How SMS Marketing Can Help Bars & Night Clubs

A busy Saturday night has morphed into what seems like an out of control event. The manager of a wildly popular local band contacted you about having the band cap off the night with a short set at your club. Since the club does not have a band booked for the evening, the idea is highly appealing, except for one small thing.

How do you let everyone know that the band will make an impromptu appearance?

The answer is not by sending out an SOS, but instead, leveraging the power of SMS text messages.

Overview of Text Message Marketing for Bars and Night Clubs

Standard advertising for bar and night club managers can be time-consuming at best and a huge hit on the business budget at worst. On the other hand, text marketing represents a powerful tool to market your bar or night club’s promotions. SMS marketing messages make your customers feel like they have the inside scoop on everything, and all you have to do is build a list of subscribers like you build a list of email newsletter subscribers.

Stand at the front door of your business one night to capture the power of text message marketing for bars and night clubs. Count the number of guests that walk through the front door with a phone in hand. Unlike an email that might never get opened, texting a subscriber unfolds in real time. Successful bars and night clubs have implemented some form of text messaging for years to drive sales.

The time has come for you to do the same.

What are the Benefits of a Text Marketing Campaign?

SMS text marketing can increase the sales for your bar or night club. In addition to generating more sales, text marketing for bars delivers several more benefits:

• Convenient way to reach customers
• Presents attractive promotional offers
• Easy way to build a subscriber list
• High response rate
• Builds a strong base of loyal customers

Several studies have shown that more than 90% of mobile device users read a text within four minutes of getting it on their phones. With bars and night clubs often promoting events that will occur in a manner of hours, using SMS text messages to reach customers is a highly effective marketing strategy. In addition, you build a strong base of loyal customers because texting about upcoming special events make them feel like valued patrons.

Best Practices for SMS Marketing

Before your bar or night club initiates a text marketing campaign, you should follow a few of the best practices to optimize the many benefits offered by texting your customers.

SMS vs. MMS

SMS stands for short message service and in the world of text marketing, shorter is much sweeter. Your customers do not want to read lengthy messages that take up too much of their time. Using an SMS texting platform keeps your text messages under the 160-character threshold.

Short Messages Mean Using Keywords

An SMS text keyword represents a one-of-a-kind set of letters and/or numbers that your customers type into a phone to communicate with your bar or night club. Here are a few examples of using short coded keywords to communicate with SMS text subscribers:

• Text EMAIL to 434565 to join our weekly email newsletter club
• Text CONCERT to 434565 to be one of the first to learn about an upcoming show
• Text PROMOTION to 434565 to receive 25% off your next bar tab

About Short Codes

What type of short code should your bar or night club use for getting the word out about a promotion or an upcoming concert? You have three short code options: shared short codes, dedicated short codes, and vanity short codes. The right short code to use for an SMS text depends on the frequency of a promotion, as well as the number of SMS texting messages you plan to send out to your customers.

Deciding on a Text Marketing Provider

The highest rated SMS marketing providers offer platforms that make it easy for you to send hundreds, if not thousands of SMS text messages by simply clicking one button. You should look for a provider that bundles service features into an affordable package that maximizes the return on your marketing investment. Above all, working with an experienced customer service team that answers your questions in a timely manner is critical for an always-on-the-go bar or night club manager.

Let’s Get Started

Unlike many other types of digital marketing programs, setting up an SMS marketing strategy does not require much time, and it certainly does not require you to spend a lot of money.

Select Your Keyword

Easy to remember and unique for your bar or night club, the keyword you choose for SMS marketing should roll off the tongues of your customers. If you own a bar called Sully’s, try to use a keyword that reflects your business name. Although SULLYS might be taken, you can be creative and use a keyword such as SULLEES.

Create a Catchy Auto Reply

You operate a bar or night club, not a library or a monastery. Create a catchy auto reply that confirms the reception of a text message, as well as sends out an offer your customers cannot refuse. Instant gratification is the buzzword for running a successful text marketing campaign.

Make Your Subscriber List Shine

The key to growing your SMS text list is to promote the list through various measures. Let’s look at a few proven ideas to get your text marketing list off the ground:

• Post a message on your Facebook or social media page
• Include an opt-in request within an email
• Use signs strategically placed throughout your bar or night club
• Add an opt-in widget on your website

You can even go the old school route and ask your customers to join when they visit your business.

Text Message Marketing for Bars and Night Club Ideas

How do you promote your bar or night club via SMS marketing? Let us count the ways:

• Provide VIP access
• Promote daily drink specials
• Announce a limited time free cover charge
• Present coupons scanned on a mobile device
• Send out reminders about special events
• Run contests
• Offer "Bring a friend" deals
• Reward a subscriber on his or her birthday

Text Marketing with Dash Notify

Dash Notify has earned a reputation for giving bars and night clubs, among other industries, the power of sending out SMS text messages. Our SMS marketing platform includes customer support that is available 24/7 to meet every one of your marketing needs. Contact us by submitting the online form or by calling our office to learn more about SMS marketing with Dash Notify.

Other Industries

---

• Automotive
• Bars & Night Clubs
• Cafes & Coffee Shops
• Churches & Ministries
• E-Commerce Websites
• Fast Food Chains
• Financial Institutions
• Golf Courses
• Gyms & Fitness Centers
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Movie Theaters
• Nonprofits & Charities
• Political Campaigns
• Radio Stations
• Real Estate
• Restaurants
• Retail Stores
• Salons, Spas & Barbershops
• Schools & Universities