Wine blogs: does anybody read them?
Wednesday 14 July
We’re all busy blogging away about wine, tweeting and recommending our wines of the week, but are consumers taking any notice?
The answer appears to be no, according to new research published by Wine Intelligence
Its research has revealed that consumers find most of their information from the supermarket shelf. It is a sad day when Tesco shelf barker has more influence on what we drink than the likes of Oz Clarke. But, probably true.
While social networking is most popular among younger wine drinkers (those between 18 and 35), Wine Intelligence has found that their interaction on Facebook, and twitter et. al. is unlikely to be about anything to do with wine. In fact, just 1 in 10 UK regular wine drinkers use social networking sites for their wine guidance two times a week or more, and only 3 in 10 UK regular wine drinkers state that they have ever used social networking sites for this purpose.
This is a disappointing figure considering the popularity of social networking, and the vast number of wine blogs.
Social media is being touted as the new way to communicate with UK wine consumers but the evidence suggests there is still some way to go. Does the UK need a Gary Vaynerchuk to set the world alight? Perhaps.
I can’t find the specific research online. However, I can’t help wondering what proportion of ‘regular wine drinkers’ would read the wine column in their usual newspaper, let alone a specialist print publication such as Decanter.
Most of the wine drinkers I know are (unfortunately) driven by what they’ve liked previously, or offers in the supermarket.
- by Helen Hewitt
Yes it is disappointing that people who use social networking don’t read wine blogs.
But your only “perhaps” is that you need a Gary V. in the UK.
Why don’t the “vast numbers” of bloggers get together and make a united effort to contact these networkers?
You should stage a blogger’s wine tasting somewhere in the UK. Do one blog tasting a month in a different location throughout the UK.
Since all bloggers are already online and have the tools to communicate with these people, why not actually make the effort and do what you are supposed to do, communicate about wine with the consumer. You have to do it in the non-virtual way first, give them a tasting. Then you can ask them to pay attention to your writings. Maybe they will, if the tastings are good.
- by bobzaguy, Chicago
Just to prove folks are reading SOME blogs .... here’s a comment (c’mon everyone, leave a thought here too)
Interesting research. I have to dig it out and check the methodology, but it sounds a little suspect to me. You don’t need to check social media sites regularly for them to have an effect on your buying habits, surely? A single recommendation could conceivably change your future buying patterns.
As for “using social networking sites for this purpose”, I would also say that social media is, by its nature social, not simply an alternative search tool (although useful as one). If you got a wine recommendation (positive or negative) during a chat about, say, the World Cup, would that count?
Yes, we need more personalities online gaining a critical mass so that individual recommendations might register on the Nielsen-Richter scale ... but from these comments alone, I’m guessing that Wine Intelligence is missing the point.
- by Robert McIntosh (@thirstforwine)
I get about 200 hits a week, mostly from ‘real’ people rather than trade! All a bit accidental, not selling anything from the site, just trying to spread the word and encourage people to try something different.
- by Helen McGinn
Rebecca,
Is this Intelligence based on the U.K. consumer or does it take into account European trends?
- by Will Lyons, The Wall Street Journal Europe
Hi Will: This is Wine Intelligence research, announced today, based on the UK consumer. See you for that glass of wine in August?
Robert: thanks for reading - made it to my 300,000 hit this week after 14 months online so I reckon someone’s got to be reading our blogs. I agree that surveys are not watertight when it comes to gauging what people do or don’t do but it’s thrown up something interesting to debate, hasn’t it?!
- by Rebecca
I’ve seen some similar research here in Oz and social media/blogs don’t rank up at the top of the scale re. purchasing decisions. But I agree with other comments about this only being part of the story. Social media also allows wineries, wine shops, restaurants etc. to build and maintain crucial direct relationships with both consumers and online influencers. It is affecting the behaviour of ‘ambassadors’ out there in the market and as such can be powerful.
- by Dan Coward
I think Helen Hewitt’s point is well made. The consumers who buy from supremarkets (that is most consumers) really aren’t that bothered and if they can’t be bothered to read the reviews in the papers won’t engage with blogs or Twitter or Facebook.
That still leaves a number of consumers who do want to learn more and constant and increasing use of social media seems to work with them witness the other Helen’s impressive hit count.
Could more be done with this group? Probably but it all depends on how proactive you want to be or if you have an agenda which a producer obviously has.
In the meantime Rebecca keep up your excellent posts!
- by Colin Smith
On the Norwegian news to day: People in Norway are reading about wine, but not on social media. They read about wines in the newspapers, and the sale of wines that are described is increasing for period.
- by Sissel Bronken
Funny you should write this - I have just this minute UNfollowed Gary Vee. Most of his stuff is not about wine, and it just clogs my screen with useless posts.
- by Paul Tudor
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for this post, it’s certainly of keen interest to us all.
For what it’s worth, I’d actually debate whether 1 in 10 is even a poor result, to be honest.
There’s less benefit in obtaining 100% exposure to a market, that is completely unmotivated by your message, when you can get 1 in 10, who end up buying as a result of a wine blog.
We have to remember that BLOGS ARE FOUND BY PEOPLE WHO LOOK FOR THEM. Thus, your audience is far more focused on your message that the ‘This is no joke, you’re the 1 millionth visitor. Click here to claim your prize!’ crap that passes for effective communications these days.
For me, I’ll take 10% of a potential market that is influenced by my message anyday, over a 100% who couldn’t care less what’s being said. This is what we’re teaching these days in Dijon and we couldn’t be happier with how refreshing this message is for students.
Think about it: I only found you because I wanted to see your thoughts from a link I read at wineconversation.com….
Wine for thought!
Damien.
- by Damien Wilson
Guys, don’t use ‘hits’ as a traffic indicator - it’s really meaningless. Page views and unique users please.
A hit is whenever a file is downloaded from your site. Thus one visit from a person may generate 10 hits.
- by Jamie Goode