4 Tips on How to Move Forward With Your Brewery Startup

Getting into the craft beer brewing business is an exciting and potentially lucrative step to take, especially if you have a passion for the industry and are eager to achieve success within it.

Of course you will not get far if you know what next steps to take after you have overcome the initial obstacle of actually producing beer in the first place. With that in mind, here are some tips and facts to keep in mind to help your brewery gain that all-important initial momentum.

In the current climate, it makes sense to look into shipping beer sooner rather than later. You should do this not only to connect with customers far and wide, but also to shore up your business for the long term and allow it to survive even if issues impact demand in specific regions and markets.

You might need to ship beer yourself at first, although as your volumes grow it could be better to work with a dedicated logistics firm so that your products can be distributed as efficiently as possible.

Another shipping-related consideration relates to how you store, transport and serve the beer. Kegs may be the best for selling to bars and pubs, while restaurants and retailers may prefer bottles and cans. There are costs and benefits to each, so weigh your options carefully and avoid over-committing if you do not have the budget to spare.

Whether or not you are intending to sell your craft beer directly to customers online in the short term, every brewery needs a website to act as its digital calling card. Without one, not only will it be harder for people to find out information about your firm, but your brand could also suffer, as a website is seen as a bare minimum requirement.

A similar state of affairs now exists from a social media perspective. Even if it will take time to generate any traction on popular social platforms, it is better to get started as soon as possible, creating accounts that will help you to engage with prospective customers and keep loyal ones updated about the progress your business is making.

Mastering these digital marketing opportunities is often the most affordable way to spread the word about your brewery after it is up and running, so do not neglect your site or your socials.

We have touched on brand building already, but another important point for craft beer businesses to bear in mind is that the identity that your company exudes not only needs to chime with your personal values and ethos, but also to be consistent.

What this means is that you need to develop and use the same tone across the copy and marketing materials you produce, from what you write on your product labels to what you post online. You also need to keep things consistent from a visual perspective, such as by picking a color scheme to represent your brand, and getting a logo designed which can be attached to everything you do.

Finally, remember that authenticity is incredibly important as an asset in the craft beer scene, and customers will want to get something different from you as compared to what they could buy elsewhere from more mainstream brewers.

This is quite a nebulous piece of advice, but is nevertheless important to remember as you take the next steps with your brewery, as losing sight of it could take the magic out of running a craft beer company.