As we approach the quieter weeks at year’s end, digital marketers and e-commerce leaders at luxury wineries have a unique opportunity. This period slows down for you and transitions to the period where the customer service and logistics teams work their magic. These last five weeks of the year can be a time to review this last year and build out next year’s strategy and plan. Let’s explore how you can leverage this time effectively, transforming it into a springboard for a dynamic 2024.
Take Advantage of Downtime for Strategic Planning
Reflect on the year’s achievements and challenges. Analyze what campaigns and strategies resonated with your audience and where there’s room for improvement. Take a look at trends and dig a little deeper by bucketing campaigns into broader types, for example; new releases, gifting campaigns, curated collections, and sale campaigns. Pro tip: Sometimes it is a good gut check when you realize that even though you may have sold 200 2-bottle gift sets with a beautiful box, you may have other campaigns with higher AOV or sold 6 and 12 bottle collections where 50 orders that unlocked higher revenue and margin. Take these learnings into 2024 strategy planning. That way, you can fine-tune your approach, ensuring your future campaigns are more impactful and aligned with your brand even more.
Create a Plan to Grow Wine Club Sign-ups on Your Website
One of the biggest opportunities and current gaps on most winery websites is creating a funnel to drive online wine club sign-ups. Most websites have a section with a drop down showing the benefits of the club and that’s it. They may get 1-5 online wine club sign ups per month in this passive way and think this is great. There is a whole lot more that should be done and you need to start to plan how product pages, email marketing, e-commerce offers, and customer journeys plant the seed to join the wine club. In addition, you should build out an onboarding process to welcome these new club members. Pro tip: If you don’t know where to start, please reach out and we can help get this built out for your winery.
Review Your Winery’s Digital Footprint
Consider blocking off an afternoon to take a closer look at your winery’s online presence and third-party business profiles. It’s important to review and refresh your listings on key platforms like Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and WineCountry on a quarterly basis. Ensuring that your winery is not only easily discoverable but has updated photos and messaging online is crucial for attracting new visitors. Pro tip: Dive into customer reviews on these platforms and copy and paste them into a document. These reviews are invaluable for understanding what aspects of your winery resonate most with your customers. You can also feed them into AI tools for further analysis and future use. By identifying bucketing the reviews into themes and choosing the best ones, you can strategically highlight them across all your digital channels, aligning your online presence with what your customers value most about their experience with your winery.
Embrace Generative AI in Your Marketing Strategy
The evolving landscape of digital marketing introduces powerful tools like generative AI. Consider how these innovative technologies can amplify your marketing efforts. From content creation to customer engagement, AI can be a great tool and assistant to help you craft bespoke marketing narratives for your winery. Stay tuned for upcoming offerings for AI workshops in the coming weeks.
Invest in Ongoing Learning and Skill Enhancement
The digital marketing realm is ever-changing. This quieter period is perfect for identifying skill gaps and planning for upskilling. Whether it’s the latest in social media trends, e-commerce innovations, or data analytics, continuous learning is key to maintaining your competitive edge.
Recharge and Renew
Remember, downtime is also crucial for rest and rejuvenation. If you are lucky enough to work in wine country, grab a coat and try to go for a walk among the vines. The intensity of marketing in the luxury wine industry demands periods of rest to maintain creativity and productivity. Use this time to recharge, returning in the new year with renewed energy and fresh ideas. Pro tip: Bring a pen and pad of paper on your walk and start to jot down questions you have or ideas you want to dive deeper into over the next few weeks and into next year.
This end-of-year period is an invaluable time for setting the stage for a successful 2024. From integrating cutting-edge AI tools into your strategy to focusing on team development and personal rejuvenation, each aspect plays a crucial role in your future success. We invite you to share: How are you planning to use this time to prepare for a prosperous new year?
Send us a quick note and let us know the topics you’d be interested in us covering in an upcoming workshop at brendan@digitalmarketingwine.com and good luck with your planning!
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