When it comes to marketing, complacency means stagnation, and stagnation means no new customers.

No sports bar wants to see their customer base dry up. That means that even after you have a core group of regulars, you have to continue marketing to bring in new customers.

So, how do you do that?

For starters, keep doing what you did to get those regulars. What worked once will work again. But if you want some fresh ideas, keep reading.

Generate More Reviews

Restaurant TV screen displaying a QR code requesting positive reviews in exchange for discount

For many sports bars, reviews function as critical drivers of customer acquisition. A high percentage of positive reviews attracts more business for you — but getting those reviews can be incredibly difficult.

The best moment to ask for a review is when the experience is still fresh — and you can use your TVs to make your request. Simplify the process with a trackable QR code: your diner scans the QR code, goes to your review platform of choice and can immediately leave their review while the experience is still top of mind. You could even pair your review request with an incentive, like 10% off their next bill.

The more positive reviews you have, the more likely you are to bring in new customers, and that translates to more revenue.

Reach New Types of Fans

Image of a live esports tournament event with a huge crowd

Image by Vinh Nguyen

Research shows that only 24% of Gen Z report interest in traditional sports. Yikes! This means you need to look beyond football, basketball, baseball, and other traditional sports if you want to bring in younger fans.

In recent years, esports have become a massive source of revenue — as much as 1.62 billion dollars by 2024.

That’s right: billion.

Make your sports bar a go-to destination for esports fans now and become a cornerstone of the market. During off-seasons or nights when traditional sports aren’t playing, stream esports tournaments for games like Fortnite, League of Legends, Halo, or Overwatch.

Plus, esports fans are very willing to support their teams by purchasing merchandise. 1 in 3 esports fans report spending more than $1,500 on their team per year.

And if you’re wondering where or how to find esports streams, look no further than the SportsTV Guide, which lists every streaming event to worry about. You can also now display what games you plan on airing on your screens straight to your TVs, marketing those big events to your guests and superfans!

Start a Trivia Night

Edited image of sports bar guests sitting at a tabletop looking at a TV screen where UPshow trivia is playing

It’s a simple fact: you won’t be able to convince everyone in town to come to your bar on game nights.

But if you start a trivia night on evenings when there aren’t games, you can bring in a different set of people who will happily spend hours in your venue.

Trivia nights are great for families, too.

Bigger groups mean more revenue for your sports bar. Plus, you can ask people to share the fun on social media — which brings us to our final point.

Hashtag Your Venue

Young sports bar guest taking a selfie with food and drink in front of them

Do you have a particularly colorful cocktail you only serve during Happy Hour? Or an appetizer that looks just as amazing on a plate as it tastes? If you do, chances are your customers are snapping pics and sharing them on their social media accounts — and you can leverage that activity to your advantage.

Simply share a branded hashtag on your TV screens and remind people to tag their posts with it! When those posts go live, you’ll be able to showcase them on your screens.

This serves two great purposes:

  1. Your customers feel like stars: they get to see their photos on your screens and get that rush of excitement from being up in lights.
  2. You get free advertising: your guests are sharing your hashtag and photos of your venue, food or drinks on their social media without any additional cost to you! Take things a step further and repost the best photos — or even videos — to your bar’s social media pages.

Get Your Grow On

You’ve probably noticed that all of these suggestions leverage the screens inside your venue. To fully take advantage of them, you’ll need software that lets you turn your TVs into customer engagement platforms — and that’s where UPshow comes in. If you’re ready to try out these foolproof methods for customer growth, reach out to us today.