Rethinking Social Media: Building a Digital Marketing Mix That Drives Sales

Relying only on Instagram or Facebook posts is not a marketing plan. For many beverage brands, social media becomes the default strategy because it feels easy and free; however, it rarely delivers measurable results and is often a risky approach. Algorithms you don’t have control over manage these platforms, which means your reach and visibility can change overnight. If Instagram shut down tomorrow, how would you reach your customers? That’s why social media should never be the only pillar of your digital marketing plan.

In this session, we cover how to utilize social media for what it does best: visibility, storytelling, and engagement. However, the bulk of the time is spent on the overlooked tactics that actually drive sales. Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective tools you have, with a direct line to customers that no algorithm can take away. Local SEO ensures you’re discoverable when people are actively searching for places to visit or buy your products, while digital ads can be run strategically on small budgets to increase customer trial and repeat sales. Events, when supported with digital promotion before and after, create momentum that keeps customers engaged long after they leave your taproom. These tactics don’t just create impressions; they grow your brand in a measurable, sustainable way. They’re cost-effective, repeatable, and designed to build long-term customer relationships that keep your brand top of mind.

This session visits each tactic step by step, so even if you don’t have a marketing background, you’ll understand how to get started. Leave knowing how to choose the proper channels for your revenue streams, how to align them with your brand identity and target customer base, and how to measure success (in a non-overwhelming way) by the numbers that actually connect marketing to sales.

Learning Objectives:

Understand what social media can realistically achieve for craft beverage brands
Identify non-traditional digital channels to reach target audiences with purchase intent
Build a marketing mix that includes email, SEO, events, and ads
Match marketing channels to your brand identity and target customer base
Measure success using KPIs tied to revenue, not vanity engagement