Welcome to another episode of bar owner tv. I’m sorry for getting this episode out a week late but it’s because I was in Vegas for the Night club and bar show. And I have to say, it was a awesome convention this year.
I met a lot of new contacts and got some great ideas on new products that will really help boost profits and get more customers in the doors. As I use some of these new products and services myself and with my clients, I will let you know the results and where to get your hands on them.
Today I’m going to cover rules 2 through 4 to effective ads and promotions. Rule number one was you must have an offer in your marketing and rule number 2 is you must give your prospect or customer clear instructions on how to respond and take advantage of your offer.
Prospects are usually pretty good at following directions but there are a few out there who just don’t get it! So what do I mean by give them clear instructions on how to take advantage of your offer.
Let’s say you are running a promotion on Facebook to get a free meal or free drink or whatever. You want to state that they must mention the ad or show the ad on their phone in order to get your offer. Sounds like common sense but this allows you to track your marketing to see what’s working and what isn’t.
If you are sending out a offer in the newspaper, you want to make sure you tell them how they get that offer. Is it by calling in? Is it by bringing in a coupon? Is it by going to a website?
You must give them clear instructions and don’t assume that they understand. You are smart because you are a business owner. You get it! But other people are not like you. Think of your staff for example! You give them clear instructions on what you want done and is it always done correctly 100% of the time??
Rule number 3 and 4 go hand in hand with each other. Rule number 3 is you must get them to respond right away and number 4 is there will always be an expiration date or cut off to your special offer.
Why do you want to get people to respond right away? Because you want money in your pocket right away, not a month from now right? And how do you get people to respond right away? With a expiration date or a limited quantity.
We live very busy lives and if someone has your certificate our coupon or whatever you sent out and it doesn’t have any kind of urgency, they have no desire to use it right away and they could end up losing or forgetting about your special offer.
Think about seeing a ad for a brand new 70 in flatscreen and you are in desperate need for one because yours broke. If you saw that you could get $500 off on this TV as long as you bought it by Sunday, you’d get your ass in there right away and buy.Well this is the same kind of urgency you need to create with your special offer.
When using a expiration dates I wouldn’t go any longer than 21 days depending on what your offer is. I usually keep mine at 14-17 days from the time I send out my offers.
The other way I create urgency is by limiting the amount of offers I’m giving away. Each month I host a loyal customer party and give away 75 free dinners. You’re probably thinking I’m nuts for doing this but it’s actually very profitable because of the way I structure the free meal and run the promotion. Anyways, on those days I pack my bar on a slower day of the week and get people coming in an hour early, spending money on drinks, darts, pool, and appetizers, just to make sure they are one of the first 75 people.
So a quick recap about how to explode your marketing efforts. Always make sure there’s an offer, a irresistible offer that is. Make sure you give them clear instructions on how to take advantage of your offer. So, what do they have to do to get this offer?
You want to get them to respond right away by creating urgency. What are you going to do to get them off their lazy asses and get into your bar right away? Well, that’s it for today! Please leave any questions or comments below and I’ll cover rule number 5 in the next episode.
