Monday, February 27, 2012

YouTube's Impact on Jordan Vineyard & Winery From a Business Standpoint

My final installment of how Jordan Vineyard & Winery uses YouTube highlights its impact from a business standpoint.

Jordan Vineyard & Winery
How YouTube has impacted Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Reflecting on the impact YouTube has had on Jordan Vineyard & Winery, from a business standpoint, Lisa says, “It’s truly brought a face to the winery. Many faces, in fact. That’s so important to consumers nowadays. They really want to know the people behind the wines—and how the wines are grown, the events created, the recipes developed, etc. The videos have demonstrated our ability to be an established elegant winery of the 1970s and a modern, approachable brand.”

Friday, February 24, 2012

Why I Chose to Write Memoir

My inspiration for writing memoir.


I began writing memoir without realizing I was writing memoir. 
Memoir is often mistaken for autobiographies but it is, in fact, quite different.    According to Webster, memoir is “the story of a personal experience”.  This differs from autobiographies in that a memoir tells one story from your life while an autobiography tells the entire story of your life. 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Jordan Vineyard & Winery: A Proven YouTube Sensation!


There's more to this case study than just a history lesson. 

I asked Lisa Mattson, Communications Director for Jordan Vineyard & Winery, some engaging questions about her use of YouTube to connect with the social media world. 

Here is what she had to say about how they got started posting videos to YouTube and how they come up with the ideas for their widely enticing video collection:

Preserving Jordan’s traditions and people through timeless videos

Entering Jordan Vineyard & Winery, visitors are treated to a spectacular tree-lined drive.  Majestic Sycamore trees sway above as you make your way towards the winery.  Looking past these noble sentries, you just might catch a hint of what’s to come.  Once on the grounds, you will undoubtedly notice Jordan’s breathtaking vineyards.  With pristine vines atop rolling hills surrounded by nature’s raw, untouched beauty, the vineyard itself is a masterpiece.  Or, your eyes might feast upon the winery’s tasting room, reminiscent of French chateaux, with lush, green vines clinging to its walls.  What you won’t see, from the outside, is that Jordan Vineyard & Winery offers much more than your traditional winery.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Wine Country Captivates YouTube Viewers: Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Jordan Vineyard &Winery,
crafting award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon since 1972

How Jordan Vineyard & Winery preserves the land, and the people, that produce their wines 

My recent reintroduction to the euphoric experience found in a glass of wine has inspired me to expand my writing repertoire to the wine industry. 

Focusing on how the wine industry uses social media platforms to connect with their ever-expanding customer base, I began my journey with Jordan Vineyard & Winery, nestled in the heart of Sonoma's wine country.

Through my own independent research and an online interview with Lisa Mattson, Communication Director at Jordan Vineyard & Winery, I composed a case study, that I will share in a series of three blog posts, highlighting how she uses YouTube to share Jordan's unique culture of people and their crafts: Wine Country Captivates YouTube Viewers: Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Jordan Vineyard & Winery: A Proven YouTube Sensation!, and YouTube's Impact on Jordan Vineyard & Winery from a Business Standpoint

Here is a look at what makes Jordan Vineyard & Winery so special:

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

How Social Media is Impacting the Wine Industry

The Wine Industry and Social Media
My desire to marry my love of wine and my passion for writing has finally come to fruition. 

Currently in the process of crafting a whitepaper, that is looking more and more like it will be an eBook, I share how Social Media is being used in the wine industry.  In my search for vineyards and wineries who use Social Media, I found at least one to highlight for each of the following social networking platforms: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Blogging.

The journey has been a fruitful one, albeit long and arduous at times!  The people I have met and the resources I have discovered have proven to be worth all the time and energy thus far invested.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

How LinkedIn Became my Favorite Social Networking Site in 2011

LinkedIn Connections (photo credit)
I don't remember how I came upon Linkedin in 2011 but it has proven to be one of my most fruitful discoveries. 

While LinkedIn doesn't boast the vast number of users that Facebook does, with close to 800,000,000, nor is it accumulating near as many new users as Twitter does, at an astounding 500,000 per day, LinkedIn has seen exponential growth in its own right and proves to be the professional's top choice in social networking. 

Friday, December 23, 2011

My Failings as a Novelist: How NaNoWriMo helped me find my voice

Well, I gave it a shot but I fell short...45,000 words short, to be exact! 

That's right...this past November, I jumped on the NaNoWriMo bandwagon to celebrate National Novel Writing Month. 

I thought, "This is going to be my year!  I'm going to crank out the book that's going to make me millions, and I'm going to do it in one month!" 

I felt prepared; I had my novel idea in mind before I even signed up, I had brainstormed who my characters would be and how they would be introduced, and I set aside a daily chunk of time to devote to my novel writing.