5 Ways to Generate Excitement Around Game Night at Your Local Bar

Are you tired of hosting game nights at your local bar only to find the turnout disappointingly low? Don’t worry, as we’ve got the solution to promote your gaming events to new heights of excitement and attendance. In this blog, we’ll explore five powerful strategies designed to transform your bar’s game nights from lackluster affairs into buzzing community hotspots.

With social media promotion, collaboration with local influencers, and other innovative techniques at your disposal, you’ll learn how to grab your audience’s attention and keep them coming back for more. Let’s begin!

1. Social media promotion

Social media promotion is an essential tool for modern marketing strategies, especially when it comes to promoting events like game nights at local bars. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer remarkable reach and engagement potential, making them ideal channels for spreading the word about your gaming offerings.

Create content that captures the essence of the gaming experience at your bar. Share engaging posts that showcase the atmosphere, camaraderie, and sheer enjoyment of game nights to entice potential attendees.

You can also use popular hashtags related to gaming, nightlife, and your local community to significantly increase the visibility of your social media posts and attract the attention of potential customers who may not already follow your accounts.

Encourage followers to like, share, and tag their friends in your posts to amplify your reach organically, tapping into their networks and expanding your promotional efforts beyond your immediate audience.

2. Collaborate with local influencers

Influencers have a dedicated and engaged following that trusts their recommendations and opinions. Collaborating with them helps you gain access to their audience and benefit from their credibility and influence within the community.

Firstly, it’s essential to identify influencers whose interests and values align with your bar’s brand and target demographic. Look for individuals who are passionate about gaming, socializing, and community involvement.

Once you’ve identified potential collaborators, reach out to them with a personalized proposal outlining the benefits of partnering with your bar. You could invite them to attend game nights as special guests, where they can mingle with patrons, participate in games, and share their experiences on social media in real time. Alternatively, you could co-host events together, using their expertise and creativity to enhance the overall experience for attendees.

For example, an influencer with a YouTube channel might create vlogs or livestreams showcasing the excitement of your game nights, while a local blogger might write articles or reviews highlighting the unique features of your bar’s gaming scene.

3. Flyer distribution

Sure, digital marketing has its perks, but nothing beats the tangible impact of a well-designed flyer. Start by creating an eye-catching design that grabs attention and clearly communicates all the essential details: the date, time, and location of your game nights, along with any special deals or activities you have planned. Make sure the font is readable and the visuals are engaging to draw people in from a distance.

You can use online graphic design tools such as PosterMyWall to design a visually appealing game night flyer. The templates are pre-made, so instead of starting from scratch, you can just customize them according to your preferences!

Once you’ve got your flyers ready to go, it’s time to hit the streets and target those high-traffic areas where your ideal customers are likely to be such as coffee shops, community centers, or local businesses where professionals frequently visit during their lunch breaks. You can also consider adding tear-off tabs with QR codes or links to your social media profiles to make it easy for interested parties to learn more and connect with your bar online.

4. Offer themed food and drinks

When you offer themed food and drinks at your bar’s game nights, you’re making the whole experience even more exciting! Imagine sipping on a cocktail named after your favorite game character or munching on appetizers shaped like chess pieces while playing a round of board games. It adds a whole new level of fun and immersion to the night.

You can get super creative with your menu, drawing inspiration from fantasy worlds, sci-fi adventures, or even classic board games like Monopoly or Scrabble. The themed appetizers and desserts add to the atmosphere and keep people coming back for more.

5. Email newsletters

Email newsletters are a great way to stay connected with your customers and keep them informed about what’s happening at your bar’s game nights. To begin, make sure you’re collecting email addresses from your customers either by having sign-up forms at your bar or by asking for them online through your website or social media. Once you’ve got your list, you can use an email marketing platform to create and send out newsletters.

When creating your newsletters, you can showcase upcoming game nights, share tips and tricks for gaming enthusiasts, or even offer special discounts or promotions exclusively for your subscribers. Personalizing your emails and segmenting your audience based on their interests and preferences can also help make sure that your messages keep them engaged.

Our Two Bits

Don’t forget, your aim is not just getting people to come to one event. It’s about making friends and keeping them coming back. If your game nights are fun and make them feel happy and welcome, your bar can become the favorite spot for gamers and people who like to socialize. So, be creative, engage with your customers, and let the fun of game night at your bar become something they’ll always remember!