By Tera Dacek
We caught up with Ben Bonnacio, social media marketing manager at Long Trail Brewing, to get his take on what’s trending in social media for craft beer brands. Here’s what he had to say.
What do you think is the one big new trend that has emerged for 2017 in social media?
I think that utilizing new social media tools to share more engaging, impactful stories will emerge as a big trend in the craft industry this year.
Tools such as Facebook and Instagram Live as well as Instagram and SnapChat Stories enable breweries to share up-to-the-minute updates and reach a high percentage of their overall audience—a feat that amidst an ever evolving landscape of algorithms and consumption habits is becoming increasingly difficult. Live video is typically ranked higher by Facebook than other types of posts, and going live on Instagram—while more ephemeral than the former—sends a push notification to all of an account’s followers encouraging viewership.
How important is the actual content behind live updates and stories?
Beyond impressive metrics, these types of updates allow breweries to showcase the talent and personality behind both their beer and their brand. In today’s saturated and competitive craft landscape, having a well articulated story to tell can help cut through the clutter and resonate with an increasingly more discerning audience where other content falls flat.
Beer is all about fun, and creating light, informative content with these tools instantly helps communicate the story of your brand with a broad, tuned-in, and socially-savvy audience.
-Tera Dacek is a consultant and freelance writer. She most recently worked as Marketing Manager for Alchemy and Science.
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