This post is part of Think Kit, a community blogging project. Today's prompt: Choose Your Own Adventure. Take a pass on the prompts for a day. Write about whatever's on your mind.
It turns out writing a blog everyday from a predetermined prompt is extremely challenging. So in the spirit of "choosing my own adventure", I decided to write about two things I really love: beer and social media. I follow a handful of breweries on the various social channels, and their high quality of posts and effective strategies have really impressed me. For today’s blog I chose three of my favorite breweries and highlighted strategies that makes their social media so compelling.
OUTSIDE THE BOX & INTO THE KITCHEN
Founders Brewing Co.
Founders is a massively popular brewery out of Grand Rapids, MI. They are well represented throughout the Midwest, and their social following is quite large. With a huge fan base, the challenge that arises is the ability to engage followers outside of the common, “Hey, our beer is good – you should buy it.” They do a great job of building out their brand and engaging their fans in unique ways.
For this specific example, the brewery found a way to get their beer involved in cooking. This is an awesome recipe for kielbasa and Dirty Bastard sauerkraut (Dirty Bastard is the name of the beer), which looks delectable. Last month they posted another recipe for a chocolate porter tart. These strategies to expand the horizons of their followers will keep them coming back for more. Check out some more great recipes from Founders: foundersbrewing.com
ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN
Braxton Brewing Co.
The relatively new brewery out of Covington, KY, Braxton Brew Co, has seen tremendous success with their limited release beers and special events. After just 8 months of operation, Braxton held a block party that garnered foot traffic of 3500 people from the greater Cincinnati area! The main event at this party was the special release of their bourbon-barreled Imperial Stout, Dark Charge, with four delicious variations.
Leading up to the big day, Braxton excelled at building support by teasing their star product. The Instagram post above was shared just days before the block party. They truly mastered the art of sharing enough information without giving away all the details. I don’t know about you, but this post definitely makes me thirsty. This long-play strategy for a product release is one way to build some serious hype around your brand. Find out when the next Braxton event is here: braxtonbrewing.com
New year's resolution... Bike (and drink) more. Thanks to our friends @silca_velo this won… https://t.co/SkuN3mK1aC pic.twitter.com/JUvHMhRnOP
— Upland Brewing Co. (@UplandBrewCo) January 4, 2016LIVING THE UPLAND LIFE
Upland Brewing Co.
Some breweries exist because they want to just brew good beer. Smart breweries can turn their brand into a lifestyle. Upland Brewing Co, out of Bloomington, IN (Go Hoosiers!), have done a superb job of capturing what their company embodies through their social posts. The picture above is a road bike with a bottle opener built into the seat. Immediate I think of being out in the fresh air, cycling through the uplands (see what I did there?), and drinking a crisp Dragonfly IPA. These images and feelings epitomize how followers see the brand.
The ability to conjure these idealistic images is completely reflected throughout Upland’s social profiles. While impressive, it’s important to understand that this perception was not made over night. They also had to stick true to the core values of their company. You can’t fake this appearance on social media if that’s not actually what your company values! Check out more of Upland’s lifestyle here: uplandbeer.com
Thanks for checking out my blog! Best of luck in finding a brewery that inspires your social media or at least one with good beer. Cheers!