Every beer has a story.
It starts with an inspired brewer and soon becomes the tale of hops, mash and fermentation that culminates into the piece de resistance: a delicious craft beer. Some beer stories have roots in history; other stories are sparked by local happenings or ingredients. But with the first sip of a beer, you are partaking in just one part of a much larger, in-depth story.
Sharing these stories is part of the task of marketing a brewery. Marketing is, at its core, storytelling and inviting other people to be part of the tale. There are many ways to tell your brewery’s story, and it all comes down to content: written content, audio content and visual content. While the different types of content go hand-in-hand, quality visual content is essential to marketing to today’s New Consumer.
If one picture is equivalent to a thousand words, ask yourself: what are your pictures saying about your brewery?
Here are a few reasons why investing in professional photography is crucial for breweries.
Photos: So Hot Right Now
The craft beer world is a naturally engaging community. Everyone has an opinion on what makes for good beer and which breweries are bringing their A-games. In addition to the beer-infused chatter, there are many beer-focused events such as festivals and beer releases that populate our newsfeeds and conversations.
We are in the age of online content and social media, both of which are highly visual. Almost 90 million Americans are on Instagram, a social network that aims to grow more than 15% this year. Your fans are immersing themselves in beer culture online and on social media, so it pays to be visual: photos generate more engagement. Quality photos are a vital way to connect with your audience.
Images are key to your content marketing strategy as well. If you’re blogging (and we hope you are), research shows that readers were 80% more likely to read written content that included a quality image. Visuals are an important piece of a business’s storytelling strategy.
Quality Images: The Virtual Brewery Tour
Thanks to Instagram and Facebook, people want to connect more personally with brands and businesses. They don’t just want information: they want behind-the-scenes access. The instant gratification of the internet has users chomping at the bit for immediate access to authenticity.
Brewery tours are a draw for beer fans because tours give fans a chance to experience a brewery and its beer in person. They can see where the magic happens and who is facilitating the creation of one of their favorite drinks. Think of a flourishing Instagram account or engaging blog content that harnesses the power of beautiful pictures as a type of virtual brewery tour. Using quality images offers fans an authentic experience with your brand, but from the comfort of their homes.
Focus on What You Do Best: Beer
Your brewery is successful because you do beer, and you do it well. But a brewery is more than just the beer: it is packaging, distribution, events and for some, the addition of an eatery or brewpub. It takes delegating various tasks to the right people to make all the components of a brewery’s operations work together successfully: brewers do the brewing, chefs do the cooking, reps help expand the distribution area and promote events.
The same principal applies to the photography efforts of a brewery. While brewing really great beer may be your forte, marketing and photography may not. It’s important to know your limitations and when to outsource certain tasks. This allows you to do what you do best, while letting a professional photographer capture the essence of your business for the world to see.
If you’re ready to collaborate with a photographer to make your brewery stand out, get to know more about Dish Works’ professional photography services.
Dish Works’ team of professional food or drink brand bloggers is available to answer any content questions. Need help supplementing content? Just ask!
Photography: top, Ed Williams; middle, Kaboompics; bottom, Kaboompics