Guess who ranks first in Google Search for keywords like “White Claw carb.” Hint: It’s not White Claw. Learn how Maker Wine’s “stealth” SEO sets its content strategy apart.

Image credit: Maker Wine

Wine Folly dominates Google Search for many wine-related seed keywords. Here’s how they did it.

Image credit: WSET

Whatever you think of online wine club Winc’s business model and brand positioning, it’s difficult to dispute the quality of some of their marketing tactics. I received the following Father’s Day promo email from them earlier in the week, and it stands out for 6 key reasons.

In our consultations with wineries, importers and restaurants, we keep returning to the following 10 tools. Some of these might be new to you; others you likely already use. We’re also well aware that marketing budgets can be tight depending on the size of your operation, so the tools below also give you the most bang for your buck.

Do you drink wine that comes in a can? If you do, keep swilling. If you don’t, start with a chilled sparkling rosé from West + Wilder, a Santa Rosa, CA-based brand that needs to be on your radar screen. The founders, Kenny Rochford and Matt Allan, are my guests on Alignment in Action, and we cover such topics as what it was like to get started in cans, how the category has evolved, how they stay competitive now that the big companies have seen the potential, and why you should buy a can or ten if you care about sustainability. Probably the best show yet. Click Play.

John Garn is founder of ViewCraft, a Graton, CA-based firm that helps organizations, including wineries, become more sustainable. With more than 30 years of experience in the field, John had wide-ranging insights on how sustainability should be as much a culture as it is a way of safeguarding the environment. We also discussed how best to educate staff and customers on a business’s sustainability strategy, as well as how to market those efforts authentically.

Kevin Luther is founder, winemaker and chief marketer for Sacramento-based Voluptuary and Lucid Wines, two small but rapidly growing labels. Kevin is wildly creative, and his insights on how brands crystallize, how to connect with customers in an inundated world, and how to create engaging content that builds community, have much to teach us. Enjoy the conversation!

We’re incredibly excited to welcome Linzi Gay, GM of Clif Family Winery, to the podcast.

In the world of wine, few companies are as value-driven as Clif Family Winery in the Napa Valley. Founded by Gary and Kit Erickson, who also created Clif Bar, Clif Family Winery espouses 5 Aspirations that govern not just their culture but how they manage their bottom line.

Linzi and Peter discuss how the 5 Aspirations play out in the life of their business, as well as how wineries seeking to make more of a difference in the world around them can learn from their example.

Sending more emails isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if the strategy behind the increase is sound, but WineGlass also measured a decline in open rates as the year dragged on. (Their study ended on Sept. 30.) Another interesting insight is that while number of total orders per campaign grew in 2020, average order value plunged 24%.

With 2021 now upon us – and it doesn’t yet feel any different from 2020 – wine marketers must figure out how to undo this fatigue and keep their customers engaged. Here are 3 tips that will help reinvigorate your list.

Fast (fast.co) is one of (if not the) tech startup darling of 2020. Their mission could not be simpler: Create a one-click checkout solution that works across multiple online stores.

As noteworthy as their solution is their launch strategy, which is evolving into one of the most successful customer acquisition efforts this marketer has ever seen.

While I would love to see their solution implemented across the wine industry, their marketing prowess also deserves a closer look, and wineries should pay attention.

We’re incredibly excited to introduce Alignment in Action, our new podcast series.

Our first guest is Ed Feuchuk, General Manager of Farm Collective, a Napa Valley-based consortium that oversees Tank Garage Winery and James Cole Winery. Ed is a marketer who dares to be different, someone who has an acute understanding of his target audiences and an endless reserve of creative strategies to keep them engaged with his brands.