Customers Make the Best Marketers for Your Bar and Restaurant

by Ethan Hein

Even if you have a million ideas for promoting your bar or restaurant, you might find that none of them work. That is just the nature of the game. There are so many variables when it comes to marketing that you can never be sure of what is going to work. However, one of the tried and true methods of boosting business and sales has always been word of mouth. You want to have people talking and saying great things about your restaurant or bar, and you want those people to be genuine. While your employees and you might say great things, when it comes from the mouth of one of your actual customers, it is going to hold more weight.

How can you get your customers to start talking about your establishment? You will find that many of them already do. If you want them to spread the word even further, you might want to consider offering them some benefits for preaching the gospel of your bar or restaurant. Here is a simple way that you can do that.

Print up some business cards with your establishment’s name, number and address on them. You will also want to add a space on the card where your customer can print his or her name. The card is also a coupon that offers a discount of 10 to 15 percent for anyone who brings it into your place. The discount can be for meals, drinks, or anything that you like.

Pass these cards out to your customers, ask them to pass them out, and let them know that for every three cards that come back to your restaurant or bar, they will receive something free. You could choose to offer a free drink, a free dessert, or a discount. For customers who have ten or more cards coming back in the hands of their friends, consider offering that stellar promoter – a free meal.

By having your customers do the footwork of promotion for you, it will make your life much easier. You can start to focus on other areas of marketing and advertising. Your customers will be happy because they are getting discounts, and you should be thrilled because they are drawing in a large number of people to your place. In a situation such as this, everyone is a winner.