Remember that line from the film Field of Dreams, where Kevin Costner is told, “If you build it, they will come”? Well, that iconic phrase applies to trivia nights as well - if you have trivia nights, they (paying customers) will come. The only caveat is those potential customers need to know about your trivia nights, and that is where this blog, and the tips within, will come in handy.
Trivia events have become extremely popular in recent years, and as a result, many bar owners are getting on board the trivia train. The reason is simple – it’s a way to draw customers to your establishment on what are normally slow nights such as Sunday to Thursday. Many bar and pub owners are finding that their trivia nights are becoming their most popular nights of the week, and thus, their biggest money-makers.
I was talking to a bar owner in Michigan recently who uses Quizrunners, and she mentioned she has her trivia nights at her location on Tuesdays. She said that Tuesday night is now her busiest night of the week, and in fact, she has had to re-arrange her bar to accommodate the influx of new customers. She is also considering hosting a second trivia night every week. Many of our customers are telling us the same thing and our quizzes, in many cases, are being presented to standing room only bars. This translates to extra revenue for bar owners which is always a great thing. The question is, how do you get there? The answer: Promotion and advertising.
When it comes to running a great trivia event, having a good promotion and advertising campaign is one of the keys to success. So, if you are about to host your very first trivia night or if you’re already running quiz nights and have some empty seats, you should focus some of your energy on getting the word out about your event. This blog post will take you through some of the steps you will need to take your trivia nights to the next level.
Social media is all the rage nowadays. Almost everyone from all walks of life, age ranges, and interests uses social media to access and share information. Trivia night information is no different as it provides an avenue for you to get all your information out there to all your potential participants. If you haven’t already embraced this relatively new phenomenon, then it’s time to get on board. The following are some relatively easy, and cost effective, ways to get the word out about your event.
Facebook - Assuming you have a Facebook business page, you should advertise there regularly. If you don’t already have one, it’s easy to set one up and get started. Whether you have 20 followers or 20,000, spend time consistently getting the trivia night information out there. If you have a video clip or pictures of your last trivia night, share them several times per week. You can even post some sample trivia questions to get people thinking that maybe they’d like to attend.
You can also run targeted Facebook advertising to people who are local to your establishment. This is a great way to also build up your facebook page wtih thousands of relevant "likes".
Twitter - If you have a Twitter account, you should adopt a similar approach and get your information out there, as frequently as possible. Tweeting sample trivia questions is a good approach to engaging customers, or potential customers.
A sample of a tweet might be “Trivia night at the Tree Trunk, Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. Be there or be square!” You can also add information about a food or drink special such as, “Trivia night on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm, Wings are half price!” You may consider putting your tweet in the form of a trivia question such as “What local bar has the best trivia night in town? Answer: The Tree Trunk – Tuesdays at 7:00 pm.” You can also engage the customers by asking actual trivia questions from last week’s quiz such as “Which cast member of the show Friends had Kojac actor Telly Savalas for a Godfather? Answer: Jennifer Aniston”. Then you can follow with a tweet about the time and location of your next trivia night. There are endless possibilities, and it’s free, so be sure to tweet your way to success!
E-mail list - If your website has an e-mail subscriber database, make sure you e-mail all the information to those customers so that everyone is aware of the trivia nights. Be sure to add all the information about your events such as the dates and times. You may want to consider using a program like Mail Chimp which provides you with information such as how many times your e-mail was opened, and what the response to the e-mail was. This will give you important information so that you can tweak your emails to increase the engagement and interest level of the people on your e-mail list.
Web Site – Assuming you have a website, be sure to add all the trivia information to your website. If you have an events calendar on your site, add the trivia nights to the calendar.
Putting up posters in your bar/pub or even out in the community is a good ole fashioned, and time-tested, way of spreading the word about your event. Design an eye-catching poster with all the information about your trivia event and post it at the trivia location, as well as anywhere else in town where there is high traffic. Quizrunners offers free customized promotional posters with each subscription. Here are some samples of our posters:
Talk about your trivia events as much as possible, and have your staff do the same. If you own a bar and you’ve got a mic on the stage, be sure to spread the word about your trivia nights whenever someone is up there announcing a singer or performance. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to spread news, so be sure to ask your current patrons to tell their friends, family, and co-workers about the event.
What are people reading in your local region? The newspaper? A popular local magazine? Put your trivia night ad in the most popular print and you’ll reach plenty of potential customers.
We live in an incredible age. There is a myriad of methods you can use to promote your event that weren’t even available in years past. The great thing is, most of them are free! If you want to fill up your bar on a Monday or a Wednesday, then why not have trivia nights? If you do decide to go with trivia nights, then you should harness the power of this new age, and thoroughly promote and advertise using the above methods. Once the word gets out, you’ll be amazed at how many people attend, and how much extra revenue you will have as a result. You may soon find that your biggest problem is that there aren’t enough seats. That is a good problem to have, right?
Thank you for reading this blog. As always, we are here for you if you ever need help with your trivia nights. Visit quizrunners.com for more information.
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Explore the world of trivia in this blog, highlighting its benefits for memory, problem-solving, and social skills.
Dan... Pattiehouse
January 17, 2018
Where do I find poster template?