Craft Brewers Are Learning That Social Media Sites Can Help Them Get an Edge in the Brewing Market

The brewing market is booming! The popularity of craft breweries has steadily grown over the last decade and that is thanks to the unique marketing strategies each of these breweries used.

Different from the common Bud Light, Corona, Budweiser or Heineken, craft beers and IPAs touted unconventional names or crazy cover arts to stand out. These strategies were without fail in the mid 1990s which saw DogFish Head go form newcomer to a staple in the IPA community.

However, that was 20 years ago, and standing out in 2018 is a little more difficult given that there are over 6,000 breweries in the United States. Craft brewers and breweries are still showing off those odd designs and creative names, but that in itself doesn’t make them unique.

Edginess alone doesn’t quite cut it anymore in terms of brand strategy and connoisseurs of this particular craft will need to be sought out in different ways. That is where social media comes into play. Social media sites can help get the name of your craft beer on the screens of customers and local bars.

Now, using social media to promote a product is not a revolutionary idea, but if done the correct way, it can bring a new level of success to a local brewery. The key is understanding each platform and the way they work, such as Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm and the difference in tendencies between an avid Twitter user and Instagram user.

For instance, Facebook’s newsfeed does not work in chronological order. Someone who follows you may not see all the articles or pictures because it depends on how much they interact with your page. The more of your statuses they like or videos they watch, the more likely it is that they will see your post the first or second time around.

Since Facebook owns Instagram, a similar algorithm is used. Instagram’s timeline isn’t chronological either, but a follower is more likely to come across it within two days and it doesn’t have as much of a chance of getting completely lost, like on Facebook.

Besides regular posting of events on both Facebook and Instagram, it can be effective to do live videos and show either behind the scenes work, broadcast events, or even unveil new products. Building up posts promoting a live event will allow followers’ anticipation to grow and get more out of the brewery’s social accounts.

Twitter would be great for such promotional posts, and other things like quick updates and blog releases. Twitter can also be a great tool for day-to-day interactions with your followers. Building a social media presence can become a lot easier if the account they are following is known for responding back or even just having a relatively active profile.

One of the most important things about having a successful social profile, besides interacting with your customer base, is to get in contact with the local bars.

Showing off on Instagram is fine, but at the end of the day people need to try the product. Word of mouth is still powerful and if a release at a popular local bar goes well, the brewery can have an entire city or region asking for their beer.

Part of the appeal to craft beer is that it is something different from the mass-produced brands that have flooded every liquor store and bar. If a beer lover happens to “discover” your product, meaning your marketing strategies worked, they will feel proud to have found something worth telling their friends about, and ultimately form a foundation for your consumer base.

If you want to optimize your social media presence, make sure to contact the social media experts at Kraus Marketing today!