Demystifying Paid Social/Search Ads for Alcohol Brands
Whether your alcohol brand is all about a quiet evening in with a sultry glass of red, or a wild night out on the town fueled by shots, your beverage can benefit from paid social/search ads. Social media ads for alcohol brands can be an integral part of the marketing mix, drawing in customers with targeted, pay-per-click (PPC) ads. However, special attention needs to be given when it comes to digital advertising for alcoholic beverages.
Keep reading as we demystify alcohol brand paid ads and search engine marketing for alcohol products.
Understand your target audience
This is a must for any brand and holds true for targeted alcohol ads on social media as well. It’s vital to understand what makes your audience tick. This should include demographic and socioeconomic insights. Alcohol brand paid ads will perform the best if there is solid target audience research to rely on. Additionally, social media ads for alcohol brands will need this information to complete campaign setup within most platforms, but particularly legacy platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.
Craft compelling ads
Understanding your target audience is the first step in developing social media and PPC ads for alcoholic drinks that include messaging and visuals that connect and convert. Alcohol brand paid ads need to capture the attention of the target audience as well as guide shoppers through the sales funnel to purchase.
Aviation American Gin is a great example of an alcohol brand that understands its target audience and crafts compelling marketing to engage shoppers. Ryan Reynolds uses his own personal brand and funny persona to promote the gin.
Select the right social platforms
Another facet of understanding your target audience is knowing which social media platforms are preferred. This can be narrowed down by demographic, lifestyle and other factors. Personas can also be a helpful tool. Any alcohol brand-sponsored posts need to be on the right social media platform/search engine or the message won’t reach the target. This will also ensure that alcohol brand paid ads are delivered where the target audience already spends its time.
Keep regulatory considerations in mind
Search engine ads for alcohol products (including those on paid social) can be a minefield of regulatory challenges. Especially when it comes to SEM and social media advertising which could potentially be accessed by users of any age. Be sure that your team can navigate these rules so that you don’t run afoul of platform, search engine and government guidelines while purchasing alcohol brand paid ads.
Embrace storytelling
Alcohol advertising that embraces storytelling will develop a deeper connection with the audience. Social media ads for alcohol brands should be creative and emotionally related to the audience. Tanqueray offers a great example of alcohol brand paid ads, as the gin company has a strong brand voice and a well-matched brand ambassador in Stanley Tucci.
Build a community
Paid promotions for alcohol brands should also work toward cultivating a community of brand enthusiasts. One of the key goals of alcohol brand paid ads should be to bring more followers into the company’s website or social media presence. More followers usually lead to more engagement, and that can promote stronger sales.
Keep an eye on trends
Social advertising for alcohol brands can find great success by staying on the cutting-edge of the digital landscape. When it fits the brand image, it might be appropriate to engage in any social media trends that are happening at the moment. This year, Bailey’s Irish Cream posted in honor of Mean Girls Day (October 3) with a fetch pink drink.
Measure ROI
Digital advertising for alcoholic beverages should be tracked and measured. Your company will likely want to be able to prove a positive return on investment (ROI) for its alcohol brand paid ads on both social media and for SEM. This means tracking and measuring items such as engagement, click-through-rate and even purchase rates if available online and can not only show areas of high performance that are meeting key performance indicators (KPIs) but could also illuminate areas of opportunity in the messaging or media buy.
Drink in the success
Alcohol brand paid ads, on both social media and in search, are a fantastic way to connect with the target audience. If the alcohol company can take care to craft messaging and visuals that speak to the target audience, develop a media buy that promotes the brand where the audience spends time online and keep regulatory guidelines top of mind, then the brand should be able to meet KPIs and realize a strong ROI.
The social media and search engine marketing experts at Beyond Fifteen can help your alcohol brand stand out with paid social/search ads. Connect with us to learn more!