You can’t merely mount a few big screens on the wall and keep the beer flowing to guarantee steady business; smartphones allow modern sports fans to keep track of their favorite teams and interact with a likeminded community in just a few taps of the screen. But don’t fret – by integrating today’s cutting edge technology into your marketing plan you can fill seats even in the off-season and leave the competition behind.
Sports Trivia
The greatest defining factor of a sports bar patron is their thirst for competition. Tap into that desire to play by allowing patrons to engage each other in trivia and other sports-related games.
Buzztime’s numerous sports trivia games, like Buzztime Sports: Football Edition, encourage patrons to stay for entire sessions and to return to defend their title. The tabletop tablets engage football fans in quick on-demand games that can complement the big game on TV or serve as a fun competitive addition during commercials or between televised games while patrons are building a community of similarly competitive players.
Social Media
In 2016, it’s imperative that your sports bar centers its marketing on essentially free and reliably effective social media marketing. Social networks like Facebook provide the tools to target users based on self-submitted sports interests, location, age, and gender, so your posts about promotions will reach the proper demographics. Interweave promotions and social networks by providing perks in your sports trivia league if patrons share your promotions with their cyber circle.
Digital Signage
Digital signage gives you full control over the customer experience. Promotions can be integrated into the platform to reflect price changes and added menu options during live games.
Digital signage can encourage impulse purchases or competitions and mini-tournaments, which lead to fans staying longer and ordering more wings and drinks as the game goes into overtime. In addition to tablet entertainment like interactive sports trivia that keeps customers engaged for hours, Buzztime offers a suite of digital signage tools so you can promote high-revenue menu items, loyalty programs, and special events on your big-screen TVs.
Outcome-Based Promotions
Rev up the excitement and ensure fans stay for an entire game by offering promotions and discounts based on the outcomes of games and individual plays. Offer a free drink to a patron every time their favorite player scores, or offer 10% off a group tab if their selected team wins the game. Always research the probability of your promotional perks paying out – if it’s too high you should lower the value of the perk to reduce costs.
By connecting your promotions to the outcomes of live games, raising customer awareness of said promotions through digital signage, reaching the proper demographics with concentrated social media marketing, and engaging customers year round with exciting sports trivia, you’ll foster a competitive community that chooses your sports bar over all others due to promotional incentives and an immersive atmosphere.
To learn more from industry experts like Ram Krishnan and network with operators, suppliers and more of your peers, register now for the 2016 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show!