”

Think of social media as a calling card more than a direct sales channel though.

Beth Cotenoff, senior vice president at Teuwen Communications, a food, wine and spirits public relations and marketing agency, points out that social media works best—lest we forget—when it is inherently social, and not an overt bid for bucks.

“It’s essential to have a clear and genuine brand voice,” Cotenoff says. “And part of that is focusing on relationship building versus sales. Build your reputation, learn about your followers, engage and then convert them.”

With that in mind, Cotenoff recommends sharing promotional posts, ratings news or articles about the winery only once a week, and interspersed with other content that shares “different layers of your brand’s story in a range of formats, including stories, posts, reels and videos.”

In the end, a winery’s route to increasing sales from both industry and consumer buyers, is their website, so ensure that all social media roads lead there.

Sell Wine on the Website

Making sure it’s in top running order should be on every winery’s to-do list.

“I can’t even begin to explain how frustrating it is to visit an outdated and clunky winery website,” Mann says. “It should be easy to navigate and contain tiers of information that appeal to consumers, trade and media. Ultimately, the website is a selling tool and storytelling moves wine.”

Linda Pierro, president of the design and marketing studio Flint Media and co-founder of Hudson Valley Wine Magazine, agrees that whenever wine lovers and industry buyers want to learn more about a winery—often after being directed to them from social or traditional forms of media—they head straight to the website.

“The fact is, the ones with the most eye candy with the most up-to-date information get the most foot traffic,” she says. “And for members of the media and people in the industry, if it looks ad hoc, it doesn’t play well. There have to be updated sell sheets and accurate information on events.”

An attractive, accessible website that offers a good first impression is foundational. Cotenoff says that it should also be used as a tool to “reflect a winery’s essence and reinforce it.”

A basic website with essential bells and whistles should include a media and trade section with downloadable materials about the winery and its winegrowing and production practices, current release fact sheets and technical information.

Tasting notes and ratings, perhaps counter-intuitively, should not be the focus.

“Media and trade are looking for up-to-date data,” TK says. “It’s also important to show the people behind the wine, photos and creative bios. All of that personalizes a brand and helps create more human connection.”

That human connection will make them more likely to buy.

P.S. Make sure you have a where to find and buy section for those moments.