Hi Everyone!

I am new here, but have been working at a Local Winery and Distillery in Houston, Texas for over 2 years now. I am in charge of the marketing and all of the online sales. That may sound like an easy task for something like a winery or distillery, but the problem is that we offer a very specific type of product geared to a very specific customer. We produce and distribute liquor flavored wines (Tequila, Rum, Vodka, etc) to restaurants that only have a beer and wine license. Our products taste exactly like the liquors they are designed after, but they are only 17% alcohol by volume. We have a loyal following from customers all over Houston, but we are trying to expand to other cities and even other states.

The main problem that I am having is finding ways to draw our target customers to the website. Does anyone have any ideas for marketing a very customer-specific product? Or how to find potential customers for this business?

Any answers are greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

First off let me say that sounds like a great product.  Second, I can't help you much on that, however you could (or should) post your webpage, social media link in your post.  I only say this because I would love to check out your website.  Also you might as well advertise anytime you can right?

Nate Sanford
Corporate Research Chef

"From Our Family To Yours"
LIKE us on Facebook!

I'd suggest focusing online channels, where there are lots of tools you can use to target specific groups of people.

I'm not really an expert on this, but I know you could use Google Adwords to target very tight sets of keywords.  

But even more effective (though more of a longterm strategy) is to use content marketing, also known as "inbound marketing".  Produce enough valuable content for your target audience (articles, ebooks, videos, educational material, etc.), and those people will come to you.  Leverage social media and email marketing to support the content you create. 

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Brian Casel
Web Designer, Founder of Restaurant Engine

Get Your Free Restaurant Website Checklist, available on the Restaurant Engine Blog.

I believe you are going to have a hard time marketing a product online that needs to be tasted. Yes, social media and web-based marketing should be included in your marketing plan, but you should spend most your time beating the streets, taking your product directly to restaurant owners to taste. You may start by purchasing a mailing list, sending out a branding piece, then following it up with a phone call to see if they received it and looked at it. This is also a good ice breaker to give your "cold" call conversation a direction. Your point from the cold call would be to get a meeting with the owner or general manager, and bar manager to taste your products.

Vendors with samples have a MUCH higher success rate with cold calling. Just make sure you aren't going in the restaurant between 11am and 1:30pm or 5:30 and 8pm. Dropping in unannounced during a rush is a sure fire way to get an owner never to listen to you again.

Don't forget about the liquor stores too. Even if owners can buy directly from distributors and don't have to go through liquor stores in your state, getting your product into liquor stores helps build brand awareness.

You can also use an avenue that liquor reps use to promote their product. Offer to "sponsor" a sampling event at a restaurant. Let the owner host a party and sell tickets (which they can sell at a profitable price since you are providing the liquor/wine), then bring your products to show to the customers. If they go over well, the restaurant will want to carry them.

This product is unique in that a consumer has no way of knowing if they will like the product until they try it in person. I totally agree that coordinating tasting events at different restaurans is a fantastic way to spread the word, and to get valuable feedback.... or even at your own venue.

I'm not sure if you have the ability to host events there at the winery/distillery, but if you do... you could also hold events that target owners as well as the general public there on your own property. One great way to create a higher turnout would be to partner with a local charity and donate a large portion or all of the ticket proceeds. This will go a long way in establishing your local reputation. 

I would say that you also want to build in a way to convert some of those at the tasting events into social media followers/fans. I always try and strategize with my clients on how to take their in-person clients online. One way is to create a QR code that takes them to a contest for a gift certificate. Promote the QR code when the guests arrive, and let them know they are eligible for the contest just by attending.

You could also bypass the QR code, and just say that if they check-in to your Facebook page during the event they are automatically eligle for the drawing. Then announce the winner on your page the next day. This is one strategy that I have seen high rates of success with. 

Leah Latini

Director of Marketing @ LaunchMeWeb.com

Hi there from UK

I agree with Nate; sounds a great product.  The advantage you have is that this a such a niche product and you can use that to your advantage in finding a target audience via your web site, whether that is a section on your existing web site, for new US or International business or a specific new web site just for international...depends on how far far afield you see the horizon stretching

HTH

Ronnie

I read all post and i think it is very important. Thanks to everybody for your valuable opinion.

Online channels would obviously be the best way to go like others said. You should try to compile a list of emails of restaurants that fall in this category, and send them email updates of your products. Adwords wouldn't necessarily be the best way to go, because for that to show up on a search, people will have to be searching for "vodka flavored wine", which nobody knows about. Therefore, not many people will stumble across your product. You could have it come up for normal wine searches, but the CPC will likely go way up.