The World Cup is coming up, which means one thing and one thing only – packed pubs and beer gardens full of punters wanting to watch the match with their friends beside them and a beer in hand.

It’s one of the most important sporting events of the year and an opportunity for pubs and bars around the country to usher in a whole new set of regulars.

But packed pubs don’t happen by accident. With several establishments in every area set to show matches, you’ll need to convince sports fans to choose your watering hole over others. The best way to guarantee crowds flocking to your pub for the big games? A killer hospitality marketing plan.

If you’re a marketing novice, don’t worry. With our top tips, you’re guaranteed to create a marketing for pubs strategy that will have your establishment packed for every match.

Get social

One of the easiest ways to promote your pub or bar to customers is using social media. It’s quick, effective, and, best of all, free. In fact, a whopping 52% of discovery from online sources comes through social media. But posting random photos and captions every so often just won’t cut it. You’ll need a social media strategy.

If you’re lacking in followers, follow people and other businesses from the local area in the hopes of getting some followers in return. When posting on Instagram, remember to use hashtags (especially local ones) so people can find you even when they’re not explicitly searching for your business.

It’s a good idea to post regular tweets, Instagram, and Facebook posts in the run-up to the World Cup, advertising your drinks deals and taking some artsy pictures of your beer garden or cosy interior.

Update your website

There’s a common misconception that small businesses can thrive on social media alone and no longer require a website. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.

While social media is an incredibly useful tool for attracting new customers, it works best as part of a wider hospitality marketing strategy that includes other types of web content.

Having a website is crucial because it makes your establishment look more professional and improves customer service. If potential customers have a choice between a pub with little online presence and a pub with a detailed website that features an online booking system, it’s clear which one they’ll choose.

Not to mention that not having a website blocks those who don’t have social media from finding out more about your business.

Encourage online reviews

One of the first places potential customers go to when deciding which pub to go to? The reviews. If your reviews are poor or you simply don’t have any, launch a strategy to encourage more punters to leave positive reviews, improving your pub’s reputation.

Social proof is more crucial than ever, with the rise of influencer marketing meaning consumers like to get a second opinion before purchasing a product or service.

To encourage online reviews from your regulars, offer a free drink or discounted drink to everybody who leaves a positive review. You’ll soon see your reviews (and, therefore, profits)

Invest In SEO

Have you ever wondered how brands and businesses get their websites to that coveted number-one spot on Google? It’s a little trick called SEO, which stands for search engine optimisation.

The easiest way to get your website to the top of Google is to post regularly on your site with blog posts or other content that uses keywords as well as structuring tips and tricks that Google’s algorithm looks out for. The further up Google you can get, the more people will come across your site organically.

If you maximise your SEO strategy using keywords and other SEO tricks, you can get your business to the top of Google, so when people search for ‘pubs in X area’, they’ll see yours. This technique is great because punters searching for pubs in the area already have purchase intent for that cold pint of Carling.

Invest in World Cup marketing that actually works

We get it; running a pub is busy work. You don’t have much time to finesse the perfect marketing strategy or upload perfectly curated content. That’s where we come in.