Alcohol Influencer Marketing: Tips and Best Practices

Alcohol influencer marketing comes with a lot of nuances. 47% of consumers report going to bars or clubs less often, while an even greater number say they are paying fewer visits to casual and fine dining establishments. Because of this, alcohol brands have to pivot to find ways to make it into their ideal customers’ homes, which can be done through influencer marketing.

Finding an alcohol, beer or spirits influencer doesn’t need to be difficult. Besides niche creators like bartenders and cocktail connoisseurs, working with other influencers with your alcohol brand can also help you get into the eyes and ears of your target audience. A mom hosting a brunch with her friends or a local foodie sharing at-home drinks are also options within alcohol influencer marketing.

Benefits of alcohol influencer marketing

Humanizing your brand

In a world where consumers crave authenticity and connection, partnering with influencers allows your brand to establish a more personal and relatable image. Influencers have the power to showcase your alcohol brand in a real-life context, sharing their genuine experiences and stories with their followers. This humanizes your brand, making it more approachable and fostering a deeper connection with consumers. By leveraging the influence and credibility of alcohol influencers, you can effectively amplify your brand’s personality and forge meaningful connections with your target audience.

Reaching your target market at home

Finding the right audience is imperative for your brand. Alcohol influencers have established followings of individuals genuinely interested in the world of spirits, cocktails, and the overall drinking experience. By collaborating with influencers who align with your brand values and target audience, you can tap into their engaged and loyal fan base, ensuring that your message reaches the right people. Whether it’s craft beer enthusiasts, wine connoisseurs, or cocktail lovers, influencers can connect your brand with the exact demographic you want to reach. 

This targeted approach not only increases the likelihood of conversion and sales but also helps build brand awareness within the niche market you are aiming for. You can also reach your target audience by executing your campaign on the platform your target audience uses most. For example, if reaching Gen Z, you might use TikTok. On the platform, the hashtag #bartender has almost 20 billion views. 

Challenges of alcohol influencer marketing

Finding an influencer with the right market

It’s important when working with an influencer to pay attention to their age and the demographics of their audience. A creator who is over 21 but has an audience mostly younger than  21 in the U.S. is not the ideal influencer to collab with for alcohol campaigns. In fact, FTC requirements specify that “ad content should not appeal primarily to people under 21.” Choose influencers whose audiences are in the legal drinking age and are likely buyers. These campaigns should also not show children or pregnant people in the visual content.

Only promoting safe behavior

Promotions with influencers need to be strategic. Your brand most likely doesn’t want an influencer using their platform to show their use of your products in unsafe situations such as binge drinking or operating any vehicle. 

Instead, consider ways the influencer can incorporate the product with brand safety in mind. That could be incorporating a product into brunch hosting tips or creating a themed cocktail for game night with friends. Promoting the safe and responsible consumption of alcohol should always be a top priority in all sponsorships. 

Legal requirements

Along with the top two challenges, there are specific rules for each social media platform for promoting alcohol. Make sure your campaign with the influencers you’re working with are sticking to these regulations. 

Alcohol influencer campaigns should have proper disclosure that the content is meant for an audience age 21 and older.

How IZEA Can Help

If you represent an alcohol brand that wants to incorporate influencer marketing into your strategy appropriately, IZEA is here to help. We’ve helped brands maximize their influencer marketing spend and help take their dollars beyond standard sponsored content. Partnering with IZEA on alcohol influencer marketing campaigns can help ensure all legal and safety guardrails are in place. There are many other guidelines for creators regarding alcohol influencer marketing, including location, how to show alcohol being consumed and quantities of alcohol shown.

IZEA handles the creator brief process, and you’ll exercise creative control — from the influencer brief through content revision and review — to ensure the final deliverables align with brand and retailer goals and other marketing efforts.

Our targeting capabilities include category purchasers, consumers who have engaged with your content on social or shopping list apps, retailer visits, or interests, among others. 

Plus, IZEA has access to a demographically and geographically diverse influencer network encompassing influencers from nano- to mega-influencers and celebrities. IZEA’s insights can help your team understand how influencers and their audiences index with your brand and retailer during the selection process.