To kick off my blog, I want to revisit an article by Brandon Hernandez in vol. 40 of The New Brewer. When I first read it, I couldn’t help but reflect on a lot of social media pages that are viewed daily and would benefit from following a few of these tips. I know social media isn’t easy; you can even raise the question: does it really work? I prefer to think if used correctly, you can use social media to benefit you in every aspect. Social media should not be used as a highway billboard, but more so as a futuristic billboard that you can use to interact with your audience. Here are four quick tips breweries can use to interact with their social media presence:
- Upcoming beer releases should always be posted. Your audience should be aware of what you are planning to release so they can be ready to participate. On draft, in cans, or bottles, your audience should be aware.
- Don’t use the same photo over and over again. With social media, people are logging on to see what’s new, what’s exciting. If you are posting the same thing week after week, you are going against the grain. It’s okay to post the same thing in a different way, using a different photo, etc., but you’re doing yourself a disservice by posting the same photo/content weekly.
- Your audience wants to know about who you collaborate with. It could be another brewery, business, non-profit, or even an individual. This is another piece of content you can use for posts to your social media channels. Who you collaborate with, when the collaboration is released, and any information leading up to the release are all valid and reasonable posts.
- Existing beers should always be recycled in new ways. One post about a beer is not the end-all-be-all. Find new ways to post about existing beers you have in your lineup that are currently or will be available in the future.
I advise reading the article in full as it has some great tips and ideas to help fill your taproom. There are always more things that can be done or if these changes have been made, it may be time to consider how it’s done or what form of media is being used. Be sure to measure your campaigns to see how your progress is coming along as well.
If you ever need assistance with digital content, be sure to send an email to marc@visualsbywest.com.