Grow Your Craft Brewery with Digital Marketing

The craft brewery industry is booming. And with the massive growth this industry has seen in recent years, it’s more important than ever for craft breweries to have a standout digital presence and promote their brand across a variety of digital channels.

Every day, it seems like a new craft brewery pops up somewhere. I see them everywhere I go. Small towns, major cities, it doesn’t matter. And with all that competition, it’s becoming more challenging for your craft brewery brand to stand out.

With that in mind, this post will discuss the state of the craft brewery industry and provide tips on how to grow your craft brewery using digital marketing.

Craft breweries are popping up all over the country, and it doesn’t look like they are going away any time soon. According to a report by Statista, 9,118 craft breweries were operating in the US in 2021. That’s up from only 1,409 just 15 years earlier in 2006. The chart below shows the growth of craft breweries operating in the US from 2006 to 2021.

By percentages, that’s ridiculous growth in just 15 years. Not too many industries see that type of growth in a similar time period. And while this type of growth invites many newcomers into the market with lots of opportunities, eventually, the market becomes saturated, and you need to find ways to make your craft brewery brand stand out.

Digital Marketing Tips for Growing Your Microbrewery

With so many breweries vying for customers’ attention, you must leverage digital marketing to stand out from your competition.

Here are some tips for promoting your brewery online.Invest in SEO SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is one of the most important elements of digital marketing because it helps you show up on search engines like Google or Bing in front of people looking for a new craft brew to test out.

Optimizing your website content with keywords related to your business and ensuring that other websites link back to yours can improve your rankings and get more eyes on your website. Here are a few areas of SEO your brewery should focus on.

Keywords

Target keywords that go beyond just the basics.

“Craft brewery near me” is a good one, but you want to dig deeper. Craft brewery aficionados typically have refined, specific tastes, and they’ll search by specific types of beer. Optimize for terms like “craft brewed stout beer” or “locally brewed hefeweizen.”

You’ll also want to focus on long-tail keywords and more semantic searches to account for prospective patrons of your brewery searching for options on their mobile devices.

Google Business

Be sure to fully develop your Google Business profile (you can now use Google Maps to do that). If you have questions about Google Business, I suggest checking out my friend Corey Hinde and his crew at Good Oil Marketing. they are pros in this area.

Optimizing your profile is super important in showing up in local searches. Make sure to ask your breweries’ happy sippers for 5-star reviews. Ommegang Brewery does a great job of this, as you can see in the image above (mostly due to producing a stellar product!).

Optimize Your Website

When you create your website, create a simple, smooth user experience. Write fun, engaging copy that grabs your visitors’ attention and forges a connection with your brand.

Allagash, a brewery in Portland, Maine (and coincidently one my favorite craft breweries), does an excellent job of engaging visitors on its website.

With a scrolling home page, the brand sets up multiple CTAs (call-to-action) to engage its visitors and offer a little bit of something for everyone. If you’re building your brand’s website, look to this one for inspiration.

Great content and a solid user experience go a long way in boosting your SEO and promoting your site in the eyes of Google and other search engines.

Utilize Social Media

Social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter are excellent tools for getting the word out about your brewery. You can create content that showcases different aspects of your business (like behind-the-scenes videos or photos) to engage potential customers and build relationships with them over time.

Another great way to leverage social media is through user-generated content. Ask your followers to post about their experience with your craft brewery. This can add some social proof, and it helps you boost your content production.

Crooked Hammock Brewery does a great job engaging its audience on social media with user-generated content and other interactive posts. Here’s a recent one from over the holidays, but if you dig back through, you can find a lot of inspiration on their Facebook and Instagram.

Beyond organic posting, social media platforms also offer various paid advertising options so you can reach a larger audience quickly without breaking the bank. So, if you have a little leftover in your marketing budget, put some money behind your social media efforts.

Focus on Content Marketing

Content marketing allows you to build relationships with potential customers through informative content like blog posts, podcasts, or videos related to the craft beer industry or specific types of beers produced by your brewery.

This type of content is valuable because it provides potential customers with information about beer-making trends or new flavors available at your brewery — which could help convert them into loyal customers. J

umping back to the Allagash example. The craft brew brand has a great blog, offers how-to content, and even produces a podcast to connect with its audience. They’ve set up a “content kingdom” where they grab the attention of site visitors and keep them coming back for more.

Listen to the brand’s podcast From Maine, With Love: An Allagash Brewing Podcast.

Take note of the consistency with which Allagash publishes content, the variety of content types, and the engaging messages on the brand’s website. They clearly have a strategy in place, and it’s working.

Build Partnerships with Industry Professionals

Another great way to get more exposure for your craft brewery is to build partnerships with other professionals in the craft beer industry, such as brewers, distributors, or restaurant owners who serve craft beer.

These types of partnerships have several benefits; they give both parties access to each other’s customer base while increasing exposure for both businesses, leading to increased sales and profit margins for everyone involved.

Additionally, these relationships can be mutually beneficial when it comes to collaborations on special projects, such as brewing limited-edition beers or hosting joint events or promotions simultaneously at multiple locations.

Each brand will ultimately have amassed its social media following and digital presence. As partners, you can give the other party access to your audience, and they can give you access to their audience. Doing so gives a major bump in exposure for both sides.

What Do You Have Brewing for Your Digital Marketing?

Are you prepared to take advantage of this increasingly digital world and make your craft brewery stand out? With more consumers turning away from mass-produced beers in favor of craft brews, the demand for quality microbreweries continues to increase yearly, making now a great time to start or expand a brewery business.

However, if you really want your business to succeed, then having a solid digital presence is key – not only will it help attract new customers, but it will also give existing customers an easy way to stay connected with what’s going on at your craft brewery.

Utilizing some of these digital marketing strategies for craft breweries will help ensure you get maximum exposure for your beverages – so take advantage of them.

Anthony Gaenzle

Anthony is CEO and Founder of Gaenzle Marketing. He is a two-time published author and digital marketing influencer. He has helped brands both large and small grow and thrive across multiple industries through strategic marketing campaigns and leveraging a powerful network of influencers.

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