10 Hashtags to Up Your Own Instagram Game
#[insert your city]beer, aka #sdbeer #[insertyourstate]beer, aka #ncbeer #craftbeer (8.7+ million posts) #craftbeerlife (274K+ posts) #beergeek (1.1 million+ posts) #craftbrewery (67K+ posts) #beertography (583K+ posts) #instabeer (2.1 million+ posts) #brewmaster (26K+ posts) #brewerylife (34K+ posts)
Instagram is an incredible tool for building a following, whether you’re a band, a real estate company or a brewery. The practically mandatory use of hashtags means that you’re automatically targeting people who care about that topic, so people that wouldn’t necessarily discover your brand on Facebook may stumble across your photo on Instagram. Instagram users are also highly engaged, with 60 percent logging in daily. Plus, engagement with brands is highest on Instagram, clocking in at “10 times higher than Facebook, 54 times higher than Pinterest, and 84 times higher than Twitter,” shares Brandwatch.com.
Of course, taking quality pictures and videos helps, but it’s also important to share photos that:
- Are posted in real time (or at least look like they are)
- Showcase your people and fans
- Share behind-the-scenes action
- Allow your brewery’s personality to shine through
To help on your quest for Instagram greatness, we’ve stalked the accounts of nine rising breweries that do a great job utilizing Instagram as a way to connect with their audience in a personal, fun and engaging way.
(MORE: 9 Breweries You Should be Following on Facebook)
Other Half Brewing | Brooklyn, NY
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJGJCstheWc/?taken-by=otherhalfnyc
What you can learn from @otherhalfnyc: They frequently use shots by professional photographer @thebeertrekker, and most of their content is crisp, well-lit and nicely shot.
Montauk Brewing Co. | Montauk, NY
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJte-7FDeGP/?taken-by=montaukbrewco
What you can learn from @montaukbrewco: This brewery shows off Montauk in a ton of their photos, showcasing their coastal life and awesome patio. You can almost smell the saltwater.
Hashtag smarts: You’ll find the hashtag #Montauk in almost all of their posts, integrating them in the community and further emphasizing their obvious love for where they work and live.
Monday Night Brewing | Atlanta
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEi41EFNNHJ/?taken-by=mondaynight
What you can learn from @mondaynight: Monday Night’s mantra is “Weekends are Overrated” and “Tie one on,” so you’ll see a lot of ties in the brewery and its marketing materials. That playful attitude stems into some fun pranks, like when they “tie-d” neighbor SweetWater for Earth Day. Themes are also good, and so is letting fans in on your sense of humor and shenanigans.
(MORE: Breweries Share Epic Employee Nicknames with CraftBeer.com)
Alpine Beer Co. | Alpine, CA
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBQywJXK6FJ/?taken-by=alpinebeerco
What you can learn from @alpinebeerco: In just 32 weeks, Alpine has amassed over 12,000 followers on Instagram by averaging 1.3 photos per week — not a bad return on time invested. They also set proper expectations on what their feed will feature in this first post: “beer releases, upcoming events, and world class brews.”
Asheville Brewing Co. | Asheville, NC
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKF7IfFhJ0k/?taken-by=ashevillebrewingco
What you can learn from @ashevillebrewingco: In a word: zany. ABC hasn’t met a meme, crazy image, or beer quote they don’t like. Their consistency in both tone and frequency (they usually post multiple times per day) keeps fans intrigued. Not every post is a hit, but they usually amass at least 50+ likes, with videos typically garnering 1,000+ views. Plus, curating content from other sources can be a great timesaver.
Short’s Brewing Company | Bellaire, MI
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ_sePCAOai/?taken-by=shortsbrewing
What you can learn from @shortsbrewing: Two things Short’s nails immediately: staking their own hashtag (#shortsbrew) and using the word “fearless” in their Instagram bio. Their pictures back up their word choice, with photos of skateboarding and bike tricks alongside these guys in pink tutus.
Hashtag smarts: #drinkmichiganbeer taps into statewide beer pride, and they use #lifeisshorts frequently, another nod to their personality.
Trillium Brewing | Boston, MA
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKDv6YHjOWP/?taken-by=trilliumbrewing
What you can learn from @trilliumbrewing: Trillium posts a lot of these artistic drawings to coincide with releases and announcing new beers on tap. That same attention to detail and eye for artistry shows up in many of their other posts.
How to take it to the next level: Trillium could add a descriptive bio and mix in varied content to attract even more followers.
Rhinegeist Brewery | Cincinnati, OH
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJTbOStDdPB/?taken-by=rhinegeist
What you can learn from @rhinegeist: Show your beers out and about at events, both local and around the world (or at least your brewery’s gear). Here, Rhinegeist lets everyone know they’ll be at a local tennis match, and plenty of other posts show their instantly recognizable cans as “members” of the community in a sense.
Honorable Mention: Southern Prohibition Brewing | Hattiesburg, MS
https://www.instagram.com/p/BH2OasaA4nm/?taken-by=soprobrewco
What you can learn from @soprobrewco: Southern Prohibition is worth following for the employee birthday spotlights alone. As you can see above, they write a VERY long tongue-in-cheek description of their beloved co-workers accompanied by a hilarious photo of said birthday honoree.
CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.
Share Post