Producing an impeccable spirit is only half the story when it comes to being a successful craft distiller. Believe it or not – despite all the devilish details that you need to master in order to produce them, distilling is arguably the easy part. Selling it on the other hand…
To truly succeed, you need to craft a compelling narrative, captivate your audience, and convince them to buy your creation.
Enter marketing funnels and new customer acquisition as your key starting point.
A marketing funnel guides prospective customers through sales. A funnel typically starts from the moment you acquire leads (prospective customers) and continues through after they make a purchase. Most will have already outlined them in their their Business Plan or Marketing Plan – but it’s never too late to do it.
The idea is simple – to build meaningful relationships with prospects and turn them into loyal customers. Thus, a funnel.
The primary advantage of marketing funnels is their ability to be quantified. Your funnel highlights the stages where customers come in, and if it’s not converting, where they drop off, allowing you to adjust your approach.
The fundamentals: What is a marketing funnel?
There’s simple logic to funnels – and there’s a reason distillers use them all the time, filling bottles, disgorging casks etc. They starts wide at the top, narrows in the middle, and tapers off at the bottom.
The marketing version is the conceptual equivalent. Capture as much as you can, pin point where you want it to head. Here’s the typical three stage customer journey.
- Top of the funnel (Awareness): This is where potential customers first discover you. They might stumble upon a blog post, a social media update, or hear about your brand from a friend.
- Middle of the funnel (Consideration): Once they know about you, they want to learn more. They might sign up for your newsletter, follow you on social media, or even visit your distillery for a tour.
- Bottom of the funnel (Conversion): Here’s the sweet spot. It’s where the potential customers decide to make a purchase. Maybe they’ve tried a sample, attended a tasting event, or simply been swayed by your brand story.
Why is it Important?
Stories sell spirits, and differentiate brands. Your brand isn’t just another bottle on a shelf; it’s an experience, a legacy, a passion distilled into liquid form.
The marketing funnel helps structure this story, guiding potential customers from mere awareness to loyal advocates. It forces you to think about how you hook someone in, how you have a conversation with them and how to move the relationship towards a desired goal.
Furthermore, by understanding the stages of the funnel, you can tailor your strategies, ensuring you offer the right content, to the right people, at the right time.
Build an informed strategy for each stage
Crafting an impactful marketing funnel is a blend of thoughtful design, experimentation, and continuous refinement. Begin by fully understanding your target audience and delineating the stages of your funnel into three simple stages.
Awareness: You’ve got to get people to notice you.
Create: Use storytelling to your advantage. Share the journey of your distillery, the unique ingredients you use, the process you adhere to, the people behind the spirit or the place from which it is made. Make videos, write blogs, and use visually appealing graphics.
Collaborate: Try and work with influential members in your target community’s circle, preferably those who resonate with craft spirits. Use social media to build a following and build your aesthetic and tone of voice.
For example, you could do Social Media teasers where you release snippets, behind-the-scenes glimpses etc. Once up, you could partner with local cafes, restaurants, or events to serve your spirits and champion what they do by augmenting it via social channels.
Consideration: Feed their curiosity
Engage and Educate:, Host either live or virtual tasting sessions, explaining flavour notes, processes, and brand stories. If you can, host distillery tours, and in person workshops. Allow your potential customers to engage with your brand on a personal level!
Most of all, give them opportunities to taste. People love trying before buying (rightly so too). Offer miniatures, partner with bars for tasting nights, or join local festivals and events.
Alternatively, you could host trade webinars based on topics related to your USP, send a series of emails to leads, sharing stories, offers, cocktail recipes or behind-the-scenes content.
Remember to diversify your content arsenal – from blog entries and videos to infographics and engaging updates.
Once your funnel is set, launch a campaign to usher prospects in, using ads and honing your landing pages for maximum visibility.
Conversion: Time to make a sale
Ensure your product pages are user-friendly, have compelling copy, and clear CTAs. If this isn’t converting efficiently, you could offer limited-time discounts, bundle deals, or free shipping for the first-time buyers.
If you think you have an issue that’s less about price point or mechanics (you know the price is good, and the process to purchase is quick and easy), look at ways to build trust in what someone is buying into at the point of purchase. Feature customer reviews, awards and accolades prominently on your website and marketing materials.
It’s vital to make it, but don’t fixate on the first sale.
It’s about creating lasting relationships, fostering loyalty, and encouraging brand advocates. Fixating on the first sale misses the much bigger opportunity, a repeat customer and by hyper motivating first time only (e.g. first time only deals), you can disenfranchise an existing fan.
Understanding the expanded marketing funnel
Once you have some ideas in place for a classic, if basic, funnel, now re-visit it and continue building in more complexity into your strategy.
The traditional funnel model stops at conversion, but in today’s dynamic market, two more stages play a pivotal role. In this model, the top three remain the same, but Loyalty and Advocacy are both part of the strategy.
- Top of the Funnel (Awareness): Potential customers discover your brand.
- Middle of the Funnel (Consideration): They engage with your brand.
- Bottom of the Funnel (Conversion): The decision point where they buy.
After the Funnel – Loyalty:
Post-purchase, customers return to buy again, relying on the consistency and quality of your spirits. They bought into your brand and love what you make.
A loyal customer is a recurring revenue source. They provide stability, especially in a competitive market. By ensuring their experience is consistently delightful, you not only get repeat business but also start building a community around your brand.
You could create a “Distiller’s Club” where members get exclusive access to early releases, private tours, or bespoke cocktail recipes. Why not offer could offer an eco refill service (pouches) for second time buyers? Alternatively, you could send them a follow up a few weeks later with a seasonal cocktail recipe for them to try at home.
Find ways to continue the dialogue with a customer once they have purchased a bottle to increase your chance of it happening again. Find a balance between confirming your brand tone, identity and extending your brand world around them, and nudging the dial towards another sale down the line.
Even Further – Advocacy:
Customers love your brand so much that they promote it, becoming brand ambassadors.
Word of mouth remains one of the most potent marketing tools. Advocates not only buy but also spread the word, bringing in more customers without additional marketing costs.
Why not encourage users to share their experiences using your spirits on social media.
Run ‘Brand Ambassador’ style campaign where the most engaging stories or posts win a special experience at your distillery. You could even create brand enthusiast clubs, merch or forums for fans. Cult brands begin with community and finding ways for your to kick start the momentum will pay dividends in the long term.
In their most basic form, marketing funnels are simple to understand and implement. The structure they bring to your thought process can be helpful as it forces you to think about what needs to be done at each stage, how to progress it along and where any drop outs are happening.
Implement one for your spirits brand and see how it can help focus your pitch!
