New bar still under construction? It’s not too soon for social media

Posted by ianmara on Aug 30, 2011 in Bar Marketing, Social Media for Bars | 0 comments

There are few things as stressful and time consuming as opening a new restaurant or bar. You are essentially balancing the pressure of moving with what is a major change in your business. Free moments are going to be few and far between.

But don’t use that easy excuse to ignore the opportunity to build the foundation of your social media presence. It may seem to be low on the priority list as you are wrangling vendors and eying budget, but this a critical time for the social media component of your marketing strategy.

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Establishing the best social media voice for your bar

Posted by ianmara on Aug 29, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 0 comments

So you’ve finally become familiar with the world of social media. You’re monitoring Foursquare check-ins, interacting with Facebook fans and cell phone-tweeting with speed and accuracy that would make a high school sophomore envious.

Just as important as your technical savvy is making sure you maintain a tone consistent with that of your business. Social media is a conversation and you need to be sure you’re using the right language.

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Customer Spotlight: The Big Bar

Posted by ianmara on Aug 19, 2011 in Customer Spotlight | 0 comments

The Big Bar & Grill is located in Columbus on the campus of The Ohio State University. It is a popular watering hole nestled in prime real estate near the university’s athletic facilities, off-campus student communities and surprisingly affordable tattoo parlors.

In the past year we’ve worked with the The Big Bar to make sure its management takes advantage of the fact its primary customer base – the under-30 crowd – lives and breathes smart phones and social media. With that it mind, here are a few of the strategies we’ve helped them undertake: Read more..

Would a customer choose your bar based on Facebook alone?

Posted by ianmara on Aug 17, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 0 comments

We’ve got some bad news. The days of potential customers driving down Main Street and deciding where to grab a sandwich or a beer based on brick-and-mortar appearance are pretty much gone. That sweet awning just ain’t what it used to be.

In most cases the modern storefront is going to be how you look online, particularly to search engines and social media platforms. In the world of social media, Facebook might just present the best opportunity at one site for you to create an accurate and thorough portrait of your business. Read more..

Is your promotional prize enough to get the job done?

Posted by ianmara on Aug 13, 2011 in Bar Marketing | 2 comments

Weighing the cost of complimentary or discounted items against the value they serve marketing your business is a tricky business. The “2-for-1 Maine Lobster on Days Ending in ‘y’” special isn’t going to help your bottom line, but you won’t get much out of “Free Pint Glass Rental With Every Beer,” either.

In social media the name of the game is making sure the special is appealing enough to drive customers first to your social media platforms, then to your place of business. With sites like Facebook and Foursquare, communicating with customers is the goal. And that obviously can’t happen without anybody to participate.

Buffalo Wild Wings, a client of ours based in the Dayton, Ohio area, offered six free wings for customers after their first Foursquare check-in. For six weeks the response was minimal. Then the restaurant tried giving away 12 wings. The difference was immediate and dramatic. Participation more than doubled and the impact was felt with larger crowds and more customer interaction.

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