​Cider Corner: Tips to Help Spur Content Ideas on Instagram​

Having a  content plan ​for your cidery can be one of the most important and effective ways to manage ​an Instagram account and overall social media presence.

Virginia’s Swilled Dog Hard Cider Chief Experience Manager Kim Kirk said to maintain our brand reach and engagement, it’s important to post daily, which requires a huge archive of content that showcases the fun and playful side of ​the brand.

“We develop content based on trending topics and national holidays, behind-the-scenes, promotion for our tasting room events, product features, and more​,” she told Brewer. “We plan our content as much as possible in advance; however, it’s just as important to be flexible and have some room to post on unexpected developments or be able to move things around and reschedule content when necessary.​”​

Original 13 actually has two Instagram accounts. The first is ​its tasting room — run by ​its GM​ — and it has post​s that give​ daily​ and ​weekly specials to let guests know what’s new.

​Petra Manchina says she runs the Sir Charles Instagram ​account​ for the company​.

​”​The Sir Charles Instagram functions and focuses only on ​the cider​,” she said. ​”​I post pictures of the cider during the steps of production and canning and post about what new releases we have coming up.​”​

Portland Cider‘s account is run in-house and Helen Lewis said she and one other team member create posts.

“Instagram is a very social space, and we love engaging with our fans,” Lewis said. “The things that work for us cater to that: content that gives our followers a behind-the-scenes look at our cider company and the people who are a part of it; commenting on local business accounts, and responding to our fans quickly.”

​Stepping up photo abilities means investing in some better equipment. Newer iPhones work well because of the ease of connecting to Instagram, but a DSLR can provide high-quality photos that can be uploaded from a computer as well.​

“Phone cameras continue to get better and there are so many tools that make it easier,” Lewis said. “We use our DSLR camera occasionally, but our iPhone is our go-to for videos & ​Reel content.”

Having those tools matters to Portland Cider because they do product photography in-house, so they need high-quality images for ads, website use, and more.

Manchina​ said that a simple switch to Portrait mode​ helps create quality shots while adding that a media photography class is worth the time and money.

“It does matter to me​,I want to have photos that reflect the quality of our cider​,” she said.

​Kirk added that good photography can tell a story and invite customers and fans into the world of the cidery.

​”​It’s an opportunity to give them a sneak peek of our brand, including the atmosphere, the personalities of our staff, and our products before they even step inside our business​,” she said​​. “Our social media and online presence is often a potential customer’s first interaction or touchpoint with our brand, and good photography can play a significant role in their decision to visit our tasting room or try our products.​”​

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