Pub Social Media Marketing – 5 Dos and Don’ts
Unleash the power of pub social media marketing and take your venue to the next level.
With pub outlets “creatively” proliferating in the UK, you need to make focused efforts towards marketing yours so that you aren’t lost in the crowd.
Marketing on social media is the number one option today.
It’s the fastest and most effective way to reach customers and drive engagement.
This leads us to the powerful concept of – pub social media marketing.
If you own a pub, small or big, this is a must-read for you.
Read on to understand what you need to do and those which are strict no-nos to make the most from your pub social media marketing.
Let’s get started.
Follow These 5 Dos in Pub Social Media Marketing
1. Profile new drink creations
2. Create authentic and relevant posts
3. Use local hashtags to be heard
4. Host photo/photo caption contests
5. Adopt influencer marketing
1. Profile new drink creations
With channels like Facebook that allow you to upload photos and videos besides text messages, you can take your pub social media marketing to newer strides.
You could capitalise on this option by posting images of a new drink creation that’s getting added to the menu.
You could thank the loyal followers by sharing a “sneak peek” at what you plan to come up with next.
2. Create authentic and relevant posts
You surely agree with us on – “there’s no pub social media marketing without posting to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?”
However, your posts must be authentic and not misleading to your potential customers.
There’s always a tug-of-war between posting promotional versus engaging content.
Promotional posts sometimes tend to distract customers instead of getting their attention.
Know why?
That’s because you may put some posts just to promote your drink, say, while a potential buyer might be tempted to read it in the hope of some great discounts or such, only to be disappointed.
Your promotional posts may instead turn away your customers! Beware!
A better idea would be to keep your customers engaged by posting interesting facts and stats, seeking their suggestions or opinions.
You will find more followers on your page who may soon turn into your customers, even!
3. Use local hashtags to be heard
Most people use Twitter to share news stories, while others use it to post their thoughts and opinions on various burning issues.
It certainly makes a great difference when you are a part of such discussions and people hear you. In many ways, you stand the chance of increasing your outreach.
In pub social media marketing as well, you need to boldly speak up about your ideas on Twitter-like forums to make an ever-lasting impression.
Well, in this regard, make sure to use local #hashtags so that if someone’s trying to search a theme or word, your content may be spotted easily.
4. Host photo/photo caption contests
Instagram is on the rage.
When bragging about your pictures or videos, Instagram is the final destination.
As pub owners, you could hold contests like “Best Pub Experience” or “Your best drink with us” which could ask the customers to upload the best images or videos.
Alternatively, you may upload a picture on Instagram and conduct a contest to find the best caption for it.
Reward your winners appropriately with discounts, coupons, or gifts to keep the frenzy on.
Pub social media marketing is incomplete without influencers.
After all, the influencers bring together a single digital marketing strategy across all social media channels.
Influencers with a huge following on Facebook would also have a good following on Instagram and likewise. So, it’s a powerful strategy to tap the potential of influencers.
Well, there are various strategies out there to leverage influencers.
By working with local pub influencers, you can spread word-of-mouth buzz on your pub and gain popularity.
A few more tips.
If you get into a paid partnership program with an influencer, let your followers know that.
Besides, you can invite your favourite influencers to some special events and call the customers for a preview of the menu.
Alternatively, you could let your influencers try your drinks and post comments or pictures on social media; this would get you a good following at cheaper rates
One really good idea with influencers is to boost their content to your exact target audience.
On Instagram this is called a brand partnership ad and on TikTok it’s called a spark ad.
These are powerful because the influencers content can be fired to every single person over 18 who lives within 1km of your venue, so it guarantees the influencer content is reaching the right people.
These are just a couple of ideas – there are countless out there!
Remember these 5 Don’ts in pub social media marketing
1. Don’t overlook your customer queries
2. Don’t offer freebies lavishly
3. Don’t spam
4. Don’t ignore negative feedback
5. Don’t be impersonal
1. Don’t overlook your customer queries
People often post their queries, concerns, or even complaints about a service or product on channels like Twitter.
While you may not be paying attention, one day, you might be shocked to see your brand facing criticism for something on one of the tweets.
Don’t wait for that unfortunate moment.
Make sure to religiously check and monitor all conversations of your customers and anything related to your pub on Twitter.
Not just that, you need to take immediate action by responding to their queries or addressing their concerns.
2. Don’t offer freebies lavishly
Sometimes, you may plan a marketing strategy to attract more customers in a short time by offering them lavish prizes or discounts.
One example could be like “If you tag 3 friends in the comments section of our Facebook page, you get a free buffet lunch with your family.”
You will soon find people flocking with referrals on your social media page and they enjoy the prize as well.
However, once the free meal is over, they are unengaged and disinterested, which doesn’t turn them into a real customer.
This is because this offer has no strings attached.
A better idea would be offering a plum discount on a future transaction or minimum spending.
No one likes to get continuously spammed, right?
Some pubs keep reposting their offers or ads until the period ends.
The philosophy of pub marketers is that by repeatedly showcasing the offers or products, they raise the customers’ interest and curiosity, triggering them to purchase.
Hey, did you know you are actually making a mess of your marketing strategies?
People get fed up with such reposts, and you may find just a couple of “likes” for your post.
This indicates the loss of interest in your pub’s products from the customers.
This is a caution for you.
Continuing with such practice may lead to customers completely ignoring your pub in the future.
Instead, you could boost your pub social media marketing through advertising and find newer avenues to drive traffic.
4. Don’t ignore negative feedback
When you visit a pub, there are things you like a lot. That’s great!
However, there are also things you don’t like.
The same is the case with your customers. Accept and acknowledge negative comments from your customers and focus on ways to improve.
It showcases your thorough professionalism in serving your customer needs as best as possible.
Most pub marketers use chatbots to respond to customer queries.
This could be a grave mistake! In pub social media marketing, your customers expect personalised replies and look forward to getting their queries answered by someone with a human touch.
If your pub is small, do these interactions personally.
If you have multiple outlets, use chatbots that reply in a “human-like” way to at least give the customers a feeling of being considered important.
Wrapping up
With pubs on the rise, marketing them effectively is imperative.
Adopt pub social media marketing techniques to boost your pub’s sales and maximise customer engagement.
Adhere to the dos and don’ts outlined in the blog to optimise your social media marketing outcomes.
