There are plenty of beer businesses, and the number continues to grow. Penetrating the market can therefore be challenging, especially for a new beer business. For many beer enthusiasts and home brewers, the idea of operating and owning a brewery is a dream come true. Among other reasons, it presents an opportunity for the creation of refined, creative, personal beer and share it with a broader audience.
Making a mark in the beer business can be challenging; however, it can be easy to accomplish with the right strategies. The first step is perfecting a craft, and this is an essential step in staying relevant. Satisfying customers and marketing through word of mouth is the first step, as it’s the small steps in day-to-day business that are important for ultimate growth.
Maintaining your brand consistently is vital to ensure that it reaches a broader audience, stands out from the crowd, and that the business becomes a choice. By following the steps outlined below, growing your beer business is not that difficult, after all.
Embrace Digital Marketing
With the revolution of technology, digital marketing has taken center stage as a marketing tool for business. One of the advantages of the digital market is attracting a large audience. The business dynamics have changed, and it’s no longer just about creating good products and services. The market already overflows with great beer- you need some way to attract attention and develop loyalty. If you want to improve your sales, you need to include digital marketing as part of your strategy. Digital marketing matters for any business because of the following reasons.
- Cheaper than traditional marketing
- Builds a reputation for your brand
- Has a more comprehensive outreach
- Levels the playing field
- Enhances ROI
- Boosts customers’ conversion rates
- Improves revenue
- Earns the trust of your customers
- One of the aspects of digital marketing is SEO; for a business to remain relevant in this day and age, you cannot ignore SEO.
SEO has been the backbone of large, small, and medium-sized enterprises. It builds trust and credibility as it establishes a strong foundation. Many beers and vape businesses have embraced SEO as the best way to understand the consumers and market shifts. Vape shop SEO increases the business visibility and searchability. In addition, SEO tells the business what customers want and need.
Have A Solid Business Plan
It would be best to consider various things to ensure the commercial and financial success of any business venture.
- The marketing of the beer business
- The different brew from your competitors
- How long your business will survive before it turns a profit
- The size of the operation and how it affects your utility costs, distribution logistics, amount of products, and the sourcing of ingredients and types of equipment.
Therefore, to kick start your beer business, you should have the below in your plan.
A responsible budget: An accountable budget allows you to know where to spend your money and save. When it comes to purchasing ingredients, products, and overhead, ensure that you have an idea of where the money is going, then be sure to track how you spent, after the fact.
Realistic goal: Having an actual plan is essential to make sure that you create realistic targets. Having realistic goals helps you organize and focus on actions that significantly impact your beer business. When you strive with specific goals, you have the direction for your long-term and short-term vision without straining your business’s success.
A contingency plan: As you start your beer business, ensure a security budget and a backup plan is in place. A contingency plan acts as a cushion for you in case of a hiccup in operating a new business.
Brand Identity
Owning and operating your own business has a lot of freedom as you can get creative as you want. One crucial step that can help grow your beer business is brand identity. It would be best if you accelerated an identity for your beer business that people can resonate with. You can start by creating a log for your business and creating something catchy, enticing, and unique to make it easier for people to remember your business. Remember: The craft beer field is crowded. You need something that will distinguish your brewery from local competitors.
The brand identity for your business needs to be at the top of customers’ minds whenever they think about beer. Avoid clutter and choose a simple brand name. Once you have selected a brand name, pick a color that stands out and stimulates customers towards your brand.
Brand Promotion
Brand promotion is another strategy that you can use to grow your beer business. You can use various ways to grow your business, such as glasses, umbrellas, coasters, signage, and creative and unique merchandising for your business products. In addition, cross-merchandising is essential for the beer business too. You can merchandise beer with value products such as gummies, for instance, for people to enjoy a beer with gummies.
Product Management
Endeavor to have a business-specified e-commerce website that you can effectively manage and grow your list of branded beer. A well-organized website by category is convenient for your growing business. When you have a robust e-commerce solution, it’s likely to yield noticeable placed orders. Also, having a website ensures that wholesalers, sales groups, and consumers have 24/7 access to your products, thereby saving you from time-consuming manual upkeep and maintenance.
Marketing events planning promotions, brand launches, and seasonal programs are critical for a beer business. These functions are essential for bringing your business to the audience and showcasing your products. Craft beer fans love new product and many will schedule a visit right away, when they know there is new beer ready to sample.
Stand Out From A Crowded Market
Depending on your business location, have proper prominently displayed branding to catch customers’ attention. Always present your most popular beer brands or the latest beer in the market. Display on stackers, corrugated risers, or shelve exhibits. Also, have vibrant, bold colors with readable wording.
Conclusion
Even small businesses make an impact when it comes to product marketing. As discussed, embracing digital marketing is essential for business growth. The traditional form of marking also plays a significant role, too. Things such as floor placement, ceiling danglers, sticky shelf takers, and window clings do matter, so don’t take these things lightly. The whole point is ensuring that the business is available to the broader market and stands out from the competitors. Follow the above advice, and you will be well on your way to a successful craft beer business.
I’m not really planning to go into the beer business but your tips are applicable to any type of business, actually, so they are certainly helpful.
I actually thought making beers is a very long process.. Although i have watched this series called “B Positive” where one of the main characterd decided to launch her own beer business. I think the bigger challenge is to establish your brand knowing that there are many competitors in the market. These are very useful tips. Digital marketing is seemingly a clever approach today knowing that everyone is engaged on social media. You could get your target audience more effectively in digital platforn. Thanks for sharing
These are good tips to enter any business. I know some homebrewers — I will forward this article in case they are trying to make a biz of it.
There are so many things to consider behind the scenes. I knew some of them but others, even though they make good sense, surprise me.
Great tips! Building a business is not as easy as it sounds and seems but your tips help tons to succeed. Thank you for sharing!
Great tips! I agree that solid marketing really helps. A good packaging also helps.
I know a few breweries here in Victoria and also struggling with their business during this pandemic. But since they got strong and loyal customers from the local scene, they manage to keep afloat and going.
Embracing digital marketing will surely take you places, as an individual and as a business, too. We just can’t keep doing business like our grandparents did! Great article.