THE WSJ, Blogging & the Winery Vacuum
I received a quite a number of emails yesterday after Wark Communications and Fermentations were taken note of in the Wall Street Journal. Many of the emails were inquiries as to the extent to which maintaining this blog have increased business at Wark Communications. The dynamics by which Fermentations has led to an increase in clients and business is less clear than the fact that it has. But what occurred to me was the sheer lack of wineries that have taken up the use of the blog as a marketing tool.
Beaucastel has maintained an occasionally updated blog. The posts there are interesting, but the lack of commitment to regular updates makes it like too many other wine blogs: forgettable.
There is no question that a niche currently exists for a winery to take on the blogging world.
One of the first things I look for when I take on a new client is a vacuum; an honest positioning for that client that hasn’t been claimed by another winery. It’s not always easy to find. I’m not suggesting that a wine producer ought to strive to be known as the "Blogging Winery". However, were a winery to take up the challenge of daily blogging, letting the world into their world, seeing the inner workings (to an extent) of a working winery, there would be a great deal for that winery to gain in exposure and recognition and, I think, sales.
But it’s about time and commitment. I spend about 1 hour a day writing and researching for Fermentations. That’s a lot. I’ve basically had to add an extra hour to my day in order to make sure all commitments to clients are maintained. For a winery to do a good job blogging I’d guess something like a half hour a day would need to be dedicated to the project. Publishing it as a group blog would make it easier to maintain regular updates and take the burden off of one person. And it might be more interesting.
So I wonder. When will it happen? I hope soon. I’d like to read it.
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