Trying to market your wine or beer company through social media can be challenging, especially because each platform has a different set of rules around promoting alcohol brands. The good news is that social media can absolutely boost sales for alcohol brands if done correctly. In this post, we’ll outline the benefits of using social media to market your brand, share the best strategies for reaching a wide audience, and showcase brands that are crushing the social media game.

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Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Alcohol Brands

Below are some of the major benefits of social media marketing, culminating in higher sales. 

Increased Brand Awareness

Instagram alone has over two billion users as of December 2021, with Facebook and TikTok not far behind. Getting in front of these audiences is now more important than ever, especially as users are spending large amounts of time scrolling through these platforms. 

The best part about social media is that it allows you to reach audiences and generate leads you wouldn’t normally have access to. The much-sought-after viral status of content can potentially generate thousands of new followers, who in turn convert to leads and eventually customers. Simply getting your company name out into the world and creating a positive association with your brand can have folks reaching for your product the next time they go to the store.

Increased Customer Loyalty and Brand Advocacy

Making engaging content that encourages users to interact can absolutely boost customer loyalty. Likes are nice, but comments and shares are the true pillars of audience engagement. Creating polls, posing questions to your followers, and even hosting giveaways all cultivate a conversation between your brand and your followers. Don’t forget to reply to comments and messages to keep the conversation going. Creating a branded hashtag allows customers the opportunity to both tag your company and add the hashtag to their post, creating user-generated content that you can share with your wider audience.

Competitive Analysis

You can easily compare your strategies with that of your competitors and adjacent companies through social media. You’ll have visibility to new products they’re promoting, their level of engagement with their audience, and overarching campaigns they’re running. Take note of what’s working for them and see if you can improve on their strategy. Alternatively, look for gaps in their strategies and content so you can fill those gaps through your social media page.

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Social Media Marketing Strategies that Boost Sales

Check out these proven social media marketing strategies to boost sales for your alcohol brand.

Announce Events, Collaborations, and Product Launches

Sharing information about events, sales, and more on social media is a great way to reach a wide audience. Hosting events like trivia and bingo can bring new customers to your location, and a post on social media is the best way to get the word out. Inviting food trucks to your establishment also draws in new business, especially when hosting food trucks with unique menus. Most food truck businesses also have social media profiles that they post to when traveling to different locations, meaning they’ll share your business’s page with their followers.

Social media is also a perfect place to announce new product launches and limited edition beer or wine. Generating hype leading up to the release of the new product can influence more people to visit your location or order the product online.

Share Behind-The-Scenes Content

Connect with your followers by sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes content with them. The best part about this strategy is that you don’t need fancy equipment to make good content. Most current smartphones have high-resolution cameras that are more than capable of producing great videos, and you can rely on the built-in microphone or purchase an inexpensive lapel microphone for audio. 

Showcase your distilling process, walk through your wineries, share mesmerizing footage of canning, and more. If culture is an important part of your company, why not highlight some of the employees who make everything possible? Your followers will be more likely to purchase your products because they’ll feel more connected to your brand.

Host Giveaways

Giveaways are a fantastic social media marketing tool that draws a lot of attention to your page through comments, tags, and shares. Though giveaways for alcohol are prohibited on social media, you can still host contests and giveaways for other things. If you serve food at your winery or brewery, hosting a giveaway for a gift card or free dinner is sure to receive attention. If you don’t have a brick-and-mortar location, try giving away other merchandise like limited-edition wine or pint glasses, growlers, t-shirts, hats, and more. 

Utilize a Store Locator

Help potential customers find your product while they scroll by including a store locator in your linktree. Potential customers might feel compelled to try your product after a particularly engaging post, so you want them to quickly and easily find your product directly from the app they’re using. Add a store locator like Grappos to help customers find the closest store or retailer that has your product. 

Check out these top strategies to build brand awareness →

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Examples of Alcohol Brands Using Social Media Effectively

We scoured Instagram for some of the best social media accounts for beer and wine brands. Their follower counts speak for themselves. Take a page out of their books for a successful social media page for your own alcohol brand. 

[ yellow tail ]

[ yellow tail ] leans into their branding on their Instagram feed, utilizing their bright colors in every post to create a completely brand-immersed experience. [ yellow tail ] shares lifestyle-related content, showcasing folks relaxing by the pool or spending time with friends while enjoying a glass of their wine. Their Instagram feed is fun and relatable, cultivating positive and lighthearted associations with their brand.

Southern Growl

Southern Growl, located in Greenville, SC, was first known as a restaurant and taproom with a wide variety of offerings. Now, they brew their own proprietary beers and they’re amazing at it. What makes their Instagram successful is their commitment to consistency… and also mouthwatering shots of their special weekend burgers. Southern Growl’s beers seem to take the periphery in comparison to their food, but if you look closely, you’ll see they always include a recommended beer pairing with each dish. Clever.

Allagash Brewing Co.

With 166,000 followers, Allagash Brewing must be doing something right with their Instagram account. Their feed feels more like a lifestyle account than anything else, with shots showcasing the beautiful Maine landscape where they’re located. Peppered in between are posts announcing limited edition beers, taproom exclusives, event announcements, and more. The peaceful, feel-good vibes from their Instagram feed transfer to their brand, making audiences want to reach for an Allagash beer when it's time to relax.

Hudson Valley Brewery

Hudson Valley Brewery showcases beautiful beer can designs and videos of tantalizing pours on their Instagram feed. For lovers of graphic design and minimalism, their feed is a feast for the eyes. Though following the same cohesive format, each beer label is utterly unique and seems to tell a story. Great design is probably one of the most important factors when it comes to craft beer branding, and Hudson Valley has it down. Almost 90,000 people think so, too.

McBride Sisters Wine Company

The McBride Sisters Instagram feed is all about showcasing community and lifestyle. They frequently feature delicious brunch recipes paired with their wines for all occasions, and they’re eager to share and interact with posts from followers who try the McBride Sisters recipes or create their own. Following their page, followers get a strong sense of who Robin and Andréa are. These sisters are irresistible, authentic, and compelling, and have a legion of loyal followers because of that.

Frank Family Vineyards

Frank Family Vineyards is the epitome of the classic Napa Valley vineyard. Their Instagram highlights their commitment to tradition while also staying modern and relevant. Frank Family Vineyards shares details about exclusive events, behind-the-scenes videos of their bottling process and vineyard, and recommends food and wine pairings for all occasions. Frank Family Vineyards also makes sure to host giveaways and reference their wine club, prompting followers to join for exclusive offers and content.

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Cheers to New Followers

Marketing your wine or beer brand via social media is not only possible but also highly effective. Take inspiration from the brands featured and try your hand at social media marketing using the tips we shared. We guarantee you’ll see increased sales and greater customer engagement before you know it.

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