How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Pub.
Social Stats!
Did you know 32.5 million of the UK population are active on Facebook a huge 60% of the UK. 26% of users are aged 25 to 34 years.
It’s by far the most popular social media network in the world with over 1.86bn users worldwide compared to Instagram’s 15 million, with 39% of its users aged 16-24 and a slightly higher female audience of 64%, Facebook’s audience is 56% female.
So why do these stat’s matter?
Marketing on social media is relatively easy, cost effective and has a far higher reach than other more traditional types of advertising for the cost involved.
Marketing your business is essential
We live in a competitive world and those who continue to do well from businesses small and large are those that not only have a good product, but know how to shout about it!
Do you have a Facebook page or Instagram account for your pub and more importantly do you actually use it regularly to keep your customers up to date with what’s happening in your pub?
How To Get Started: Facebook
Setting up a business page is easy.
Make sure you fill out all of the heading sections fully and categorise your business correctly.
There is a comprehensive guide here to help you. https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/set-up-facebook-page
Add some images to make it more interesting and then ask your Facebook friends to like it and share it with their friends so you can start to build page likes which will give you visibility.
Another good way to get people seeing your page is to write a post asking people to like the post, share your page and add a comment by offering a prize to one lucky sharer. It could be a meal, a bottle of wine, or a pitcher of beer, think about what your customer base would like to win.
Be aware that Facebook competition rules state that you can ask someone to like a post but NOT to like your your page.
How To Get Started: Instagram
Instagram is like a big noticeboard of pictures, it’s a very visual marketing tool and easy to set up and have on your phone. You can give access to another member of staff too.
You can post pictures of drinks promotions, food, the sun in your beer garden, the washing up. People like to have a window into what goes on and it’s the simple natural things that are most popular.
Here’s how to set up your page, you can then download the app onto your phone https://help.instagram.com/182492381886913
You can follow other local businesses and like their pictures too to help promote yourself to them and support other local businesses like you, they are likely to reciprocate!
Where Is Your Audience?
Demographics suggest that Facebook is most popular with the age ranges of 25 to 34 whereas Instagram is a younger customers preferred social network.
Personally we would suggest having both, you can even link your Instagram account to your Facebook so any posts you do you can opt to share at a swipe of a tab onto your facebook page
The Importance Of The #Hashtag!
Imagine a hashtag is the social media equivalent of a filing cabinet. It’s a way of categorising what a subject is about.
On Facebook up to 4 hashtags is fine with 3 being the most used. Think common themes so #wine #beer #cocktails #happyhour #pubs #yorkshire
On instagram the most popular posts have up to 11 hashtags and you can have a bit more fun and be more creative with them. When you type a hashtag it will show you the number of times posts have been hashtagged with that word which will help you decide which ones to use.
Press Record!
Video is a major player in social media and facebook has set its sights on being a rival to Youtube which means it loves video content and preferentially shows that in users timelines . This can be nerve racking for the uninitiated.
A great example of video content done well is the page tipsy bartender https://www.facebook.com/TipsyBartender/
This is obviously an example of a very video orientated page but what’s to say you can’t film a little clip on your phone and upload with a description? Once you’ve done one, you will feel comfortable and get into the swing of things.
Get A Schedule & Be Consistent!
Facebook has a nifty little feature allowing you to schedule when you want to post your update. This means when you get a quiet moment you can not only add your events to an events calendar but also sort your posts for the week ahead.
So if Monday night is pie and pint, Wednesday is quiz night and Friday is National Tequila Day, you can add your posts and schedule them ready to go on those day’s. Another job done!
Try to post at least once a day, ideally 2 or 3 times to keep your name in your audience’s mind
What Shall I Post?
Audiences love behind the scenes of running your pub, food, cocktails, beer, staff pictures, people having fun, menus, weather pictures, sports and sporting tips, football banter, events. There is literally a massive amount of things that go on in your pub that your customers would find interesting.
Get posting and then see what get’s the most likes, shares and comments and make sure you do more of the same.
Once you get into a routine it will become easy and just part of your daily running of your pub.