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There are a lot of tips out there that can help you run a successful bar, but sports bars present their own unique set of challenges and opportunities. By targeting the sports community, you can create a fun environment and a set of regular customers. But, how can you combat lulls between major sporting events and keep the interest and excitement piqued year-round? Can you appeal to a casual crowd without alienating sports fans? Read on for a few sports bar marketing ideas that apply to new and established operations alike.:
You may already be equipped with a great menu, great service, and great pricing, but what you televise at your sports bar can make or break your business. Perhaps the most important thing to consider when it comes to sports bars is excellent programming. Broadcasting the local teams' games is an absolute must, but you’ll also want to create a broadcasting schedule to cover your establishment year-round.
To create regular customers, be sure to take full advantage of a fan base that is already established in your area during game season. If your sports bar is located in a town or city with a champion team, be sure to make your loyalty known by broadcasting their every game and getting into the excitement. Fans will then be able to use your establishment as a place to celebrate team victories or mourn team losses together. Even if the local team is off their game, maintaining a commitment to that team throughout the season can earn you some goodwill with its most ardent supporters. You can also draw local fans into your location by:
Broadcasting games from your local teams is important, but they will not provide you year-round coverage. So, what should you broadcast when many of the major sports enjoy their off-season? Consider showcasing classic sports broadcasts from years past that have local, national, or worldwide significance.
It's also important to expand your scope beyond regional sports coverage, especially when it comes to big games and events with broad appeal. You can take things to the next level by offering premium content that customers otherwise wouldn't have access to without paying subscription fees. This could mean showing pay-per-view events like boxing matches or providing access to every pro football game (which are regionally restricted). The key is to draw patrons in with something they couldn't just tune into at home on basic cable.
Not sure what to show? Poll your customers on sporting events they would be interested in viewing that go beyond what regional cable can offer. Once you establish what you will be broadcasting, prepare a schedule that customers can access so they don’t miss their favorite events.
Once you have decided what you will be broadcasting in your sports bar, you’ll need to make sure that the sports atmosphere is established to accompany the games and matches. The atmosphere depends not only on your decor but on your staff as well.
Help your customers become fully immersed in the wide world of sports with some careful interior decorating. Pennants, pictures, jerseys, sports movie posters, balls, and other memorabilia should be craftily sprawled across the walls of your sports bar, with extra points for anything that's autographed. Here are some more ways to embrace the fandom in your establishment:
Your location may be decorated in the right way, but your staff can truly make the sports atmosphere come alive with their attire and their conversations. You may choose to have your wait staff all in referee uniforms to embrace the sporting theme while keeping it general. Another option would be to design a custom jersey for your sports bar featuring each staff member's name on the back. On special occasions, you might encourage them to wear their favorite team's jersey. And remember— sporting events are a social experience so, while not everyone needs to be a die-hard fan, hiring those who have a basic level of sports knowledge can turn some of your more passionate customers into regulars.
One of the most important elements of sports bar marketing is advertising. You may have great food and a lively atmosphere but, advertising through social media and other more traditional methods can help fill your seats, even during your local team’s off-season.
Using social media as a sports bar marketing tool provides you with instantaneous connections with your customers. Establish a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms to make your business more accessible to followers. These sites can give you a strong and free way to spread the word about special deals and events to your target audience.
But if promotions are all you have to offer on social media, they can easily become white noise, so be sure to actively communicate with your followers to establish a more meaningful and profitable rapport. Consider the following social media features to get your sports bar’s name known:
If you’re not into the social media scene, consider creating a website where customers can access information about your sports bar and promotions you’re currently running. The National Restaurant Association discovered in a 2017 study that 90% of smartphone users first search for restaurant information online when choosing a dining establishment. A website, Google listing, or Yelp page may make your location more prevalent during their search.
You can also try creating a loyalty app or mobile club using SMS marketing where customers can opt-in to have coupons and other special offers sent directly to their phones. There are a lot of things to consider when going this route, so be sure to research how to set up an SMS campaign system before you get started.
In an age of technology, you may find that there is a lot of competition in an online setting. Here are some traditional sports marketing methods that can help you advertise directly to your local community:
Sponsoring a local team or charity can be a highly effective advertising choice in traditional sports bar marketing. This allows your bar to create connections with the local community while getting exposure for your brand name. Supporting your community establishes your company as a valuable asset to the neighborhood while providing a place where locals can come to dine and relax.
When you sponsor an amateur league team, your advertisement may be placed on banners in the stadium, in the program during games, and sometimes even on their jerseys. Your sports bar also becomes a location where the team can bring their friends and family to celebrate victories or unwind after losses.
It's understandable that your target customers for your sports bar will be sports fans; however, to maintain a steady flow of business, you’ll also want to provide ways to attract and entertain non-sports fans. The key is knowing how far you can go to create an environment that will appeal to the casual crowd, without interfering with the sporting atmosphere enjoyed by your regular customers. There are various ways that you can cater to both sports fans and non-sports fans alike.
Creating a game room in your sports bar can give customers fun activities to do while they wait for their food and keep them ordering drinks while they play. You can include games like:
Competitive games get guests involved and excited, especially when there are prizes to be won. For prizes, you can offer a free beverage or appetizer, merchandise with your sports bar's logo on it, or gift cards. Here are some competitive events you may be interested in featuring:
Creating events like live appearances can give your customers something to look forward to and bring in a new crowd of faces who come to support the act and order food and drinks while they are there. Some suggestions for live appearances include:
Larger parties of customers tend to gravitate toward locations where their group can have an added level of privacy. By adding a party room that can be rented or a patio that can be reserved, customers can then host private events at your sports bar. When those areas are not booked, they can be used for overflow seating.
You can build these tips into your sports bar marketing plan to start bringing in customers and keep them coming back for more, whether they are sports fans or not. However, don’t be discouraged if you do not see immediate positive feedback after implementing one of these ideas. Give it time, poll your regular customers about their needs and wants, and adjust accordingly to achieve success in your sports bar.
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