Marketing a Bar 101

You're getting ready to open. You've opened and realize your business could use some marketing oomph. You've been open a while, but things are starting to slow down. Wherever you are in the business life cycle, you need to market better. Trying to navigate all the different channels and invest your limited time or money is one of the most stressful endeavors in our industry. Do you want to hire a marketing firm to handle things? Are you having your managers or staff post to your company's social media? Are you like me and insist on doing everything yourself? Let's address the basics.

Your website is your digital storefront. When someone clicks to find out more about your business, what do you want to tell them? Keep it simple. Get some great photos of your place, and include your address, email, and phone number. Add a link to your menu and social media accounts, and you're done. Don't blog. Don't post videos. Don't complicate it. Always be mindful of your target audience. (Bonus points if you have an email signup.)

Social media is a MUST. But what no one is going to tell you is that you don't have to use them all. Find the platform that suits your business and your target market. Once you figure out which one that is, CRUSH IT. Are you a college bar? Tiktok and Instagram. Do you cater to GenX and older Millennials? Facebook. Are you in the business district? LinkedIn. You might have to test them all, but don't hesitate to focus your efforts on the one that's showing the best results. Best practices for each platform are constantly changing, so make sure to stay up to date on what kinds of posts are going to get the most bang for your buck.

Something that gets overlooked a little too often is your business listings. I'm just as guilty as anyone, but a lot of potential customers rely heavily on Google or other search engines to give accurate information on your business. Claim your listings and make a note each month to review any changes that need to be made, especially holiday hours. Bonus tip: Reply to legitimate reviews, positive and negative. On most platforms, you even have the ability to message the reviewer directly to talk more about their experience and invite them back. Don't forget to reward your staff for excellent reviews.

Another great way to jumpstart your marketing is to focus on creative events and programming. Bingo night, karaoke, themed parties, and trivia are a few ideas of events that have a good track record in bars. But just because you print signs to hang up in the bathrooms and post a couple times on Instagram doesn't mean your event is going to be a success. Utilize your local chamber of commerce, post on event sites like Eventbrite or EventUp, and be engaged with the community. I'll go more in detail on events and large parties in another post.

Guerilla marketing is the phrase I like to use to describe hospitality industry networking. You and your staff are the greatest marketing tools you possess. No amount of boosted posts, influencer visits, or PR companies are going to help as much as your team getting to know the businesses around you. Go to restaurants, bars, retailers, grocers, coffee shops, bakeries, anything you can support locally. Simply shaking hands and getting them familiar with your business is one of the easiest ways to generate quality word of mouth. They might not come in that night to spend thousands of dollars right away, but trust the process. Better relationships = better business.

Hiring marketers? Ask them for references and examples of other businesses like yours that they've had success in. Know what you're asking for and make sure there are measurable analytics available to track progress. Negotiate rates based on a multiplier. Hold them accountable for results. Their other clients are pushing them constantly to turn things around fast and generate more revenue. If you don't push, you'll be at the bottom of their priority list.

If you'd like more help putting together a marketing strategy, click on the chat or email us at barownersguide@gmail.com.