Storytelling and Strategy: Brewery Social Media That ​Can Connect

​Treat​ing ​your social media ​channels like an afterthought​ just won’t cut it, no matter how small your brewery may be. 

“It provides endless opportunities to increase your brand awareness, drive traffic to your business website, and generate new customers,​” said​ Carmone Macfarlane of The Phoenix Brewing Co.​ at the 2025 Ohio Craft Brewers Conference. “It also provides an opportunity to deliver and engage your audiences for that next-level customer experience.”

Whether you’re a team of one or part of a broader marketing crew, she emphasized that everyone behind the scenes is a content creator. That can include everything from newsletters and blogs to product photography, social media, and video. 

“It does feel very overwhelming,” she admitted. “But if you’re not taking advantage of social media and using those resources, you’re losing your audience.”

She stressed the need for authenticity and storytelling, saying that the person running your brewery’s social platforms must “deeply understand your company” so the voice isn’t just canned responses and canned information. At Phoenix, that authenticity comes across in the tone of each post​, she said. That means whether it’s about a new beer, an event, or a behind-the-scenes moment. 

“You want them to feel like they’re part of your brand just by reading what you’re doing”​,” she said.

A huge part of that is consistency. 

“Post every single day like clockwork,” Macfarlane said. “There’s always something to post, and there’s always a story to tell. Think of yourself like your business is the newspaper.”

To keep ideas flowing, she recommended creating a swipe file or content bank. 

“I keep a content bank and a swipe file where I try to keep pictures that I know I’m going to use later,” she ​said. “How many of you have a Google folder or a folder on your iPhone that has every photo you’ve ever taken for the last 12,000 years? I can put in the keyword ‘pumpkin,’ and I’m going to find every picture of a pumpkin beer I’ve had in the last 10 years.” 

That kind of digital organization allows her to stay ahead of the content calendar while still remaining agile.

While structure and planning are crucial, Macfarlane is quick to point out the power of spontaneity. 

“Do you have to plan every post? No​,”​ she said. 

Some of their most effective posts came from unplanned moments. 

“When we became legal, we had a beer called Mary Jane releasing at the same time. So our post was about the beer, but we changed all of the regular posts and just ​had a fun, comical ​post with 500 puns. 

​”That beer usually sells out, but it sold out even faster just because of the extra thing we had in the post.”

Another spontaneous win? Grandma Cookie​, the brewery’s oldest mug club member. 

READ MORE: ​Ways to Master​ Your Social Media Strategy

​”She and her husband bring us two to three dozen cookies every other week​,” Macfarlane​ said. ​”She wasn’t on my ​(content) schedule to put out there, but she came in one day, and it was just one of those off-the-cuff kind of things that worked out really well with our clients.” 

That post performed differently—but just as successfully—as Mary Jane’s.

It’s that balance between structured consistency and off-the-cuff moments that helps Macfarlane build meaningful digital engagement. 

“Weekly or monthly trivia nights are pretty easy​, you’re probably using the same copy for those. But when you’re doing something big, or when something unexpected happens, you need to be ready to run with it​,” she said.

For those feeling stuck or unsure where to start, she suggests simply ​starting, and then learning as you go. She recommends tools like Canva for graphics and CapCut for reels and encourages breweries to find inspiration online. 

“Don’t flat-out copy, but find inspiration that way,” she said. And if your team lacks photography skills, look for local talent.

Ultimately, Macfarlane believes the heart of brewery content is connection. 

“People want to see what you’re doing. They want transparency. They want the personality. Just have fun with it​,” she said. ​”Get personal, without being too personal. And remember, you’re the storyteller.”