New channels like Facebook and Twitter represent a change in the mediums through which we communicate. Ten years ago many vowed never to have a mobile phone, now it’s an integral part of the way we conduct business. In a few years time social media may well be viewed the same and Australian online audiences are among the world’s most active participants.

While setting up a presence on some of the key platforms is a good start, those brands who are successful, think holistically about social media and integrate with overall business/ marketing strategies.  They choose the tools they use strategically based on their set objectives and monitor the results knowing that some of the outcomes may be in fact intangible. Modern day marketing is all about relationships. Like cultivating a vine and producing an exceptional bottle of wine, these relationships take time to nurture and results won’t be immediate. Over time though, with a little care, that nurturing will pay dividends.

For wine businesses, this can be a daunting experience and taking advice from the experts about  where to start (and why) is hugely beneficial. This is where organisations such as Wine Comunicators of Australia (WCA) can play a role.  As part of its Annual Lecture Series, WCA is bringing one of the world’s leading social media experts Rick Bakas from Bakas Media (www.bakasmedia.com) to Australia to conduct lectures on social media and wine in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Addressing the topic “Not in new media in 2011, not in business in 2016”  Rick, a certified Sommelier and former Social Media Director at St Supery Winery in the Napa Valley will help explain the opportunities and give examples of building a wine brands via social platforms. Each of the lectures will be followed by a designated taste and tweet session (#WCATT) allowing a global audience to get involved and join in the conversations about Australian wines.

While in Australia, Rick will also be visiting a number of wine regions - Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley, Yarra Valley, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Margaret River. There will be a dedicated tweet ups with the USA for the Yarra, Barossa and Hunter Valley components of the trip. We encourage you to spread the word to your USA friends, distributors and colleagues and get them involved.

For more information and bookings visit http://blog.winecommunicators.com.au/ or www.winecommunicators.com.au  or contact WCA on 0488 441 290. Alternatively, follow on twitter @winecomaust or sign up for WCA facebook page www.facebook.com/winecommunicatorsaust

By Trish Barry
Committee Member of Wine Communicators of Australia (www.winecommunicators.com.au).