Guest Blog: Leveraging Digital Marketing Channels to Educate and Engage Your Audience

The views, information, or opinions expressed in guest blogs are solely those of the authors involved and do not necessarily represent those of the American Cider Association.

Digital marketing offers a world of opportunities for cider producers to distribute and display educational content, but where do you start? Many cider brands need help finding clarity in the maze of potential digital marketing channels. Not only do you have to figure out which channels to use, but also how to use them well. In addition to the overwhelming selection of channels, how do you decide where to park your educational cider content that will bring you the most ROI? Each digital channel has its own pros and cons, but one of the best ways to pinpoint which platforms fit your brand is to evaluate your content goals, identify your audience, and acknowledge your team’s bandwidth. The good news is that with a focused strategy, you can efficiently and effectively leverage digital channels to reach your loyal fans (and expose your cider to new ones) using the educational content you have already curated. While not 100% comprehensive, let’s dive into some popular digital marketing channels so you can get those creative juices flowing on how to present and distribute your educational content. Think of it not as randomly throwing marketing darts, hoping they hit your target, but crafting a well-thought-out content recipe that combines the perfect blend of ingredients to create your unique brand voice. You have already worked hard to create educational content about cider ingredients, production processes, flavor profiles, consumption, and your brand—now it’s time to shift that content into overdrive. 

Targeted Approach

Know Your Ideal Audiences: Understanding where your audience likes to consume information allows you to meet them where they are. The basic idea is to fold yourself into their existing online universe. This practice increases content engagement rates and ensures the right people see your messages. However, the first step is to determine the audience you are trying to reach with your educational content. 

Example: Knowing that their target audiences spend most of their time on Instagram, Wise Bird Cider from Lexington, KY, has curated a fun, fact-filled profile of feed posts, Stories, and Reels that educate their followers about ingredients and production processes on Instagram. Audiences are learning something new and doing it based on their own channel preferences.

Photo courtesy of Wise Bird Cider

Leverage Your Channel Goals: Each digital marketing channel has unique strengths and weaknesses. Aligning your goals with each channel’s strengths can make your efforts more efficient and effective. Some channels are better than others at increasing brand awareness, improving engagement, solidifying brand loyalty, or encouraging purchase activity. Not sure what purpose each channel holds? Visit their website and read about their brand to learn more about what they are trying to achieve with the platform.

Bandwidth Consideration: Spreading yourself too thin across multiple channels can dilute your efforts and lead to inconsistent and sometimes even conflicting messaging. Focus on a few channels where you can maintain high-quality content and regular engagement, but do not dismiss the other channels completely! It’s not wrong to spread out brand presence on multiple channels, but make sure you have a team of the proper size to do it well before adopting any new platforms.

Channel Examples

Email Marketing:

Email marketing is a fantastic way of communicating educational information about hard cider. You can leverage long-form content to inform and connect with your readers. This channel is excellent for storytelling, education, personalization of your brand, and promotion — all rolled up into one. Email marketing typically includes most, if not all, demographics, allowing you to cast an extensive net. Being permission-based, you can also be sure that the reader actually wants to see your content. You can further personalize the experience by tagging and segmenting your audience, making it truly special for your fans by directing more specialized educational content to those who engage with your topic-specific calls to action (CTAs).

Example: Send an email with a brief insight into how cider is made (not brewed) and the common ingredients in cider recipes, or plan out a feature about a specific variety of fruit. To increase engagement, include visuals and additional outbound links that support your content.

TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts

These platforms are ideal for targeting younger demographics with quick educational tips about cider. The ethos of these channels is for entertainment and video views, so leverage them to stop the scroll, build brand awareness, and attract new customers by teaching them something new. While the primary goal on these platforms isn’t necessarily direct sales, providing fun and educational content can and will create enjoyable moments with your audience. These interactions will build a positive association with your brand and foster a sense of community, leading to future purchases. Also, who doesn’t like a little bit of fun?

Example: TikTok content from Bivouac Ciderworks in San Diego, CA, demonstrates a lovely mix of educational content in conjunction with current social media trends, like how to create a cider cocktail- in this case, a Biv Cider Michelada (leverages the trend – make something with me).

Photo courtesy of Bivouac Ciderworks

Facebook Events

Facebook remains a relevant platform for promoting cider brands, even if you think that channel is on the downslope. While the FB feed is debatable, the actual start of the show is FB Events. Cider education events like tours, classes, and tastings can be announced to your fans through page updates and reach new audiences through organic posts. While this platform trends toward an older demographic, it’s still crucial. Offering educational events allows fans to engage on a deeper level with your brand, and event RSVPs contribute to your engagement metrics on Facebook, increasing your organic content’s general reach.

Example: Host a cider tour at your farm or production facility that teaches about cider production and post on FB Events. Post updates leading up to the event to encourage attendee engagement within the event dashboard. On the event day, allow attendees to interact with the pressing process, learn about ingredients, and take home their cider- all while reminding them to post about the event and tag you on social media. Events create memorable experiences with your brand and tend to lead to future purchases, but when accented by social media presence, the benefits will continue to compound.

YouTube

YouTube is where people go to learn. From in-depth tutorials to quick, punchy Shorts, this platform is perfect for reaching Gen Z and Millennials. For cider brands, YouTube offers a unique opportunity to create a library of educational content that informs and builds a community of dedicated fans who view your brand as a trusted authority. Show behind-the-scenes content to build trust and resonate with viewers who appreciate authenticity. You could host live Q&A sessions to engage your audience in real-time. These immersive experiences will make them feel like they are part of your community! Collaborate with influencers or industry experts to co-create content, broaden your reach, and add credibility to your educational efforts. Highlight local ingredients or regional specialties significant to your brand to provide engaging, unique content for your viewers.

Example: Albemarle Ciderworks, from North Garden, VA, has created curated playlists of educational content about cider ingredients and cider-making processes of bite-sized videos that are easy for any viewer to understand and foster a connection with the brand.

Screenshot courtesy of Albemarle Ciderworks YouTube channel.

Twitter and Reddit

If you focus on the science and technical production aspects of cider making, Twitter and Reddit offer unique opportunities to engage with your audience more deeply- in a very technical and beverage-geeky way. Twitter is perfect for sharing bite-sized educational content and engaging in real-time conversations. Use hashtags relevant to the cider industry and participate in trending discussions to increase your visibility. Reddit’s community-driven structure allows you to reach highly targeted groups interested in cider making and contribute to conversations that would establish your brand as an industry “thought leader.” Subreddits like r/cider and r/fermentation are excellent for interacting with a community that is genuinely interested in the nuances of cider production.

Example: Tweet technical information about cider fermentation, highlighting particular scientific insights or ingredients. Use threads to provide detailed breakdowns of complex topics and engage with your audience’s questions and comments.

Example: Stem Ciders, located in Colorado, leverages Twitter to connect with its audience by sharing educational content about cider varieties, the importance of using fresh (and unique) ingredients, and behind-the-scenes looks at their production processes.

Photo courtesy of Stem Ciders

Efficient Channel Selection for Small Teams

If your resources are limited, you have a small marketing team, or you’re just plain short on time, maximizing your marketing efforts is crucial. Focusing on the most effective digital marketing channels that fit your business goals will help you determine which channels are worth your time. Here’s how you can evaluate if a channel is right for your brand:

• Align With Your Audience: First, make sure the channels you choose are where your target audience spends their time. This method prevents you from wasting effort on platforms that don’t yield significant engagement.
• Match Content with Channels: Tailor your content to each platform’s strengths. Selecting platforms that best showcase the type of educational content you’re producing will maximize your impact.
• Concentrate Your Energy: Avoid spreading yourself too thin by focusing on a few channels where you can maintain high-quality and consistent engagement. It’s better to excel on two or three platforms than to provide mediocre content on many.
• Understand Your Costs: Be aware of the costs associated with each channel, including advertising spend, software expenses, and the time required to maintain your presence. Knowing these costs will help you allocate your budget and resources more efficiently.
• Analyze and Optimize: Review your campaigns’ performance metrics regularly. Prioritize channels that show high engagement and conversion rates, and scale back or reconsider those with low ROI.

By focusing your efforts thoughtfully, you can ensure the highest possible return on your digital marketing investments, even with a small team and limited resources.

So are you ready to see your cider brand flourish digitally? Follow these tips and watch your brand awareness and customer base grow—no guesswork is required. By strategically selecting the proper digital marketing channels, you can significantly enhance your brand’s online presence, campaign efficacy, and overall brand awareness with your educationally focused (and fun) cider content. This approach will improve the likelihood of purchases and foster a stronger sense of loyalty and community among your existing fans.

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