PUBlicity: Stand Out Over Other Bars and Pubs

Owning and running a business is no easy task in itself, especially a bar.  However, owning and running a bar comes with the territory of a fast paced environment that requires constant attention. In the food and drink industry, your customers are your only source of revenue. In order to maximize the people who drink at your bar you need to make sure that your place is standing out over others, most importantly your competition. Below is a little advice on how to accomplish this tough task.

Get Involved in the Local Community

A great way to gain exposure and credibility is to get involved with the local community. A great way to do this is by catering or sponsoring events around town such as golf tournaments, fundraisers for nonprofits, trivia nights and other occasions that members of the community will attend. Doing this will help get your name out there to those who haven’t heard of you and it may even involve some sampling of your famous drinks.

Another great way to get involved is by hosting your own fundraisers or events at your bar. Again, this will help gain visibility of your place while at the same time giving people a chance to come in and get a taste of what you specialize in, while feeling involved in their community. By doing this, it gives people a reason to come to your local pub without much opportunity cost and to have a good time.

Utilize Social Media

Over the past few years this has become a no brainer. By engaging your audience on social media outlets, you can keep in touch with them even when they are not belling up to your bar and having a drink. This is also a great opportunity to run current specials, have contests & giveaways, and to get instant feedback of what your customers are saying.

You can really help yourself standout over competitors by the way you manage your social media. People love to feel involved and acknowledged by companies they socialize at, so responding and engaging with them when they post about you is extremely important.

Be Unique, But Remain Consistent

A great way to draw people in is by running specials on drinks and meals. This is a great tactic, but you have to be careful that you don’t switch it up too much. By running similar specials on the same day every week, people can keep that in their minds after they have been there once or twice. However, you don’t want to remain too stagnant, so you may consider offering a special on a drink or two, and change it up daily. This can really help increase the amount of repeat customers you get because they are familiar with what your normal specials are, but there might just be a surprise special on one of their favorite beverages.

Customer satisfaction is one of the most important aspects of almost any bar, pub or business, so keep your customers happy by staying engaged with them and offering perks that they may not receive at other establishments. By doing this you can really help your bar stand out and gain a competitive advantage over rivals.

Willie is the owner of Willie's Pub and Fieldhouse, a local bar and restaurant in Columbia, MO.