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Marketing Night clubs off line

by jarettc
8 replies
What is the best way to do it to get people in and get numbers moving into the club ? Flyers, business cards, sales technique? Just wondering if we have any fellow promoters here. Thx
#clubs #line #marketing #night
  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    Originally Posted by jarettc View Post

    What is the best way to do it to get people in and get numbers moving into the club ? Flyers, business cards, sales technique? Just wondering if we have any fellow promoters here. Thx
    Would have to know a bit more - not so much about the club, but the surrounding community. Is there a college? a density of target audience?

    Aside from that.. here it is straight.. gorilla marketing ( aka cheap marketing ) is only going to get you so far. The reality is you need to be looking at mainstream offline marketing. Newspaper ads - would be looking to get into the Friday whats happening section. Depending on your establishment maybe even the mid week food section? The other option is radio - solid targeting, by no means cheap, but proven to be worth the expense.

    The next question.. again depending on the target audience.. why offline? 30 something and younger.. hell 40 something and younger you should be pumping the day lights out of social.
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    • Profile picture of the author jarettc
      I already do social marketing pretty well but, it isn't an end all means. This is hot young 18-35 demo. They are everywhere across US. They have lots of fun and want to party. I'm all about that, but paid means will not cut the cake. I believe (stubbornly) truth and some of the best marketing comes from the creative spirit. Very hard to get back returns on some of these ad campaigns I see. especially archaic newspapers. I would have to pass
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by jarettc View Post

        I already do social marketing pretty well but, it isn't an end all means. This is hot young 18-35 demo. They are everywhere across US. They have lots of fun and want to party. I'm all about that, but paid means will not cut the cake. I believe (stubbornly) truth and some of the best marketing comes from the creative spirit. Very hard to get back returns on some of these ad campaigns I see. especially archaic newspapers. I would have to pass
        18 to 35? so it has come to that point? the point being under 21... Unders may bring in dollars at the door.. but it actually works against drawing the ones over 21 that will stay for 2.5 hours and consume on average 5 drinks.

        So ok newspaper wont work ( sarcasm ) so stand on some street corner and hand out flyers... strike a deal with a Frat at the local college and let all of the under 21 crowd in and get popped for under aged drinking. or bring in a decent dj at least once a week and advertise by more traditional offline means and fill the place.

        You may not like it.. you don't have to.. but it works. you can be a puissant and stand firm on your beliefs or run the facility right into the ground and be a weekend only teen club.. might as well invest in a skating rink.

        The thing with Gorilla marketing.. its straight up time consuming.. you usually have to give something away, to actually get a crowd. and getting that crowd one day, doesnt mean they will repeat... the energy needed to repeat the effort week in and week out is daunting at best.... That's why outlets like radio do so well.. it hits the audience over and over week in and week out.. with obviously little to no effort. Newspaper is the same thing. Design the ad, and run it 2 days a week.

        Social media is where you place the effort. The digital media becomes the reinforcement of the traditional message. But the creative spirt needs to be up there with the digital medium. Hey check us out tonight aint going to do it... you need to design and execute a full blow digital campaign.. video - ads - posts - pics Social media with the 18 to 35 target needs to entertain first advertise / brand second...
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  • Profile picture of the author animal44
    Originally Posted by jarettc View Post

    What is the best way to do it to get people in and get numbers moving into the club ? Flyers, business cards, sales technique? Just wondering if we have any fellow promoters here. Thx
    Invite Prince Harry...?

    Who has influence over this group? Invite them and leak it to the press...

    Or you could try cold calling...
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  • Profile picture of the author TMets5
    There are methods that can be used offline and online but a great way is to get the club to offer a "locals only" deal such as half price drinks or special locals night and then find a method to capture either email addresses or phone numbers for sms marketing. A club should focus on building a huge customer list that will be key for future promotion and not just a one time event....targeted FB ads leading to an offer on a landing pg is one way to capture some of these leads
    Best of luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author stanton
    Social media is definitely the way, and these days that means paying.

    I have seen a buddy of mine using social media to promote nights, both before and after the event (people love having their photo taken and published on a nightclub site), take his place from empty to standing room only in 6 months. He got so popular that other venues tried to get the cops to shut him down, until he started paying the cops off that is
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  • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
    In my day it was always about the groups that were going to a specific venue and what night they were going.

    For example we could go to three clubs in one week.

    Tuesdays might be one trash place where nurses got in free and drinks were 2p.

    Wednesdays it was 60's night at the Camden Palace

    Fridays would be The Mud Club.

    All of them had something in common.

    A queue in the street waiting to get in.

    A reputation that the cool people would be there and there was a strong likelihood that you would meet people you both knew and also new people, usually of the opposite sex, who you get to know and party with.

    I'm not sure what marketing they did but it was definitely reaching the influencers.

    If social is reaching the influencers nowadays then go down the social route.

    If physical social proof still works like the line outside, how hard can it be to gather a "rent-a-crowd" from the local uni who agree to stand in a queue for 30 minutes to an hour at peak club times in return for a few free drinks and free entry.

    One of the biggest reasons people wanted to get into any club was "to be seen".

    They had to be fashionable or should I say "stand out"

    Also....we never stood in line.

    In every club we attended we walked straight in at the front of the line because we arrived with the influencers.

    We got to know the club owners and managers.

    They got to know "US"

    I wasn't an influencer but I was recognised because I had a huge bleached very punk flat-top in the day and I always arrived with crazy people together.

    Not sure what it is really like today but I'd expect clubs want to get full of the "In crowd" and the best way to do that is to restrict people by creating barriers to entry.

    That might seem counter intuitive to getting people into the club but holding people back at the door and having someone go along the line pulling out a few beautiful people and their friends whilst the others wait might be the way to go.

    Do this first with a rent-a-crowd and soon their might be a real crowd waiting at the door.

    Make sure there is some solid theme that the best prospects can associate with.

    The theme can change from week to week but the underlying message behind the club and what it means to the patrons is what will keep them coming.

    It is a bit like any marketing.

    If it appeals to a general audience it will not usually attract anyone specific.

    On the other hand if you appeal to a selected group you will attract them and you will also attract those that want to either join that group or at the very least know what is going on.

    You need to create that intrigue and combine it with the social proof to get the place pumping.

    Best regards,

    Ozi
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Not sure what it is really like today but I'd expect clubs want to get full of the "In crowd" and the best way to do that is to restrict people by creating barriers to entry.
    I'm not experienced in the club arena - but two friends of mine are. Their focus is getting "names" in the door....local celebrities or visiting celebrities...they don't even have to be BIG celebrities....though the more name recognition, the better.

    They contact people directly - offer them a prime table and photo exposure for the media - offer to 'spread the word' the celebrity will be in attendance....offer free drinks for the "known person" AND a few of their friends.

    It's almost an art form - they lure a celebrity in for a specific night - then get the word out the celebrity plans to be there - and manage to make it sound exclusive even if the celeb is a local DJ.
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