Treat Social Media Like a Yearbook
In which we learn to use our social media as a living archive rather than (only) a sales channel.
I've always been intrigued by the idea of using our social media platforms as a yearbook of sorts. A journal of what has happened, rather than (only) a place to sell wine.
I first started thinking about this “social media as a yearbook” thing a few years ago, when I wanted to look back at one of my clients' posts to see when their harvest started in 2022.
I then started thinking about how I've done this in my own personal life: seeing when my chickens started laying their eggs again after their annual molt (I swear, every year, they wait longer and longer, the freeloaders haven’t laid an egg for three months at this point), when I planted my first seeds of spring, and what my nephew looked like a year ago vs. now.
I wondered how we, as businesses, could be intentional about this.
So I started experimenting, and as it turns out, the posts that are documenting news/showing what we're up to often outperform almost every other post.
Examples of "Yearbook" Posts:
Here are some examples of posts I've seen wineries make (and that I've made for my clients) that help document the year:
Tablas Creek's documenting a new (to them) farming technique: crimp rolling. And this time, they documented running their sheep across the creek to shelter.
Foxen Winery sharing the first harvest of their newest vineyard source, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Or, on a more serious note, when they were giving updates on the Lake Fire.
Brave & Maiden's 99 Point Wine in 2023. Obviously, this was a really big deal for them, so we wanted to share that news with our followers ASAP. And highlighting a new team member.
Joseph Jewell's wine at a White House lunch. Regardless of your political affiliations, having your wine poured at a state-sponsored gathering is a big deal. Now they can look back on it!
My own post documenting my first day of harvest in 2024 and my first day of harvest in 2025.
There’s something to be said for documenting things like a journalist. Good journalism is about observation and record-keeping as much as news reporting. It answers the question, objectively, of “what is happening right now?”
When we document our seasons like this, we are essentially creating a public archive of our work, and showing a pattern over time: How harvest shifts every year, how our teams grow and evolve, and how challenges are met or wins are celebrated. It builds trust and authority with our community in a way that we simply cannot achieve when we are posting bottle porn and food pairings all the time (not saying there isn’t a time and a place for those things, but… we can do better).
In short, you may already be keeping these records privately, but why not share them with your fans as well? Years from now, these posts will serve as reference points for both you and your audience. They are things you can point back to during releases and anniversaries, or even difficult seasons.
Wine already asks people to think in years. Your social media can reflect that.
Writing is thirsty work. Buy me a beverage! (Disclaimer: Funds may also go towards purchasing film for my cameras and the occasional breakfast burrito.) Thank you for supporting my work here!