The 2024 Silicon Valley Bank Direct-to-Consumer Wine Survey report is out, and YAY, there has been a modest increase in tasting room traffic. But do you want more than modest results? We think so.
Here’s a little-known fact:
Your email campaigns can generate more physical tasting room traffic. If you want your winery to be the top destination for visitors in your wine region, you need to read all the way to the bottom and apply what you learn!
Welcome to the Email Mavens blog, the place for winery owners and marketing professionals who want to sell more wine online by sending better marketing emails.
We talk a lot about selling more wine online, but today we’re shifting gears to discuss a powerful strategy to boost physical traffic to your winery’s tasting room using online reviews.
reviews are so important
Let’s talk about that for a second.
When people search for places to visit in your wine region, Google reviews can significantly influence their decision. The more positive reviews you have, the higher your winery will rank in search results, making it more likely that visitors will choose your winery as their destination.
Google reviews also provide social proof, which is huge for the lurkers on your email list. They can increase your visibility and help you rank higher in search results.
How to get more reviews
Now that we know why Google reviews so important, let’s dive into how you can use email and other channels to get more of these valuable reviews:
1. Use email automation to follow up with visitors after they’ve visited your tasting room.
Send a friendly email thanking them for their visit and asking them for a review. Most people won’t go out of their way to share a review online unless it was exceptional or exceptionally awful. You have to make it easy for them to review your winery experience by including a direct link to your Google review page.
To get that link, you’ll need to know your Google Place ID. If you don’t already know it, HERE is a handy lookup tool that you can use to find your winery’s location. Then, copy and paste the Place ID after the equal sign in this URL string:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=
Once all these pieces are in place, you will have a link that you can send in your email campaigns that not only pulls up your Google business page but also opens the review popup.
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! 🍋
Armed with this link, you’re ready to go.
2. Ask for reviews in person after a great, positive interaction and an amazing tasting experience.
Maybe you even get someone to sign up for your wine club! Encourage your guests to leave a review.
3. Use social media.
Post reminders on your social platforms, encouraging your happiest visitors to share their experiences on Google.
Use your reviews
Once you’re getting all those reviews, you need to leverage them.
But a quick aside: When you start getting more reviews, it’s imperative that you respond to every review, positive or negative. Thank reviewers for their feedback and address any concerns. This shows potential visitors that you value customer input and that you are deeply committed to creating an exceptional, five-star review-worthy experience.
The next step is to share those positive reviews on your website and on social media. This provides social proof and encourages more visitors to leave their own reviews.
Remember, consistent efforts will yield consistent results. Make it a habit to ask for reviews and watch your Google ranking and tasting room traffic grow.
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Let’s quickly recap what you learned today to help grow your tasting room traffic:
- Request reviews through emails, both automated and dedicated.
- Request reviews through in-person interactions.
- Request reviews on social media.
- Leverage those reviews to boost your SEO by responding and by sharing them anywhere you can think of.
- Finally, make review requests a continuous strategy.
Now that you know better, you’ve got to do better. Follow the step-by-step tutorial we shared with you earlier to get your own Google review link. Incorporate it into a tasting room follow-up email campaign, start using it in some dedicated marketing emails and on social media, and watch your ranking soar!
At Email Mavens, we believe that every winery can sell more wine online by sending better marketing emails. But guess what? You can also send more people to your tasting room by requesting reviews! So use the strategies you learned today.
And until next week, keep pressing send on your next best email.
