Napa biz gets friendly with social media

Tuesday's "Future Marketers Social Media Workshop" brought several of the stars of internet influence to the Napa Valley Marriott. Hear what some local attendees had to say afterward.

Some of the most influential people in today's online social media stepped from behind their screen names to take part in an all-day workshop at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa Tuesday.

A mostly-Napa crowd listened and tweeted during multimedia presentations by internet luminaries including @Elizabeth – Elizabeth Weil of Twitter – @BenParr of Mashable and branding expert @RickBakas, a former Napa sommelier who produced the event known as the Future Marketers Social Media Workshop (#FMSMW).

Among the advice dispensed by the experts:

“Email still works and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise … The customers are on the web. The customers want to be engaged.” (Parr)

“Weave your Twitter presence throughout your online and offline strategies. I love it when I get a grocery receipt that says ‘Follow us on Twitter.’” (Weil)

“I would love to see some of you embedding video in email.” (Bakas)

Although the workshop was aimed largely at the wine industry, it attracted Napans from a host of enterprises. Our video includes interviews with several Napa networkers who attended the workshop: Katherine Zimmer of the Napa Chamber of Commerce, Ian Stanley of youth nonprofit V.O.I.C.E.S. and publicist Lisa Adams Walter.

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