Bar Branding – How to Set Your Bar Brand Apart on Social Media
Setting your bar brand apart on social media is vital if you want to beat your competition and be full most nights of the week.
As the cultural change starts to dissipate, it’s becoming more and more prudent for bar owners to up their marketing game—especially on social media.
Whether you’re more proficient on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter respectively, it’s time to amalgamate all three and raise the bar (pun unintended) when it comes to social media marketing for pubs.
Here’s how to set your bar brand apart on social media.
1. Defining your ideal patrons
2. Image driven campaigns
3. Showcase your logo
4. Showcase your food
5. Showcase your staff
6. Showcase your patrons
7. Event marketing
8. Inventive meme creation
9. Ridiculous specials
10. Community building and engagement
1. Defining your ideal patrons
Before you start with any particular social media marketing campaign, you need to define your ideal demographic.
For instance, if you’re predominantly identifying as a sports bar, then your campaign will need to follow a certain path relating to sports.
If it’s a single’s bar, then this will also influence the type of content you post.
Facebook will allow you to target campaigns to certain demographics as well as to people with certain interests. This is invaluable for those who are looking for a certain ‘category’ of patron.
Make sure you do this before you do anything else!
2. Image driven campaigns
Pubs and bars thrive on image-based marketing. Fortunately, three of the largest social media platforms accommodate these types of campaigns perfectly. Here are some elements to keep in mind.
A logo for your bar is an absolute must if you’re endeavoring to go public on social media. Get ahead of your competition and design a bar logo that not only represents you appropriately, but also catches the eyes of those ideal patrons you want to attract.
4. Showcase your food
Food photography has shown to increase sales at restaurants and bars on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Take pictures yourself, or get a professional photographer to take some for you.
Be sure to add your logo to every image you post, as this will identify you and create brand awareness.
A great logo maker will ensure you have the logo in different sizes for editing.
5. Showcase your staff
Faces are a great marketing tool. Your staff are the representatives of your company and should be showcased on social media as much as your food and beverages are.
6. Showcase your patrons
Taking photos of your patrons having a good time is a sure way to promote brand loyalty and awareness to those who haven’t visited your establishment before. Make sure someone is interacting with your patrons on a regular basis, and use this interaction as an excuse to snap a few pics.
7. Event marketing
As a bar owner you probably already know how effective event hosting is. But you may also be wondering what kinds of events you should be hosting, and how you can translate these events into a social media marketing context.
Here’s some inspiration.
Theme events
Themes such as St. Patrick’s Day or Halloween can give you the perfect opportunity to boost your brand awareness. But competition may be stiff with events like these, so it’s time to tap into your creativity!
Making a small investment into decorating your bar for one night can go a long way to attract your patrons. But this must be showcased on social media in the form of previous events of the same kind, or preparatory images that indicate what patrons can expect if they DO come.
Quiz events
Regular quiz nights can be a big hit at any pub. If you do host a quiz night, be consistent about it and make sure your patrons know when it will be taking place. Remind them of your quiz night on a weekly or monthly basis on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to pair your ads with images of previous quiz nights.
Karaoke events
Images of people singing at your bar will generate loads of interest to those who simply can’t resist a karaoke night. Generate further interest by inviting individual patrons that feature in your photos and offering them a free drink for every friend they bring with.
Singles events
Although online dating has become the preferred method of meeting other singles, there is still a huge drive among all age groups to meet at a bar. Groups of friends often frequent establishments that identify a certain night as ‘Singles’ Night’. Capitalize on this by running a singles night campaign on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
8. Inventive meme creation
While you’re running around taking pictures of your fun bar evenings, why not use those images to create funny memes. Followers on social media thrive on meme comedy, and will want to become a part of it!
It’s important to always attach your brand logo to any meme you create so that your audience identifies that entertainment with visiting your establishment.
Memes also give you an excellent means of communicating your advertisements in an image-based format. This is a format that is more likely to generate likes, shares and comments—the lifeblood of any social media campaign.
Because these campaigns focus on individuals, it’s a great way to create customer loyalty and customer interest. This is the new way to do word of mouth marketing, so focus on it if you want more people to visit your bar.
9. Ridiculous specials
Translating your specials into image form will go a long way to generate patron awareness. The fact is that offering one item on special will draw large crowds to your bar, and these will also sample your other products.
People draw people, so all you need to do is make sure they have a reason to come. Selling a certain type of drink for an extremely low price for a limited period of time is a great investment into future patron loyalty.
10. Community building and engagement
Beyond promoting your bar’s offerings, building a strong community around your brand is crucial.
Social media platforms provide the perfect avenue to connect with your patrons on a deeper level.
Engage with your followers by responding to comments, messages, and reviews.
Encourage user-generated content by running contests and challenges, such as “Best Bar Photo” or “Caption This.”
Collaborate with local influencers to expand your reach and introduce your brand to a wider audience.
By fostering a sense of community, you’ll not only increase brand loyalty but also generate valuable word-of-mouth marketing.
Remember, a thriving online community can significantly impact your bar’s success, attracting new patrons and retaining existing ones.
Final thoughts
A bar is a place where memories are made. You can focus on recording these memories by focusing on an image-based mindset for your bar brand.
Those same images are going to become a unique avenue of marketing for your establishment, and images are bound to generate much interest on social media.
So, plan your strategy, grab your camera, and let the good times roll!
