Opening a bar business can be an incredibly rewarding and profitable venture. However, it can also be a difficult and time-consuming process. Effective marketing is one of the most important aspects of owning and operating a successful bar. With the right strategies and tactics, you can attract new customers and keep your regulars coming back. Here are some creative marketing tips for your bar business that can help give you a competitive edge.
1. Create a Webpage
Despite how obvious it may appear, a shocking number of bars still don’t have their own website. Even so, there are still way too many establishments that have one but don’t use it. With the right digital marketing strategy, your website can help you gain exposure, build your brand, and attract new customers in person.
Hire a web designer and pay them to create an SEO-friendly website. By doing so, you improve your chances of attracting online and, ultimately, offline customers. These are just some of the things that your website must have:
- A blog page
- Contact information
- Customer reviews
- Happy hour
- Hours of service
- Menu
- Photos of the food and drinks
- Promotions
- Specials
- Your story
Having a website allows you to make a great first impression. You should include just enough content to attract the curiosity of potential customers without boring site users to tears.
2. Make Use of Various Social Media Platforms
There’s no denying the impact that social media may have on a bar’s success. Can’t take our word for it? You may find millions upon millions of posts related to food and drink on Instagram by just searching for their hashtags.
For this reason, it’s vital to constantly share engaging, original material and high-quality images of food and drink. If you want to reach those who don’t necessarily follow your feed but might be interested in your cocktails and menu items, posting to Instagram Stories in addition to your feed may be a good idea. Incorporating user-generated content into a brand’s social media marketing strategy is simple and does not incur any additional costs.
Customers in the immediate area can be located, as well as tourists or business travelers that happen to be in town. Social media ads can be scheduled to appear at specific times and dates, allowing you to directly connect with your target audience when they are physically present in your location. Promotions might range from discounted drinks to upcoming events hosted by the bar.
3. Organize Events
Events like happy hours provide customers an incentive to visit your bar, and they are a great way to spread the news about your business. It’s essential to keep in mind that your establishment is more than just a place to purchase a drink; it’s also a social hub where people can meet and bond over shared experiences. Among the many possible event ideas are:
- Board game night
- Cocktail making classes
- Comedy night
- Karaoke night
- Open mic night
- Pub crawl
- Spoken word/artists night
- Trivia night
- Watch parties for sports, TV, or movies
4. Run a Contests
Just as at any event, a little friendly rivalry and a few drinks never hurt anyone. Ideas for a fun contest could be:
- Competitive game nights
- Eating contests
- Singing competitions
- Talent shows
The prize for the winner(s) might be anything from a free round of drinks and appetizers to a gift certificate to your establishment. These events are fantastic for bringing large groups of friends out to cheer on their competitors. In addition, they offer a terrific chance for advertising; you can spread the word about it on your website or get people to participate by taking images and sharing them on social media with a hashtag.
5. Take Advantage of the Happy Hours
While making money is obviously important for bars, sometimes it’s better to cut prices than raise them. Therefore, the lowly happy hour has the potential to become one of your most effective promotional tools. It’s true that many establishments will hastily introduce a happy hour, but you can set yours apart by providing better bargains, making it last longer, or advertising it at more convenient hours.
Don’t be shy about advertising a happy hour if you have one. Disseminate the information to the public. Advertise it on your site, social media, menu, and windows. It can appear counterproductive at first, but it could end up bringing in more customers than expected, including those who are wary of trying anything new.
Conclusion
Indeed, creative marketing for a bar business can be a great way to stand out from the competition and attract more customers. By leveraging social media, creating engaging content, and providing discounts and loyalty rewards, bar owners can increase customer engagement and increase their profits.
If you are looking for a marketing agency in Los Angeles that specializes in bar marketing, look no further than our expertise here at C/C/G. We are a full-service digital marketing agency. Strategically focused and creatively driven, we unlock innovative solutions that connect our clients to their customers. Call us today and let us discuss all about your bar marketing strategies.