It turns out the real problem with beer marketing isn’t the beer. It’s the silence.
In this conversation about craft beer and small business, we dug into a challenge that feels way bigger than what’s in your glass. How do you turn passion into connection, and connection into sales?
I sat down with Mike Tillman, a craft beer distributor, and Hazel Walker of Lipstick on the Rim, who is on a mission to help women discover and enjoy beer in a whole new way. Together, they shared a refreshingly honest look at what works, what doesn’t, and what most businesses are still getting wrong.
Here’s what stuck with me:
- Passion is your best marketing tool, if you actually share it
Knowing your product isn’t enough. You have to bring people into the experience. Whether it’s beer or any other business, customers can tell when you care. And when you don’t, they drift away just as quickly. - Social media is not a megaphone, it’s a conversation
This one came up again and again. Too many brands are posting and not listening. Customers are asking questions, making comments, trying to connect. If no one answers, it feels like talking to an empty room. - Education sells, especially when people don’t know what they don’t know
From beer tastings to blind sampling, the big “aha” moment is simple. People often like things they thought they wouldn’t. When you help them discover that, you build trust and loyalty at the same time. - If you don’t have time to engage, find someone who does
Brewers want to brew. Business owners want to run their business. That’s fair. But ignoring marketing, especially social media, isn’t a strategy. It’s a missed opportunity.
At the end of the day, the businesses that win aren’t just selling a product. They’re inviting people into a conversation.
And if no one’s talking back, it might be time to ask yourself why.