The bar and nightclub industry is one of the most competitive. The amount of bars seems to rise every year, yet many fail and lost customers to other bars. There are literally thousands of bar promotion ideas floating around online. Yet each bar is unique and has a different customer base. What are some ideas that will work for your bar?
Feature at the front
Your bar needs to stand out to people when they walk by. A unique bar front and strong branding help catch people's attention. Bar and nightclub expert Jon Taffer, host of the popular bar makeover show "Bar Rescue," often suggests adding an enticing promotion feature at the front of your bar, located inside. This feature is visible from the exterior of your bar. It is intended to attract attention and draw customers in as they are walking by. By having the feature inside, you make people want to come in and see it or use it.
Game nights at your bar
Games are also fun no matter what day or time of day it is. Game nights are also enticing for patrons who do not wish to drink, but still want to have fun and order food. One of the most popular spots in the area of our office is a cafe and bar which is themed around board games. This type of bar attracts patrons every day of the week. This particular bar and other similar bars draw in large groups because board games are a very social experience. The more people playing, the more fun the experience is.
Many video games also have large followings. If you have access to video equipment, you can offer video game nights for groups of players. Themed food and drinks add to the gaming experience and make the promotion memorable. A fun social experience keeps patrons coming back again and again.
Charity events
Hosting a charity event at your bar is a surefire promotion that will attract patrons. Supporting a local community cause or current cause that is in the news is the most effective. You can donate all the funds collected from cover charges, hold an auction and donate the proceeds, donate a portion of food and drink revenue or simply ask for "give what you want" donations.
Charity events show that your bar is in tune with the local community. These events are also a very social experience and are a draw for big crowds. Your bar will be busy and you will also be supporting a great cause. Charity events are also a great opportunity to gain press attention. Promote this event like crazy.
Celebrity guest bartender
Mix things up! Inviting a new bartender in for the night is a good promotional event for both your bar and the guest bartender. It gives patrons the chance to experience different types of drinks and a whole new customer service experience.
The bartender will usually promote the guest appearance on their own social media accounts and through word of mouth. This promotion attracts their loyal fans and gets more people into your bar.
What is the most effective way to do marketing for all these events?
Before each event, you need to let people know what is happening. You need to promote these events and do lots of marketing in order to spread the word. But who has the time to do all this? After all, you are just trying to plan the event and get everything organized!
Marketing automation is an ideal way to save time, make promotions more efficient and keep guests up to date. Automate your social media posting so you can gain a wider audience. Send out automated emails to provide enticing coupons and keep customers engaged. Utilize automated text messages to let customers know what promotion is happening each night.
All automated messages can easily be set up in advance and edited as needed. You are able to focus on your bar event while your automated messages attract guests for each event.
Sign up for a free 14-day trial of our marketing automation solution. It includes email, text message, Facebook, survey and much more.
