How to Attract More Millennials to Your Winery

Posted by wsinextgenonline on October 30th, 2019

Historically, baby boomers comprise the majority of wine purchases in the US. But as the tide changes and millennials develop more purchasing power, your focus as a winery should also expect to shift. The importance of understanding how to communicate with your focus market, appealing to them, and delivering what they want is imperative to your wine marketing growth. In short, you need to adapt your communication to attract more millennials to your winery – that includes taking advantage of social media marketing, modern web design, SEO tactics, and more.

By 2027, millennials are projected to surpass Gen X as the largest fine-wine-consuming demographic. Over the next seven years, a strategic move for your winery will be to focus on how to garner their attention, build their enthusiasm for your wine, and grow the emphasis on your winery experience. 

Here are tips on how to get millennials to come across your winery, and feel compelled to engage further:

Be on social media

Think social media is for friends, families, and trendy retail brands? Think again. According to the 2015 American Wine Survey, 84%of customers rely on Facebook as their most visited social media platform for finding a winery. Great social media marketing doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have 20k followers and thousands of likes on every photo. Simply start with what you have, which is consistently updating your social media with the latest events, photos, hours, news, and more. Let your winery be seen by the millennial eye, and showcase your best experience. 

After all, wine is an “experience good,” meaning consumers make their choice based on the opinions of friends and experts who help them decide which wine to purchase. Social media wine marketing means expanding your follower base, positive engagement, and trust.

Be easy to find online

Aside from social media, millennials will search on an engine like Google. Your site’s keywords, titles, content, and flow will have an impact on your SEO, or how well you show up in search results. Customers trust search engines to guide them towards which winery is best, meaning your site can benefit from intensive wine industry keyword research to climb the ranks. Having a website is important, but having a great website that is efficient, attractive, and effective is forward-thinking. Implementing great SEO is a major part of successful wine marketing.

Develop partnerships

If you don’t already align with millennials and would like to, partnerships are a great way to reach this market. Work with other brands or events to attract new crowds and further position your winery with what millennials enjoy. Even consider local “influencers,” or photographers who can showcase your space and your wine to their followers. 

Cater to market demand

Your varietals make your winery unique, but do keep in mind what the trends indicate. Rosés, red blends, pinot noirs, and sparkling wines are their preference. “Wine has got all the attributes that a millennial wants: They want to craft, they want clarity of ingredients,” says Rob McMillan, executive vice president and founder of Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division. “It is on the table if we start to market it.”

Make your winery digital-savvy and see what you can do more of to reach millennials. Contact WSI today for niche wine digital marketing.