Want to see more customers walking through your bar’s doors?
Then you need to focus on the right bar marketing tactics.
With so many digital marketing channels available these days, bars can implement robust marketing strategies to attract and retain customers. With so much strong competition existing in the hospitality industry, bars must do everything they can to reach the right customers.
To help you roll out a killer bar marketing strategy, here are ten essential bar marketing ideas to use.
Marketing For Bars: Top Strategies
Social Media Engagement
When it comes to bar marketing, you can’t overlook social media.
Social media marketing is essential in the hospitality industry, as it gives you the ideal platform to connect with new customers and showcase your venue. As long as you’re on the right channels, and have high-quality visual content, then social media can help you achieve some amazing things.
Utilize visual social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to showcase your bar's atmosphere, signature drinks, events, and seasonal bar promotions. Engage with your audience through interactive content, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and user-generated posts.
Create plenty of videos to capture the atmosphere of your bar. This will get people excited to visit and experience your venue.
Unique Promotions and Events
An important part of successful bar marketing is making your bar stand out from the competition. To do this, you need to keep things exciting - which is why special events are always a good idea.
Host themed nights, live music performances, trivia nights, bar games events, or special happy hour deals to create excitement and draw in diverse crowds. Offer exclusive discounts or limited-time offers to incentivize visits.
This is a great strategy for keeping customers engaged with your business and coming back for repeat visits. It also gives you a chance to create new and exciting content for your marketing channels and spread word-of-mouth referrals for your bar.
Of course, special events aren’t only a useful bar promotion idea, but also a great way to charge additional revenue and sell extra products.
Collaborate with Influencers or Local Personalities
Influencer marketing is one of the biggest trends to tap into right now, and it should certainly feature in your bar marketing efforts.
72% of Gen Z and millennials follow influencers on social media. By collaborating with the right influencers, you can tap into an enormous new target audience - making it one of the most effective bar promotion ideas.
Partner with local influencers, bloggers, or community figures who align with your bar's vibe and target audience. Their endorsement can boost visibility and credibility among their followers.
Just make sure that the influencer operates in your area and has a following that can visit your bar. Make sure you understand the influencer's audience demographics before working with them.
Email Marketing Campaigns
Email may not be a novel marketing idea, but it remains one of the most reliable and effective channels for any kind of business. As a bar, you should certainly be using email marketing to attract and retain your customers.
Build an email list and send regular newsletters featuring upcoming events, new menu items, or exclusive offers to keep patrons informed and engaged. Personalize messages to cater to specific customer preferences.
This is a great way to keep your existing customers coming back for more. With the right discount or special offer emailed straight to them, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get more people walking through your bar’s doors on impulse.
How do you build an email list? You could collect email addresses by gating your bar’s wifi, collecting them when people order from a table ordering system, or adding special incentives on your bar’s website that require email signups to access.
Online Reviews and Reputation Management
Social proof is everything in the hospitality industry. You need to have plenty of positive online reviews if you’re going to attract more customers.
Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google, or TripAdvisor. Address negative customer feedback promptly and professionally to maintain a positive online reputation.
Not only does this give people more reason to choose your bar over others, but having plenty of positive Google reviews can also do wonders for your local SEO. When your bar ranks at the top of local search results with loads of positive reviews, you can expect to see a lot more customers walking through your doors.
Loyalty Programs
Bar marketing success isn't only about attracting more customers - it also needs to focus on retaining your existing ones. After all, it’s a lot easier to sell your existing loyal customers than it is to acquire new ones.
Implement a loyalty program that rewards regular customers with discounts, freebies, or VIP perks. This encourages repeat business and fosters a sense of appreciation among patrons.
Doing so will help you create a local crowd of repeat visitors, which is important for generating predictable revenue. Developing a community of repeat customers is also a great way to generate positive word-of-mouth referrals for your bar - which will go a long way in boosting brand awareness.
Local Partnerships and Sponsorships
Bars, being brick-and-mortar businesses, are localized. This means you need to focus on the right local marketing tactics to help you generate more customers. One of the best bar marketing ideas for this is to get involved with your local community.
Collaborate with nearby businesses, sports teams, or community organizations to cross-promote each other's services or sponsor local events. This can expand your reach and attract new customers.
A great strategy is to offer co-promoted giveaways and special offers with other local businesses. For example, your bar could collaborate with a nearby restaurant or theatre. This will help you access new audiences, while also keeping your bar’s promotions exciting.
Eye-Catching Signage and Exterior Appeal
There may be loads of exciting things you can do to boost your bar’s marketing strategy. However, going back to the basics and making sure you have great signage is possibly the most effective tactic of all.
Ensure your bar's exterior stands out with attractive signage, vibrant lighting, and an inviting ambiance. An appealing facade can entice passersby to step inside.
This helps you rope in foot traffic. It also helps make your bar more recognizable and memorable to all new customers.
Engaging Online Content
Modern marketing is all about content. The more useful, valuable content your business publishes, the better.
Create engaging and shareable content on your bar website or blog, such as cocktail recipes, bartender tips, or behind-the-scenes videos. This content can attract potential customers and establish your bar as an authority in the industry.
By posting plenty of content, you create more avenues for customers to discover your bar and engage with your business. This is essential for attracting as many customers as possible.
Targeted Advertising
Beyond the organic reach of your content, you can also explore paid advertising. This is a great marketing tactic for bars, as paid ads let you be very specific about the potential customers you target.
Utilize targeted online ads on platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads to reach specific demographics based on location, interests, and behavior. Tailor your messaging to resonate with the preferences of your target audience.
Online advertising requires some budget, but it's the fastest and most direct way to reach your target audience and attract customers.
Conclusion
The bottom line is to use the right channels, and create quality content, to attract the right target customers. When you get these three elements right, effective bar marketing strategies are easy.
Looking for a solution to make managing your bar and running events easier? Then check out Perfect Venue, the ultimate event management platform for any kind of bar.
