Brewery Marketing Ideas & Promotional Strategy Tips for 2024

The increase in home-brewing beer in the late 1970s led to a rise in microbreweries launching in the late 80s and early 90s. The craft beer industry has only continued to grow and according to the Brewers Association (opens in a new window), there are 9,761 craft breweries in the US. 

With so many existing brewing companies, your brand needs to stand out. Spreading brand awareness and marketing your brewery requires creative marketing efforts with both traditional and digital strategies. We’ve got tips for you to catch the attention of your target audience and turn them from potential customers to word-of-mouth advocates for your beer. 

Before Start Your Brewery Marketing Campaigns

You need to define your brand and marketing budget before you begin your marketing plans. Your brand identity is more than just your logo and labels, it’s the story behind your brand and the personality of your beer.

Then you need to ask yourself, who is my target audience? Your target audience may span different interests and demographics, for example:

• Craft beer enthusiasts who appreciate unique flavors and different brewing techniques
• Social drinkers who enjoy beer, but come for the atmosphere of the taproom
• Experience seekers like foodies who come to try new and different flavors and pairings
• Niche audiences like health-conscious consumers if you offer organic beers

to resonate with them After you define your target audience, you should also define your market segments to plan how to attract these new customers. What are the market segments for a brewery? Market segments for a brewery can include local residents, tourists, other bars and restaurants that will offer your beer, retail shops, and event planners that will buy your beer for their events. 

What is the difference between beer marketing and brewery marketing?

Beer marketing focuses on promoting a specific beer from your brewery’s product line. Most breweries have a flagship beer or two that stays on tap year-round, while new beers may come and go. Your beer company will have smaller promotions around promoting the individual beers that highlight flavors, ingredients, seasonality, and maybe even limited edition label designs from local artist collabs. 

Brewery marketing involves promoting the brewery and all of its products. This includes strategies to increase brand awareness, attract customers, and drive beer sales. Your brewery marketing strategy will encompass advertising, social media, events, collaborations, and direct consumer engagement.

Creating Your Brewery Marketing Strategy

To build awareness for your craft brewing business and to capture a larger market share of the projected $210.78 billion market (opens in a new window), you’ll need to plan a strategy that includes several marketing channels and creative ideas. From social media marketing to tasting room events, our marketing team at 4AllPromos has some ideas to get you started on your brewery marketing strategies.

1. Leverage Social Media

Over 80% of US adults use some sort of social media platform. Having a social media presence is necessary for a business that provides a social setting. Your social media marketing strategies should include high-quality visual content. Post photos and videos of your brewing process, beer products, and events.

What are some successful social media strategies for craft breweries? Take advantage of user-generated content (UGC)that your loyal customers post by re-sharing their images and videos on your pages when they tag you. Remember that social media is just that, social. Engagement and interaction with followers through comments, messages, and answering questions are important. This will encourage customers to share their experiences, tag your brewery, and signal to the algorithm that people want to see your posts.

You can boost your social media followers and engagement rate when you are first starting your pages with social media contests and giveaways. Your contests can include prizes like a complimentary growler or beers to go. This will encourage the winner to come to the brewery to pick a beer, take it home to share with friends and family, and put your beer in the glasses of more people. 

2. Host Events and Brewery Tours

Offer regular tours of your brewing facilities to educate customers about your brewing process and products. You’ll create a deeper connection with your audience and be more likely to create a loyal customer base with that personal relationship. 

After tours, it’s a great idea to offer tastings or beer flights so the visitors can try your beers too. Holding regular tasting events and food pairings can also be a way to attract higher-income foodies and beer enthusiasts to your taproom. 

You can expand your audience by hosting social events, live music, or festivals at your brewery. Comedy shows, trivia nights, and paint and sips are easy ways to draw in crowds and create a community atmosphere.

3. Engage with the Community

Summer is prime time for getting a booth at a street festival and selling your beer at carnivals or fairs. Participate in or sponsor local community events and charitable activities to build goodwill and brand recognition. Doing so will get your name in local newspapers, radio stations, and TV channels when they advertise the event. 

In addition the getting more attention, you’ll also build relationships with the people you plan on serving most. Getting to know faces and names will help create loyal patrons who willingly market for you by word of mouth. Make sure you stock up on promo giveaways when you head to events to give your prospects something to go home with. Koozies are a great choice and will help them keep your beers cold all day. 

4. Collaborate with Local Businesses and Artists

Partner with local restaurants, bars, and cafes to feature your beers on their menus. You can collaborate with other local brands for co-branded events or products, like limited-edition brews. This allows you to get your product into the hands of a customer base already loyal to a partner establishment. 

When you’re making limited edition brews, consider partnering with local artists for the labels, promotional glassware, and marketing designs. Working with local talent will make the beer easily recognizable on a shelf to catch the attention of shoppers. It also demonstrates a connection with the community to foster loyalty.

5. Participate in Beer Festivals and Competitions

Attend or sponsor local, regional, and national beer festivals to showcase your products. This type of festival will draw crowds that already have an interest in the product you make. Offer samples, merchandise, giveaways, and swag to make sure they remember your brand the next time they go out for a beer. 

Entering your beers into competitions will also bring attention to your brand. Winning or scoring high will gain recognition and awards, which can boost credibility and visibility. It’s also a great way to show your expertise in brewing. 

6. Create a Digital Marketing Strategy to Build a Strong Online Presence 

Outside of social media, you’ll want to also have other digital marketing channels working for you. A professional, user-friendly website with detailed information about your brewery, products, events, and online store is the foundation of your digital presence and how people will find you on search engines. 

Consider investing in local SEO to optimize your website for “near me” searches and people exploring on map apps. This will bring new customers to your site and brewery from organic clicks and pay for itself in the long run. Use keywords related to your brewery and beer types to jump ahead on the results page.

Email marketing is another great way to get your news, sales, and beer releases right in front of your existing customers. Collect email addresses through your website and events, or if you’re looking to build an email list, create a lead magnet or survey that exchanges information or lets them join a loyalty program for their email information. 

7. Sell Branded Merchandise

Sell branded merchandise like logo t-shirts, hats, glassware, and bottle openers to increase brand visibility. Visitors can pick up a souvenir when they visit and end up spreading awareness for your brand. 

At events or even at the taprooms, consider promotional items and giveaways of branded products like stickers or keychains. This lets the customer take something home and remember the experience and your beer. 

You can also use branded merchandise as a loyalty rewards program that encourages repeat business and spreads awareness for your brand. These items can range from low-cost promos like sunglasses and beanies to premium gifts like barware and coolers. 

8. Influencer Marketing and Sponsorships

Partner with local influencers and food and beverage bloggers who can reach your target audience. These professionals can create authentic content about your brewery and share it with the audiences they have that trust their recommendations. 

You can sponsor food and beverage events, adult beer league rec sports, or fundraisers too to get your name out there to an audience already interested in craft beer.  

9. Stay Up To Date On Latest Trends

In our fast-paced digital world, it’s important to stay current. What are the latest trends in craft brewery marketing? The latest trends in craft brewery marketing include:

• Sustainability - Highlight your eco-friendly practices and recyclable packaging. Look into earth-friendly materials like wheat straw for your can carriers and check our environmentally conscious apparel and promotional products too. 
• Health-conscious options - Offering low or no-alcohol options allows everyone to enjoy your product. You can also create low-calorie and organic beers.
• Digital and Accessible Experiences - Create online materials that walk people through tasting and online brewery tours. At your location, you can use accessibility apps and Bluetooth beacons like RightHear (opens in a new window) that make your space more friendly for visually impaired customers. 
• Storytelling - Share the story of each beer on the label, or hide “easter eggs” on the cans to make customers want to buy more to learn more.
• Limited-Edition Brews  - Limited-edition and seasonal brews to keep your offerings fresh and exciting. This is a great way to encourage customers to sign up for an email list because they’ll be the first to know about releases.
• Brewery Experiences - Offer unique experiences like brew-your-own-beer sessions or beer-making workshops.
• Beer Subscription Services - Offer monthly subscriptions for your beers. This will let customers never run out and give them the first chance to get their hands on a seasonal or limited beer. 
• Collaborative Brews - Create partnerships with other breweries or local businesses for special editions. If your state allows it, consider a CBD beer to hop on this trend. 

Brew Up Success for Your Brewery

With these tips and ideas, your in-house marketing manager can get started on brewing your marketing strategies. It’s a good idea to choose specific metrics to measure throughout the campaign to know if your strategies are working or if they need to be tweaked. 

Start your marketing efforts with an order of promotional products to boost your brewery’s visibility. 4AllPromos carries customizable beer glasses Belgian ales, pilsners, and steins for lager. We can also add your logo to pint glasses, pitchers, and growlers for your bar.

Shop our catalog to stock your taproom with branded bar essentials, promotional giveaways with your logo, and to create branded merchandise to sell in your establishment.

Sources

1. Brewers Association. (2022). National Beer Sales & Production Data. Brewers Association. https://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics-and-data/national-beer-stats/ (opens in a new window)
2. Fortune Business Insights. (2022, January). Craft Beer Market Share, Analysis | Global Industry Trends, 2020-2027. Www.fortunebusinessinsights.com. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/craft-beer-market-100736 (opens in a new window)