You’ve brewed an amazing new beer. The hops are perfect, the malt tastes biblical and the ABV is spot on!
But who’s buying it?
It’s not washed through the public’s taste buds yet, so you can’t expect customers to pick it off the supermarket shelf or click to add it to their basket.
Selling a new beer is hard.
But I’ve got seven great marketing strategies for beer brands waiting for you to try below.
Marketing strategies for beer brands that get customers buying
You don’t need a six-figure budget to make people choose your brew over the 500 others staring at them.
All you need is to implement a strategy and implement it well:
One. Craft a brilliant brand story
People love a beer, but what really makes them buy it over and over isn’t just the taste, it’s the story you attach to it.
- Who brewed it?
- What town or county was it brewed in?
- What’s your brewery’s backstory?
- Is your beer inspired by local legends, quirky experiments or sustainable practices?
A little example of this might be that you (or the founder) went on a road trip across Belgium or Germany and were blown away by their wheat beers, inspiring you (or them) to create a truly incredible British wheat beer.
Customers love this stuff because it creates a story and adds personality to the brand, building trust and making them feel like you’re sharing a little secret.
Your story gives people a reason to choose your beer over someone else’s.
Two. Make your product packaging unmissable
Your customers will make a split-second decision in the supermarket aisle or on an online product page, so your packaging needs to make them stop and take notice, whether in person or online.
Packaging is your first impression, so:
- Use bold graphics
- Make the copy something people will be drawn into, make it funny or edgy
- Tell them what the flavour is like, a quick example, “A Crisp IPA that hits your taste buds with the force of a heavyweight boxer!“
- Make your recycling copy funny
- Include unexpected copy on the underside of the can or box
- Add QR codes linking to your website, landing page or discount
- Use on-pack vouchers through companies like Denny Bros
Packaging isn’t just decoration, it’s one of the most important parts of your marketing campaign.
Invest real time in it, as you have with your beer.
Three. Use your social platforms to the max!
Social media isn’t just about posting pretty beer photos. Ah, if only it were.
You need to create a community and engage with your followers in the same brand voice customers expect. Brewdog and Beavertown do this brilliantly. And even though they’re a supermarket, the sheer piss-take tone Aldi have on social media means their accounts get loads of likes, shares and followers.
So, try these out:
- Instagram: Share behind-the-scenes photos and Reels, talk about events and your latest seasonal beers
- TikTok: Make short, playful videos that stick in TikTok users’ minds and they’ll share the hell out of it
- Facebook: Here, go with event promotion, contests and targeted ads
- LinkedIn: Engage with people and brands, post videos under 60 seconds and post real stories about your staff, brand and brewery
Focus on engagement, respond to comments and keep the tone consistent with your usual brand voice across all social channels.
Four. Host experiences and events
People love experiences, but are you offering one?
You could:
- Run a tasting day or offer tours of your brewery
- Do a tap takeover at local bars
- Run an online tasting event, so people who can’t make it to you can join in with a tasting session
Experiences also give you loads of content to use on social media, and you can encourage attendees to post photos too. You get free marketing and people get even more interested when customers post about your drink or even.
Five. Collaborate and work with local businesses
Doesn’t matter if you’re a business in Manchester, Liverpool, London, Newcastle or Bruges. Collaborating with established local companies will help you reach new audiences and make a name for yourself with people who can walk through your door.
- Partner with local restaurants for special beer-pairing menus
- Collaborate with other craft breweries on limited-edition releases
- Work with community events or festivals
And send out press releases and do some local advertising to get more people interested.
These collaborations give you stories for social media and email campaigns, and can get you mentioned in local papers and on the radio.
Six. Optimise your website
Online visibility is gonna get you sales, even if you mostly sell in shops.
So, make sure your website:
- Clearly lists your beers, styles, ABV, tasting notes and where else to buy them.
- Has strong SEO, don’t be afraid to use terms like “Best IPA in [city]” or “craft beers near me“, people search this stuff, so get ranking for them
Remember, online content isn’t just for sales, it’s for building awareness and familiarity. Not everyone will buy straight away, so get yourself in front of people regularly so they get a taste for what you’re all about before they taste your drinks.
Seven. Use storytelling in your copy
Your copy — from the packaging and product descriptions to social posts and email campaigns — must be consistent, playful and aligned with your brand.
- Tasting notes should sound enticing and fun, like “Zesty grapefruit that kicks your taste buds into next week.”
- Social copy should encourage them to try your drink at the end of a tough week
- Product descriptions need to focus on the benefits and experience of necking your ale, not just a list of ingredients
Strong, consistent copy everywhere you have reinforces your brand identity and builds trust with your audience.
Now, go market your alcoholic and 0% beers
You’ve got seven marketing strategies for beer brands above, so get to work on them if there are any you’re missing.
Create a strategy that consistently combines storytelling, packaging and experiences, and you’re going to see an uplift in sales. Consumers are also ways for trying new beers, so give them a chance to know yours is an option for them
If you want help wpromoting or marketing your craft beer or brewery, work with a craft beer copywriter like me who can help write:
- Packaging copy
- Social media content
- Product descriptions
- press releases
- Emails
- Ads
- Website copy
And loads more to get your audience drooling over what you’re selling.
Get in touch and let’s chat to see if I’m the right fit for your brewery.
Until next time,
Matt
PS. If you want to learn more about craft beer copy, check out my articles, How witty descriptions can increase craft beer sales, How to write delicious food and drink descriptions and Creative copywriting for microbreweries: How to make your brewery stand out.
