The Ultimate Pub Marketing Strategy for 2024
2024 is an incredibly important year to have a robust pub marketing strategy.
The last few years have been tough for the pub industry with high inflation rates, increased costs and post-effects of COVID and culture of going out.
Unfortunately, this meant that many service industries like pubs are struggling to get back to where they were pre-COVID.
A ton of businesses lost their only means of profit, and many companies scrambled to expand their online platforms.
This means that pubs need to create a strong marketing strategy to reassure the public and get their businesses back on track.
So how do you do this?
To make your pub marketing strategy stand out, you need to look at things from your customers’ perspective.
People have spent the majority of their time indoors, and they’re looking forward to going back to their favorite pub and meeting their friends.
However, the current climate makes this whole situation quite tricky because many customers don’t want to risk themselves or their families.
Therefore, in order to draw in the maximum number of customers, your strategy must cater to these needs.
We’ve listed seven ideas to help you create a robust pub marketing strategy that will help you to draw in customers. You can use the links below to jump to the section you want to read about:
1. Ensure that your pub adheres to all the safety measures that are required in your town
2. Use your social media platforms to announce that your pub is open for service
3. Revamp your menu to include fun new items
4. Email marketing is a great pub marketing strategy to inform loyal customers about your pub
5. Host events that allow small groups of friends to gather together
6. Create some new offers to entice customers to come into your pub
7. A venue-finding app like Bloc can help you to get locals into your pub
1. Ensure that your pub adheres to all the safety measures that are required in your location
When customers come to your pub for a fun night out, they want to be certain that your establishment has taken all the steps that are required to keep them safe.
People understand that going to a place that doesn’t heed these tips can be extremely risky.
That’s why your business must do everything possible to stick to the guidelines.
You could try to look around your pub to see what changes can be made.
One tip that you can use is to get your staffing right, so there’s enough security and people to act inside your pub.
One tip is to use an online ordering system to limit the interaction between your staff and the customers.
You can use your online platforms to inform your customers that your pub is dedicated to making their experience as safe as possible.
This will tell your customers that their health and safety are of the utmost importance to you.
2. Use your social media platforms to announce that your pub is open for service
Many people don’t know whether their favorite pubs are open or not, so they end up missing out on some great places.
If people aren’t aware that you’re open, they won’t come.
That’s why broadcasting your pub’s services is a good way to let people know that you’re open and ready to let your customers make some wonderful memories.
Social media is the perfect place to do this because many people use these platforms daily. However, you must make sure that your posts are as attractive as possible.
This article will give you a rundown of how to make your social media accounts pop.
Apart from these tips, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re using social media.
Once you have implemented all the safety measures, use your platforms to reassure your customers about this aspect.
Next, create few eye-catching posts to get the attention of your customers. Remember that these posts are crucial because they are meant to get your followers interested in your pub, so be sure to make them look stunning.
And finally, try to make a highlight reel of all your pub’s socially distanced events. This will show your customers that your pub is up and running while also giving them a small taste of what they’re missing out on.
3. Revamp your menu to include fun new items
Who doesn’t love trying and exploring new drinks?
New menu items are always an excellent way to offer your customers something fresh and new.
They’re also an amazing pub marketing strategy to get people into your pub.
That being said, in order to make a menu that is attractive, you need to create items that are current. The main appeal of special items is that they’re fun and exciting so remember to be as creative as possible.
So how do you create ‘exciting’ drinks?
Well, for example, let’s say a new movie or a series just released online. You can capitalize on this show by coming out with a line of special drinks for the main characters in the show.
They could be color-coded, or they could even be based on some of the character’s favorite foods. Or you can pick out some of the main themes of the show that are easily recognizable.
But maybe there’s a soccer tournament that just started, and your town has a ton of sports lovers. In that case, you could also make a whole separate menu of quick bites for sports fans that just want to come in and have a good time.
Try to come up with ideas with help from your staff. You never know when you might get a menu item that becomes a mainstay at your pub.
4. Email marketing is a great pub marketing strategy to inform loyal customers about your pub
Most people nowadays tend to rely solely on social media marketing to draw people in.
However, email marketing can be a brilliant tactic for getting in touch with your long-time customers.
The great thing about email marketing is that you can drop a fancy poster with a small coupon right into your customer’s mailbox.
This means that you’re much more likely to perk their interest. You can also use your email to give your customers some updates about what events your pub may be hosting or any offers that might perk their interest.
The key to email marketing is to keep your emails short and sweet while remembering not to flood your customers’ inbox.
Don’t spam, as emails sent too often will end up being more annoying than useful for your customers. Instead, an occasional message every once in a while, about the upcoming events in your pub can serve as a perfect reminder for people interested in your venue.
5. Host events that allow small groups of friends to gather together
People are eager to meet their friends after a long wait, and your pub can be the perfect place to do that!
Events are always a great pub marketing strategy because pubs are places where people go to have fun and forget their busy week.
However, choosing which event to host can be a bit of a tough task.
This is especially true in 2024 because it’s not possible to host interactive events like a karaoke night.
To pick the right events, you must look at your audience and see what they want.
There are a ton of great shows nowadays, so try to look at what shows the local audience is interested in.
You could also use your social media accounts to take a poll and then host a viewing party. This is a great pub event that allows your clients to socially distance themselves from one another.
A viewing party gives your customers a great way to meet up with their friends to watch the finale of their favorite show or maybe a live sports event that’s going on.
You can also hire a live band for the night to liven up the atmosphere of your pub. This also gives local talent a place to showcase their skills. Themed events are also good, so be sure to look into all the upcoming holidays to plan your events out.
After you figure out which holiday suits you have a brainstorming session to figure out the decor and the menu for the event.
6. Create some new offers to entice customers to come into your pub
People have been cooped up in the house long enough, so it’s time to welcome them back to your pub with a special offer.
The reason why offers are such good marketing tools is that they encourage customers to come to check out your pub.
Everyone loves getting a discount, and once you’re able to get them into your pub, your service will speak for itself.
Try to make offers that showcase the best aspects of your pub. So, if one of your drinks is a best seller, pair it up with a complimentary dish and apply a discount to the pairing.
Or you could also offer a simple ‘get three for the price of two drinks’ offer.
All you need to remember is that your offers must highlight what makes your pub special. This will help you to use an attractive offer to show first-time customers why your pub is special.
7. A venue-finding app like Bloc can help you to get locals into your pub
These ideas will all help you to grow your customer base, but they won’t work immediately.
The truth of the matter is that every pub marketing strategy takes a bit of trial and error to work out all the flaws. But what if there was a way to get instant results?
That’s where Bloc can help you out. We’ve all used a location app before to navigate unknown areas. These apps can be incredibly useful for tourists that are coming from out of town.
But Bloc takes this idea to the next level. Wherever someone uses Bloc to find a location, the app will give them stars. The users can then exchange these stars for relal money.
This means that customers get an incentive for using the app to find businesses that have partnered with Bloc. Additionally, signing up with Bloc is quick and easy to do, making it an effective marketing strategy.
Summing up
We hope that our tips have given you a bit of inspiration.
Although it’s impossible to predict what the rest of 2024 is going to be like, it’s clear that the events of the last few years are going to affect our lives for a long time.
Make it a point to keep yourself up to date on what the current situation is in your town so that you can act accordingly.
At this point, we can’t say exactly what the future may hold, but we can say that people are in need of a bit of fun, and that’s exactly what pubs are for.
Some ideas may work, and others may not and figuring out which idea is good is the key to creating a good marketing strategy.
Just be persistent and try to come up with new innovative strategies to showcase all the best aspects of your pub.
When it comes to marketing strategies, you can never have too much useful information. Our blog page has many excellent articles on a large array of topics designed for venue owners.
So, go check it out to get some inspiration to formulate your next pub marketing strategy.
Maybe you’re looking for an app that will help you to bring in customers. In that case, you might want to consider Bloc. This social media platform will allow you to get a regular influx of customers with minimal effort.
We are so confident in our platform that we offer a free trial period for any business out there. Start your trial period today, and we can guarantee that you’ll love our services.
