Our Industry Relief chats have shed light on so many needs in craft communication, pandemic or not. One of those needs is technology. The social media revolution changed the ability of small business to reach vastly wider audiences. The pressure is on for marketers to reach the masses, and they need tools to make that happen. Here are the technology resources suggested by the savvy group of craft communicators we talk shop with each week.
STAY CONNECTED
Untappd — Untappd is a platform that allows craft beer enthusiasts to log and track beers that they’ve tried, and also a service for breweries to share what’s currently on tap. Users are also able to explore nearby breweries and bars, and also seek out recommendations based on what they’ve logged and rated.
TapHunter — TapHunter is your source to find craft beer, spirits, and more. You can discover the best local bars, restaurants, tasting rooms, and bottle shops around you and wherever you go and know what is on tap before you go. You can also follow your favorite locations, keep track and review of what you’ve tried, and look at what events are being hosted at your favorite spots. For businesses, TapHunter is currently offering two months free to promote your drink menus and keep your regulars connected. Details available here.
Twitch — Twitch is a streaming platform that has been growing in popularity that allows streamers to reach a wide audience on a variety of topics.
“Twitch has been a great way to stream to an audience with high quality video and audio.” — Cheyenne Richardson of Bonfire Brewing.Customized Craft Beer Programs — Customized Craft Beer Programs offers ideas to strengthen the connection you have with your guests by creating programs that fit your businesses and engages with individuals. As they say, “experience. entice. enlighten. engage. explore. enjoy.”
GET ORGANIZED
Asana — Asana is a platform that allows users to get their teams coordinated and stay organized. It’s a great tool for remote teams— especially given the current environment— to organize projects, shift priorities as needed, and stay on task.
Zapier — Zapier is a platform that helps users handle repetitive tasks in apps that individuals use in their day to day.
Lilypad — Lilypad is beverage alcohol sales platform designed specifically for the industry. It tracks activity management and execution, customer relationships, offers digital asset management, has a placement tracker, encourages collaboration and motivation, and cross tier communication. Their goal is to help you develop a stronger team, craft more connections, and drive more placements
“It has been game-changing in managing our sales pipeline, track communication with prospects & current accounts, and share action items w/ wholesalers. There’s a social & gamification element which has made it fun for my team (which greatly increases the adoption rate, IMO)” - Peter August of Karl Strauss Brewing CompanyAdobe Dimension — For those who work in design, Adobe Dimension allows you to mock up 3D content to help you better visualize what you’re designing, such as product mockups, packaging designs, spacial designs, and other creative work.
UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA GAME
IG Story School — This instructional video helps you unlock all the tips and tricks of posting Instagram Stories. It walks you through each level of posting, from changing the color of text to using the rewind effect, and many other tools to step up your Instagram story game.
Facebook for Business — Facebook for Business offers many self-paced, step-by-step tutorials that can help you build upon your digital marketing skills and improve upon your business’ social media.
Instagram for Business — Similar to Facebook for Business, Instagram for Business offers up-to-date news about what’s new with the platform as well as tips and best practices to get the most out of the platform.
What technology do you use to make it all happen? Tell us your craft marketing story— email us at karen@radcraftbeer.com.