How to Create a Bar Social Media Strategy

Bar Social Media Strategy: Ultimate Guide For 2024

Making the most of your online presence is key to the long-term success of your bar. In fact, according to a survey by PYMNTS, 37% of diners search for restaurant and bar information by looking at content from social media pages.

This becomes even more important if your target customers are younger. The PYMNTS survey indicates that 42% of Gen Z and 46% of millennials access social media pages before deciding to visit a bar or restaurant in person.

Clearly, it’s critical to implement an effective bar social media strategy to ensure you leave a positive and lasting impression on potential customers. Additionally, social media is key for enticing repeat customers with upcoming events, specials, and more.

So, in this article we’ll explore how your bar can build its social media strategy. We’ll cover the best tactics and platforms, as well as take a look at some inspiring examples to help you get started.

Key Takeaways

• Your bar social media strategy is the perfect tool for helping new customers discover your business and building social proof. Additionally, it’s key for sharing information like upcoming events, new drink offerings, and special deals.

• Building an effective social media strategy for your bar requires you to set predefined goals and measure them with objective metrics. It’s also critical to understand your target audience, so you can share content tailored to their needs and interests.

• Some of the most popular platforms to use for your bar social media strategy are Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. However, it may be a good idea to explore other platforms, such as X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Pinterest, and YouTube.

• Take inspiration from successful bar social media accounts, such as Ortlieb’s regular Instagram communication and Dave & Buster’s humorous brand voice on X.

Why Should Your Bar Use Social Media?

Social media is an important marketing tool for bars for several reasons. Not only can these platforms help you promote new drinks and events, but they can also help you build stronger relationships with your customers.

Below, we delve deeper into four key reasons your bar should make use of a social media presence.

Improve Communication

One of the most important reasons your bar should use social media is to improve your communication with customers. For example, you’ll be able to quickly inform your followers about everything from your latest cocktail creations to upcoming events.

You can make use of Instagram Stories to provide real-time updates, or Facebook Events to promote an upcoming live band performance. 

Ultimately, providing regular updates about promotions and events is the perfect way to get patrons interested in visiting your bar.

Help Customers Discover Your Bar

Maintaining an active social media presence can also increase your visibility among potential customers. In fact, The Content Factory reports that 90% of all marketers say social media marketing has improved their brand’s exposure.

Furthermore, 66% of marketers that spend six or more hours per week on social media have seen more leads.

So, be sure to use local hashtags and geo-tags, and encourage customers to tag your bar in their posts to attract more patrons and improve discoverability.

Ultimately, by showcasing what makes your bar unique, you can entice more people to buy drinks there.

Create A Stronger Sense of Community

Another great thing about using social media for your business is that it gives you a direct line of communication to your customers. This can help you build strong, long-term relationships with them.

For example, by responding to comments and DM’s, as well as sharing user-generated content, you can foster a sense of community that stretches beyond your physical place of business.

You can also quickly reply to any customer queries. If a customer wants to know what time your upcoming event starts, they can simply reach out to you directly.

Likewise, you can respond to customer feedback, whether it be positive or negative. For positive feedback, be sure to make customers feel valued. On the other hand, you can try to resolve any issues if they leave negative feedback.

Overall, by communicating quickly and regularly with customers, your bar can take proactive steps to improve customer experience and build a sense of community.

Display Professionalism and Build Trust

One more key reason your bar should use social media is that it helps to build trust and credibility with potential customers.

In fact, Profile Tree reports that 72% of customers visit a restaurant’s social media profiles before deciding to visit in person.

Furthermore, they found that 88% of restaurant-goers place faith in online reviews just as much, if not more, than personal recommendations. So, it’s likely a good idea to manage your online reviews, such as the Facebook Reviews feature.

Ultimately, by maintaining an active and well-curated social media presence, you display professionalism and encourage potential customers to give your bar a shot.

How To Build A Bar Social Media Strategy

Now that you have a good idea of why using social media for your bar is critical to your success, let’s look at the basics of building your strategy.

The advice below will help you make the most of the more specific tactics we discuss in the following section.

Set Goals

Before you start posting on your social media channels, you should first think about what your goals are. As Alfred Lua, former Product Market at social media management company Buffer, wrote:

“Without goals, it’s hard to know exactly how well your social media strategy is performing and where you need to iterate to continue moving forwards.”

So, be sure to give careful thought to what you’re trying to achieve, such as:

• Increasing foot traffic

• Improving brand awareness

• Fostering community engagement

Once you know what your objectives are, you should use key performance indicators (KPIs) to track your progress. Some example of KPI you can track include:

• Follower growth

• Engagement rates (ie, likes, comments, and shares)

• Number of direct messages you receive

• How many people attend your event after promoting it through social media (for example, you might have attendees show your social media post for a small discount on admission so you can track how many customers found your event through social media)

Finally, be sure to analyze your social media metrics to understand if you’re making progress towards your goals. If you’re not, consider adjusting your strategy until you find one that works.

Perform Market Research

Once you’ve decided on what you want to achieve with your social media presence, you should perform some market research.

For example, you should try to learn who you target customers are by understanding their:

• Demographics

• Interests

• Behaviors

After all, the social media strategy for an upscale jazz bar will probably look a lot different than a college party bar. By understanding the types of people you want to attract to your business, you can tailor your content to resonate with them.

Additionally, you’ll want to study up your competition as well. Take some time to research bars with a similar audience and identify their strengths and weaknesses. You should also be on the lookout for ways in which you can differentiate your brand from competitors.

Ultimately, by learning from the social media strategies of other bars, you can refine your own approach.

Build A Content Calendar

The last thing you should do before you start posting on your bar’s social media accounts is building a content calendar. This will allow you to plan and schedule your posts ahead of time, helping you effectively implement your overall strategy.

Additionally, a content calendar assists you in maintaining consistency and ensuring you post a diverse range of content types, such as:

• Event promotions

• New cocktail and drink showcases

• Behind-the-scenes glimpses

By incorporating multiple content types into your strategy, you can better understand what resonates best with your audience.

Overall, maintaining consistency and posting the right types of content are crucial to keeping your audience engaged and informed.

Best Bar Social Media Platforms

The social media strategies we discussed above can work well regardless of the platform you use.

So, now let’s explore some platform-specific best practices for making the most of your social media presence.

Instagram

Being successful on Instagram is all about creating a visually-appealing profile. So, be sure you use high-quality photos and videos showcasing your bar’s ambiance, signature cocktails and drinks, and customer experiences.

After all, attracting new customers to your bar is all about convincing them that they’ll have a great experience when they visit. Photos and videos are the perfect medium for showcasing this, helping you show off the vibrancy of your community.

If possible, try to maintain a cohesive brand image by incorporating a consistent color scheme or editing style. This is especially important for more upscale bars looking to communicate a high-end brand image.

Of course, Instagram is also a great tool for directly engaging with your followers. To make the most of it, be sure to promptly respond to comments and direct messages.

Additionally, consider using Instagram Reels to showcase mixology techniques and drink presentations. You can also use Instagram Stories to share:

• Time-sensitive specials

• Tonight’s upcoming event

• Highlights from your event

• Behind-the-scenes glimpses

• Other real-time updates

Finally, be sure to follow Instagram bio best practices. This involves featuring key information, such as:

• Your bar’s location

• A compelling call-to-action (for example, “Join us for crafted cocktails!”)

• A link to your cocktail menu or website for easy access

Facebook

Facebook is another top platform for building your bar’s social media presence. Not only is it great for community engagement, but it’s also perfect for event promotion.

The Facebook Events feature allows you to create an event page for your live music night or wine tasting and share it to your main profile. 

Additionally, you might consider promoting the event with paid advertising to really expand your reach.

Like Instagram, Facebook is also a great tool for engaging with your followers. So, be sure to post regularly, aiming for at least three to fours posts per week. You should also be sure to respond promptly to comments and messages to build better relationships.

Finally, make sure you optimize your bio by including key business information, like:

• Location details

• Contact info

• Links to your website

• Links to other social media platforms, like Instagram, to promote engagement across platforms

TikTok

If you’re looking to connect with a younger audience, TikTok should definitely be a part of your bar’s social media strategy.

In fact, Statista reports that 76.2% of social media users between the ages of 18 and 24 are on TikTok. Meanwhile, 54% of social media users between the ages of 25 and 34 are on the platform.

TikTok is all about posting short, viral videos. So, you might consider showcasing:

• Mixologists crafting cocktails

• Unique drink presentations

• Clips of people dancing at a recent DJ night

• Funny moments from you last karaoke event

You may also think about participating in trending challenges, leveraging popular sounds, and using relevant hashtags to increase your visibility on the platform.

Finally, be sure to engage with your audience by responding to comments and collaborating with other TikTok users.

Other Social Media Platforms For Bars

While the social media platforms we’ve discussed so far are some of the best for bars, you may want to explore others as well. 

Some other platforms you may to experiment with include:

• X (formerly Twitter): X, formerly known as Twitter, is great for providing real-time updates and engaging directly with customers. For example, you can share quick updates about happy hour specials, upcoming events, and bar promotions. You can also interact with followers through retweets, replies, and relevant hashtags to join conversations about cocktail culture and nightlife trends.

• Threads: Since Threads is similar to X, you can employ a similar strategy on this platform. Additionally, because Threads is a newer social media platform, you can stay ahead of the competition by developing your presence before they do.

• Pinterest: With Pinterest, you can curate boards that feature your cocktail menu, recipes, and themed drink ideas. By using high-quality images and detailed descriptions, you can attract cocktail enthusiasts and drive traffic to your other social media profiles. Overall, this platform is ideal for inspiring potential customers and showcasing the aesthetic appeal of your bar and its offerings.

• YouTube: YouTube is the best platform for creating engaging, longer-form content tailored to cocktail enthusiasts. For example, you can produce videos such as cocktail tutorials, bartender interviews, and virtual tours of your bar. Ultimately, YouTube allows for deeper storytelling and can help establish your bar as a go-to destination for cocktail aficionados seeking expertise and entertainment.

Remember, by exploring and experimenting with multiple social media channels, you’ll have a better chance of connecting with the right audience.

10 Best Bar Social Media Examples

1. Café La Trova - Miami, FL

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2. Hidden Harbor - Pittsburgh, PA

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3. Attaboy - New York, NY

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4. Canon - Seattle, WA

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5. Weather Up - Brooklyn, NY

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6. Aalto Lounge - Portland OR

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7. Death & Co. - Denver, CO

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8. The Varnish - Los Angeles, CA

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9. Employees Only - New York, NY

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10. Jewel of the South - New Orleans, LA

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• Bakery Social Media Strategy
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