Many successful craft breweries agree.
We talked to Kelsey Roth, the General Manager at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company; Breanna Sieck, Head of Marketing & Creative at Lost Friend Brewing Company; and Paige Doerner, Marketing Coordinator at Roc Brewing Co. about the benefits of investing in social media marketing.
BOOST BRAND AWARENESS & CREATE EXCITEMENT
Social media has amplified the power of word-of-mouth advertising. People discover craft breweries on social media. And 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals.
“You can brew great beer, but if no one knows about it, what good is that?” said Kelsey Roth of Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company.
“When I have an opportunity to ask people how they found us, what brought them in today, social media is almost always the answer,” said Breanna Sieck of Lost Friend Brewing Company.
“It’s a first step that needs to happen somewhere. If you can make it positive and on social media then likes equal leads,” said Paige Doerner from Roc Brewing Co.
Photo Courtesy of Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company
BUILD COMMUNITY & MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Your customers want to feel connected to who you are and what you are doing. A lot of consumers choose craft beer because of the sense of community they have created. Building meaningful relationships with people takes some time, but it’s time well spent because relationships can grow into long-term loyalty.
“Craft breweries are not offering the most economical choice for drinking. What we offer is an experience. Your digital presence is how you build a relationship and trust with your guests (and future guests) so that they know what to expect when they walk in your doors.” said Breanna Sieck.
“When it comes time to make a decision about where to go, if you are top of mind, if you align with their beliefs and desires of who they want to be, that’s the decision they will make. It’s about creating the culture that they want to be a part of,” said Kelsey Roth.
Photo Courtesy of Lost Friend Brewing Company
GROW YOUR CUSTOMER BASE
Social media helps stay connected to your current customers. Plus, it introduces your brewery to new people, so you can grow your fan base.
“I very often will see people who haven’t been to the brewery before, but interact with us on social media, come into the brewery and then become our brand ambassadors by taking their own pictures. And we started that relationship in the digital arena,” said Paige Doerner.
“I’d say the tangible result of our efforts are these: More ears and eyeballs, and more loyalty/interest from those ears and eyeballs. When we speak, more people, AKA potential customers, hear/see it.” said Breanna Sieck.
Photo Courtesy of Lost Friend Brewing Company
SET YOURSELF UP FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS
A lot of breweries make the mistake of only focusing on converting a single social media post to more taproom sales. But if you’re constantly selling on social media, you’re missing out on more valuable opportunities. The value of social media marketing is much bigger than a single sales spike, successful release, or popular event.
“This month, Roc Brewing is re-opening to the public in partnership with a brand-new restaurant in the region, F.L.X. Wienery! All of the work that we’ve put into building a strong brand awareness in the community for Roc and an engaged social media audience has helped us to promote this opening and welcome the new restaurant into the Rochester culinary scene,” said Paige Doerner.
“I think it’s best to look at (social media) as an ongoing thing, creating the sense of brand culture. It’s about getting an inside window into what is going on at the brewery. People want to connect with the brands they like through social media and that helps them feel a sense of ownership” said Kelsey Roth.
“Your brewery’s marketing is what makes your guests feel like they’re ‘cool’ for supporting you, and that they’ve made a good choice when they sit down in your taproom. That feeling is what leads to them suggesting your brewery to others, wanting to wear your merch, and bringing in others with them for future visits. Making great beer and having a great environment are extremely important, but being able to share that with your customers outside of the taproom is vital to success,” said Breanna Sieck.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY?
If you want to build a community on social media, grow your customer base, and increase sales in your taproom, you need a solid social media strategy.
Whether you’re the owner, general manager, or marketing manager at your brewery, we can help you. We can create a #winning strategy for your brewery, and then we can train you and your in-house team on how to successfully execute it.