For many small wineries who want to grow their business, using social media more frequently is a big part of the equation. Still, we often find that more than a few wineries are unsure about posting too often, for fear of annoying their fans.
But think about that for a second. For anyone or anything that you’re a fan of, when was the last time you were annoyed by seeing their posts? As a fan of that person or business, it’s highly likely that you want to see them post relevant, meaningful content. It’s the same with fans of your winery.
As a people-focused winery, it’s your duty to fulfill your fans’ desires to keep in touch with you and see what you’re up to. The cost of not fulfilling that desire is the loss of those fans. That’s why many successful wineries post on Facebook regularly, and sometimes even multiple times a day.
So, can you post TOO MUCH? Well, yes, posting ten times a day is probably overkill, but it more depends on what it is you’re posting that causes fans to be annoyed. If your posts are spammy or too sales-focused, then you will indeed deter your fans from continuing to follow.
If you want to be sure not to annoy your fans, you should abide by these guidelines:
Keep It Varied
Variety is the spice of life, and monotony is sure to kill the romance between your winery and the customer. So to spice things up, post different kinds of content each time. Pictures of your vineyard are nice, but not when posted every day. Mix it up by adding in different content like a video, a question, a giveaway contest, or even a link to something else.
Tone Down The Sales Talk
Selling is fine, but don’t make yourself sound like a used car salesman. Urgent commands like “ORDER NOW” can turn off your audience. Moreover, while it’s alright to use Facebook to promote yourself, be sure not to overdo it. Practice variety as mentioned above, and buffer those kinds of posts so that 1 out of every 10 posts are promotional.
Go Easy On The Hashtags
You know that friend of yours who #always #hashtags #every #word? That’s truly annoying, and doesn’t serve any purpose. If you’re going to use a hashtag, it should be to engage in a conversation or to start a new one. For example, you could start a hashtag like #HiddenSpringsWineGiveaway and add that to a giveaway post to increase traction. You should refrain, however, from including other hashtags like #wine #giveaway #contest #wow #soawesome #imdrooling #lovemesomegrapes and so on.
The Magic Number
So just how often should you post on Facebook? Truthfully, there’s no magic formula for this. The best way to figure out how often to post is to test different amounts and see how that affects your followers’ engagement and follower gains/losses. You might try posting five times a day and find that people begin to unfollow you, and then try posting just once every four days and find that your posts aren’t getting seen or engaged with. If you can’t quite figure out what’s working and what isn’t, consider partnering with a social media management company.
Abiding by the rules above, you’ll be in great shape to not bother your fans at whatever rate you post. Make the content about them, not you, and encourage their participation when possible. You’ll find that not only will you have happy fans, but you’ll gain more as well.