Make your vineyard stand out online

Over the past decade, the number of English and Welsh vineyards has grown dramatically – and so has the competition for attention, meaning every producer now needs a strong digital presence.

But for many vineyards, marketing still feels secondary to winemaking. Websites are beautifully designed, but confusing to navigate. Social media feeds are full of great photography, but attract the wrong audience – usually wine lovers from the other side of the world, rather than potential vineyard visitors or buyers down the road. So let’s start with the foundation: your website.

Make online visitors feel welcome

A great website is about making visitors feel welcome, curious, and confident about where to go next. Within three seconds of landing on your homepage, a visitor should be able to answer three questions:

• Where are you?
• What do you offer?
• How can I visit or buy wine?

It sounds simple, but it’s surprising how many websites bury those details behind scrolling banners and clever taglines. Ask yourself who your visitors really are and what they’re looking for. Are they tourists, or locals?

You will need to provide clear directions, tour availability, opening hours, and an obvious ‘Book now’ button. Trade buyers, however, will be looking for quick access to technical sheets, pricing, and contact details. Meanwhile, wine lovers will appreciate an easy-to-use online shop with transparent delivery options. Each page should serve a purpose: to inform, inspire, or invite action.

That means no forgotten ‘About us’ page last updated in 2018, and no half-finished event calendar. Instead, you need to make sure you:

• Use high-quality images that feel personal and current
• Add a mailing-list sign-up (preferably linked to an incentive such as early release access)
• Include subtle calls to action throughout, such as ‘Book your tour’, Discover our wines’, ‘Join our next vineyard walk’.

Remember – your website doesn’t need to win design awards. It just needs to work.

Turning followers into visitors

A good website is your digital cellar door. Social media is the conversation that leads people there. Yet many vineyards treat it as an afterthought – a few harvest posts, a bottle shot at Christmas, then silence until the next event.

Social media can build connection, loyalty, and most importantly, footfall. But success isn’t about big numbers. It’s about relevance. A thousand local followers will always be more valuable than 10,000 international ones who will never set foot on your estate. Use your location to your advantage:

• Join local Facebook groups and community pages
• Use regional keywords naturally in all your copy (e.g. Sussex Wine, Kent Vineyard)
• Collaborate with nearby hospitality businesses, tourism boards, or farm shops.

When your posts reach people who can actually visit, your marketing starts to matter.

Match the message to the platform

Each social channel plays a different role, and you don’t need them all.

Instagram is ideal for storytelling. Share behind-the-scenes images of pruning, harvest, blending, and life on the estate.

Facebook is where your community lives. It’s the best place to promote events, tastings, and seasonal updates and to share content into local groups. Respond to comments, tag local businesses, and post consistently rather than constantly.

LinkedIn is your trade and collaboration network. Perfect for sharing business milestones, awards, or hospitality partnerships, and for connecting with distributors, retailers, and tourism professionals.

TikTok and newer platforms can be effective if they fit your brand personality, but don’t chase trends. Go where your audience spends time, not where everyone else is posting.

Promote diversifications with purpose

Many vineyards now offer more than wine – from weddings and festivals to glamping and fine dining. Each of these attracts a different audience, so your social strategy should adapt.

• Weddings – Collaborate with local venues, photographers and florists. Tag them. Share romantic imagery rather than product shots
• Camping or glamping – Highlight the landscape, sunrise views, and local attractions
• Music events or food festivals – Focus on atmosphere, people, and behind-the-scenes stories, then follow up with practical details and ticket links.

Treat each diversification as its own mini brand, but always link back to your core story: the vineyard.

Encourage real-world action

Calls to action, such as ‘Book a tasting this weekend’; or ‘Join our mailing list for early release dates’ should be added naturally within your captions. Think of them as invitations, not instructions.

And when people engage, reply. Social media is the modern version of chatting in the tasting room. The more personal you make it, the more people will remember you.

Practical tips for building a relevant audience:

• Stay consistent – Posting once a month won’t keep you front-of-mind. Choose a rhythm you can sustain, even one quality post a week
• Plan ahead – Use your vineyard calendar as your content planner. Budburst, harvest, events, wine releases are all natural storytelling anchors
• Be authentic – Audiences connect with people, not logos. Introduce your team, share real photos, and tell stories in your own words
• Test and learn – Review which posts or campaigns lead to bookings or sales. If something works, repeat it. If it doesn’t, refine it
• Encourage reviews – Visitors trust other visitors. Ask happy customers to tag your vineyard or share their experience online.

When your website is easy to navigate, when your social media speaks to the right people, and when your marketing runs in rhythm with your seasons, the results are tangible: More visitors, better margins, and a business that feels sustainable year after year.

ABOUT OUR EXPERT

Michelle Knight is a certified business strategist and marketing specialist with 18 years’ experience in business systems and marketing.

After qualifying with a BSc Viticulture & Oenology, Michelle founded English Wine Pro Ltd, to help vineyards across the UK develop structured, sustainable marketing strategies through her Master of Marketing Wine programme and consultancy services.

For more informations visit the English Wine Pro Ltd website.

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