Throughout the past few weeks I have talked to many people in the wine industry about the idea of hiring a social media staff member (be it a social media director, someone part time, or a social media person/administrative assistant) to help with social media marketing.  I have talked to people looking to hire, who were just hired themselves, outsiders and others like myself that teach people how to market brands through social media.

Great. 

The wine industry is 'getting it' ~ Wineries are getting that they can no longer ignore the power of Twitter and Facebook and that they need someone dedicated to connecting with people online.  I love it!  Hopefully no longer will my responses to certain wineries on Twitter go ignored.  

The problem?

Wineries can teach people about wine, but they are supposed to be hiring people who KNOW social media.  I have a feeling that this concept is foreign to some. Wineries adopted Twitter and Facebook last year, until they thought that it was too time consuming and that they need to have some sort of a strategy, now they are hiring social media people to help out.  Once again, still happy about this!

Another problem?

This doesn't mean that they should just hire any younger twentysomething that may have a lot of friends on Facebook. First and foremost, this is a marketing job.  There is some sort of a science to what we are doing here...  By hiring someone who doesn’t know what they are doing (I will add here, in some cases, not all) and having the expectation that they will magically just start selling wine is unrealistic.

Social Media is about connecting with your consumers. Just like in the tasting room…. You wouldn’t have your staff automatically welcome people into the tasting room by asking if you want to be a part of the wine club… 

Think of your social media person as another part of the tasting room staff.  You want to hire the best and brightest as well as people that are passionate about wine.  But they also have to fit the requirements (i.e., able to lift 50lbs, be over 21, be friendly, etc.).


Some random thoughts of mine:

1. Proof they have a following.  Check Twitter interactions and their pull (aka Klout.on Twitter), check RT's that they have in their Twitter stream, as well as RT's of their messages from other people and the difference between sending links/messages vs. actual communication).   The key here is to find someone that is connecting with people in a REAL way, not just having conversations or just broadcasting messages. 

2. Facebook - What Pages are they fans of?  Do they know how to hiding embarrassing pictures of them at a house party (I am not saying they don't have them, just that they know how to hide them from the general viewing public)?  Do they connect with others that could be useful to your winery (aka not just old high school friends)?

3. Proof that they see social media as a marketing tool.  Social Media Marketing is about connecting and getting a message across, not just talking about drinking, or even just thanking people who RT you.   People can be taught wine knowledge, but usually this person is hired to teach the marketing team about social media.  They should know what bit.ly is, use Tweetdeck, always be reading Mashable (or other social media blog).  They should know how to measure the messages and promotions they are sending out (or at least know how to find the right tools).

4. BE SOCIAL IN PERSON - Part of all of this is meeting up with consumers in person.  A good social media person is personable in real life (IRL) too.  You have no idea how many people are not....

5. Be up to date on the latest social craze (Yes, in this instance -- They should know what Foursquare is and how it can help wineries) and have some sort of a smart phone (yes, in this instance, I think they should have an iphone).

6. Have that special SOMETHING.  Something that makes people remember them! 

These are just some thoughts that are at the top of my head... Something I felt I needed to get off my chest.  

A social media hire should be someone who can be behind a computer and in the tasting room, someone who can be social both on and offline, someone who knows what they are doing...  

This is essential, because by NOT hiring someone who is all of these things, then my guess is that wineries will just assume social media doesn’t work and abandon it for good.   I am living proof that social media works… Just ask me why.


Cheers.

+Shana.