Three Ways to Advertise Your Bar without Breaking the Bank

Spring is here (almost). And many people are glad to get out of the house and enjoy a nice evening outside that might, more often than not, end at a restaurant or bar.

As the owner, you love your bar, and you know that others would love it too if they just knew about it. Advertising and marketing is one of the most difficult things for businesses to understand.

The reason it is so difficult is that people really don’t know what does and doesn’t work with advertising. Some things you do are going to stick, and some won’t. The trick is to market as much as you can until you find what works for your bar. However, you can’t constantly spend thousands of dollars on advertising and not get results. You would go broke quickly.

The following are three simple ways that you can advertise without spending a fortune. Implement all of them and see what works the best for you.

First, look at your website. You do have one, right? If you don’t have a website, you need to put in the effort to set one up right away. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to do this. See if you have someone working for you that can set up a site and have them do it for you. It will be much more cost effective than hiring out. You might even want to choose a blog instead. You can set one up on your own in just minutes. You can have separate pages that have images of your bar furniture and interior design, of happy customers, drink specials and much more. Turn it into a community for you customers, a place where they can gather even when they aren’t at the bar. It is a good idea to keep your site updated and post on your blog at least once a week about what is happening at the bar.

Second, head to the social networking sites and set up a page for your bar. Make sure that you have links from the social networks to your site and vice versa. Update these frequently, and make sure that the updates and Tweets convey your bar properly. If you have a friendly neighborhood bar, the posts should reflect that. The same holds true if you have a posh, exclusive drinking establishment.

Third, never underestimate the power of word of mouth and free advertising. If you have an event planned at your bar, such as a singles night or a karaoke night, let everyone know. Submit a press release through free sites on the web, and even contact your local paper. A small write up can send tons of customers your way.

Whatever you decide to do, it is important to have an online presence. Whether you choose only one of the above options or a combination of both, remember that with a little time and even less money you can have a large advertising platform at your disposal. Just make sure the feedback is mostly positive and don’t ignore bad comments. Addressing comments and interacting with your customers is what will make your bar stand out and be perceived as a friendly and fun establishment.