Today I'd like to encourage you to make sharing your company's values on social media a part of your regular content.

I will argue that one of the reasons some wineries are getting pushback when they make statements in support of Black Lives Matter and diversity in the wine industry, is because they rarely (if ever) share their values publicly.

Before we dive into this though, I first want to encourage you to gather your staff and discuss what your company values actually are, because if your employees don't know where you stand on important issues like diversity, inclusion, and the environment, then you will have a challenging time putting that message out into the world.

So, why should we be concerned with sharing our values publicly?

By sharing our social and environmental values regularly on social media, in our emails, and in our actions, we tell our audiences not only what we stand for but what to expect from us.

Additionally, more and more people are voting with their dollars. In fact, a 2017 study shows that 87% of consumers state that they would purchase a product based solely on the brand's values. 

Literally, people will support you if you are open about the causes YOU support.

Now that you know WHY you should share your values on social media, HOW do you do this regularly?

Make posting about these things part of your content categories: I talked about content categories in a previous email which you can read here, but the idea is to create a list of 9-12 topics you can cycle through for your content. Some of my values that I've included in my content categories are supporting women in wine and diversity in general, as well as sustainability.

Tell more stories:  As I've said in a blog post you can read here: Humans are drawn to stories naturally. So, including your values in relatable stories is a high impact way of building connections with your audience. Bonus, it also makes you more approachable.

Make it a Habit: Finally, reread this email about how to make social media a habit.  The more practice you have at sharing your values, the easier it will get and the better you will be at doing it.  You'll get better at responding to the naysayers, and eventually, those assholes will see themselves out, making room for the audience you really want.

Listen, it's not enough to simply share your values on social media.
You must also ACT on those values. Here are a few ways you can do that:

1. Set up recurring donations to organizations that are in alignment with your values.
2. Look internally: are you implementing the practices that you preach? Are you encouraging diversity in your hiring practices? Are you using recyclable or reusable materials in your tasting room?
3. Look at the experience you're offering: Are you making sure EVERYONE feels welcome in your tasting room? Are you giving diversity and inclusion training to your staff?