I’ve made some assumptions lately about this space: the blogosphere, the “internets” and social networks. Those assumptions were that if you are here, you inherently “get” something about their value, their longevity and their impact on the paradigm shift that information, socializing and all media are currently going through right now. I was wrong. There are people in this space who are clearly confused, dabbling or deconstructing the value system we in this space are creating.
Social Media/Networks as applied to the wine industry have been my focus for nearly 18 months. Essential facts and stats to base your pursuit of online presence for the wine industry (blogging, marketing or any other industry you enjoy) follow here:
There are over 200,000,000 blogs. According to Time Magazine (Oct 13, 2007, yeah, that printed news source), social networking sites are officially more popular than porn sites. And according to Brian Solis, Social Media “is only going to become more pervasive and as such become a critical factor in the success or failure of any business.” from The Social Media Manifesto.
Traditional Advertising and Media are enduring either a long slow death or an increasingly short, quick one. They have been for awhile. If you don’t already know this, you are stuck in the 20th century and haven’t been introduced to TiVo, PayPal, or facebook. Either way, traditional advertising is going the way of the dodo bird. Whatever takes its place will be…different.
The Blogosphere: Blogs are becoming (and replacing) a significant portion, though not all, of our favorite printed materials including magazines, periodicals, tabloids, pamphlets, catalogs, fliers, books, letters, etc. As such, they also have a similar range in scope, authorship, quality, purpose and audience. Tom Wark offers an insightful statement about the status of blogging, “What once was legitimately considered a fringe endeavor should really be understood as mainstream today.” Likewise, Steve Heimoff agrees: “But I do believe that WineDiverGirl is on to something when she says “wine bloggers are here to stay” and wineries need to engage them.”
Word of Mouth (aka WOM): “‘Word-of-mouth’ the most powerful selling tool…78% of consumers say they trust the recommendation of other consumers.” – Nielsen, Trust in Advertising, 2007 Global Consumer Survey Report. Bloggers are part of the WOM chain online who like to talk about what they learn, what they like and what they love.
The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow. ” Bill Gates
Lenn Thompson offers a spark of insight here with “…just remember that every blogger blogs for a different reason. That’s their choice.” (from the comments section here.) I don’t expect that there will be a guidebook of rules for (wine) bloggers, nor do I believe there needs to be. The debate and conversation is healthy for our new and quickly growing industry. And I am sure that bloggers who offer content of value (intellectual, entertainment, information or otherwise) will find readership if they choose.
I write this blog from my own independent perspective. I currently work at a wine sales and marketing company. I am not, however, paid or influenced in any way in regards to the content of this blog or to write this blog. I like wine, beer, vodka and an occasional Pimm’s cup. I am female, a mom, caucasian and have a whole slew of other influences from the Doors to Keith Olberman. You can find out more about those influencecs here.
As you mentioned “the debate and conversation is healthy for our new and quickly growing industry”
Despite the fact that things seem to move at light speed in our modern world, our ability to process information, to understand concepts and appreciate novel and innovative ideas remains somewhat static.
Early adopters make up a very small portion of this changing place we are in.
It’s going to take patience, understanding and guidance (like some aspects of child-rearing) before the general public, no, scratch that . . .
before the information industry “gets it”.
The general public may find that this new age suddenly is on them with very little warning. Sure they can read about it in TIME but until it hits them in their homes it’s just happening to someone or somewhere else.
Maybe something like . . . “After 130 years, the daily rag of this city is shutting down after tomorrow’s publication”
Or that kind of catastrophic social incident (CSI).
One mistake to make is to think that all of this is internet driven “stuff” is inherently different. It’s not. For example, word of mouth has ALWAYS been the most powerful selling “tool” (as if you could reliably wield it as such), no doubt for thousands of years – even back when word spread in the marketplace which tent had the freshest oranges. I could probably find a similar analogy for social networks in general, but it’s late. I bet you get the idea.
The big difference is the amplifier has changed – from the printing press, to the telegraph, telephone, radio, TV, and now the internet. Word of mouth and social interaction travel louder and faster than ever before. It’s still the same human beans talking about the same kinds of things – who has the freshest oranges, cheapest gas, best widget, lousiest service, whatever. We all have our perspective, what we care about.
The title of this post hits the nail: Listening. The challenge is to listen effectively as the signal and noise both get louder.
This has been an excellent series of posts. Thank you.
Thank you…anyone posting comments or following the conversation, (or debate), the invaluable piece, so easy to forget, is the listening part. I like that about wine: it reminds me to listen. Besides, I can’t talk while sipping🙂
I certainly agree that blogs are important and becoming a force to be reckoned with but I have yet to see many statistics that actually confirm their impact. Especially in regards to their “replacing” magazines.
In 2007, 715 new magazines were launched, substantially higher than in 1991. In addition, overall magazine readership has increased 5% in the last four years. If blogs were replacing magazines, we should not be seeing such an increase in magazine readership. Magazines won’t be disappearing anytime soon.
Now newspapers are not doing as well, with a decreasing readership of 3-5%. They are the media that appears most vulnerable to the existence of online sources.
And as for Word of Mouth, some of the latest research into consumer buying behavior seems to indicate WOM has much less impact than people think. Surveys and focus groups like Nielsen fail to accurately predict consumer behavior. Check the new book “Buyology” by Martin Lindstrom for research into neuroscience and marketing. 90% of our buying behavior is actually unconscious.
Consider these states from Buyology. In 2007, corporations spent about $12 billion on market research in the US alone. That does not include the expenses involved in marketing an actual product, which are about $117 billion. These are huge amounts but does all that money lead to beneficial results? Most of the time it does not. Eight out of ten new product launches fail within the first three months. So much for all their market research.
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[…] We all know from experience that once you get the bug, whether it was from wine, biking, politics or just connecting with your family, you get hooked. And that is the addiction I am pushing: an electronic connection with others that broadens our social circle and our filter for information. We all know that amazing things happen when we do that here, on twitter, blogging, on facebook, wherever. But it takes time. It can be frustrating. It can be very slow going….and it must be one of the primary pursuits of any company working to thrive online. So I approach my co-workers with the suggestion that they pursue what they love to do in real life…and find a place that fits in with that passion online. Whatever your passions, professional or personal, there are groups, social networks and loads of sites online where you can connect, learn, share and participate with other people who share your passion. It makes you an essential connector within your company; a powerful brand ambassador, and a socially knowledgable participant in what’s happening right now. It is another way to get an edge in your own marketability too. Just make sure you do it right. (And that is in several other blog posts!) […]
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