At the end of 2017, there were 6,372 breweries in the United States. That’s a lot of competition. With so many companies offering the same products as you, it’s imperative to have a smart marketing plan in place.
However, what happens if you have a tight budget? The good news is, this doesn’t mean you can’t compete. It just means you have to make every one of your marketing dollars count.
Interested and ready to learn more? If so, learn how to make the most of your marketing dollars and propel the growth of your brewery here.
Learn About Your Customers and How to Talk to Them
Always remember, your brewery is nothing without customers. This means you need to know who they are, what they are looking for and how to connect with them.
When you know who your customer is, you can figure out who your marketing to before you begin any campaigns. In the long run, this will help you save time and resources.
Develop Mutually Beneficial Partnerships in the Community
Craft breweries, especially the ones built around a neighborhood taproom have to build bridges in their local community – regardless of how the communities look.
By giving sincere support to other local businesses and developing partnerships within your community, you can grow your support. Once you have established a connection and support, you can use the information on social media and leverage it in your marketing mix.
Local businesses working together to “scratch” each other’s backs doesn’t cost anything – except a bit of time. When it comes to stretching your marketing dollars, this is an extremely effective strategy.
Find and Exploit a Specific Niche
There’s nothing wrong with creating and churning out middle-of-the-road, approachable beers. In fact, there are countless breweries that make a living doing this. If you do, that’s great. However, regardless of how successful your mediocre beers are, it never hurts to experiment.
If you create something amazing, you can raise your breweries profile, increase synergy present between the front and back of the house and even give your brewery a bit of padding when it comes to your marketing budget.
To effectively find a niche, canvas the local and distribution markets. Find out what other brewers are doing well with. What isn’t being done? What would you (and your customers) like to see done differently, or better?
Once you have answered these questions, have a strategy meeting with your brewing team to figure out how to make this happen. Do you have the ability to launch a sour program? Are you able to set aside the time and space to barrel-age your beers? Can you create fruit beers that aren’t reminiscent of cough syrup?
The fact is, just occupying a niche can help differentiate what you offer. In a space that’s becoming more competitive, it’s imperative you find a way to stand out. The good news is, if you need help with this, there are services such as Small Batch Standard that can help.
One of the best things about this effort is that it won’t cost you much money. You can experiment with what you already have on-hand.
Give Your Product Away
For most companies, it makes sense to give away branded swag. You get attention immediately. However, in most cases, branded swag either winds up in the trash, or the back of a closet.
A better option is free beer – yes – free beer. Talk about a memorable marketing effort!
If you want to market your product without spending too much, then use the tips here. They will pay off in the long run.