If you're using Facebook to promote your winery, you'll be able to get a vanity URL for your Facebook pages on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 9:01 PM on Friday, June 12th. Here's a good explanation of the details.
Basically, this allows a winery to have a URL (Web address) for their profile that looks like
http://www.facebook.com/Acme.Winery
instead of the standard geeky numeric URL that Facebook has always used.
Go to http://www.facebook.com/username/ at the appointed time to get your vanity URL (it currently displays a countdown timer, and links to more information).
IMPORTANT UPDATE 2009-06-10: As JDinNapa points out in the comments below, if you didn't have a Facebook page as of 5/31, you can't get a vanity URL for that page:
If you signed up for a Facebook Page after May 31 or a user profile after today at 3 p.m. EDT, you may not be able to sign up for a username immediately because of steps we've taken to prevent abuse or "squatting" on names.
There are protections for copyright holders. More info at the Facebook blog and Username FAQ.
I shared in your excitement about vanity URLs, ready to procure them for my initial SocMed clients. The fine print throws a wrench into the gears. A winery (any business) must have had a Page published prior to 5/31/09, AND have at least 1000 fans. I believe these requirements will be dropped after the initial onslaught subsides. Note that the field is wide-open for personal profile vanity URLs. Those of you with trademarked names can protect them here: http://tinyurl.com/mep9sx.
Posted by: JDinNapa | June 10, 2009 at 07:56 AM
arggg! I'll be flying at that time... I hope I can still get a few of the good ones on saturday!
Posted by: dave | June 10, 2009 at 01:55 PM