Unless your business is located in the middle of nowhere, chances are you've had a pretty significant opening week. Prior to the grand opening, patrons walked by taking notice of what was to come and sharing the news with their friends. Couple that with a little social media and local advertising, and your first night gives you a glimpse of your venue's true potential. According to a study by IBISWorld, the nightclub and bar industry is expected to exceed 26 billion in revenue in 2015 - simply put, you don't need to build too much anticipation in this space. But how do you keep the momentum going? When consistency at the door takes a hit, what can you do to boost it?
1. Know Your Surroundings
There's no denying the connection between the success of a nightlife venue and its location. However, it's more than just the address. You and your team need to understand the market in which your business is located. Gaining knowledge in your areas crowd and history goes a long way and ultimately contributes to the progress of your nightclub at the end of the day. Michael Mora, partner and COO of Red Rabbit Presents, a Miami-based marketing and event production firm, stresses the importance of doing your "homework" when it comes to understanding the "demographics and psychographics" of the areas you plan to promote in. "If your club is located in a college town or near a university, price-centric promotions for a high-end champagne brand advertised in local magazines and newspapers would not be as effective to generating foot traffic as geo-targeted beer and shot promotions advertised through popular social media outlets and blogs," Mora says.
2. Keep Up with The Joneses
While there are some tried and true tactics that are effective, it's important to keep in tune with the trends that influence your target market. Brands are constantly supplying a slew of content to consumers via web channels on a daily basis. This has a direct impact on the average individuals tastes, be it music, fashion, and beverages they consume. As a business, Mora says it's important to work these interests and trends into your "marketing, programming, promotional and branding efforts." "It's not what you like as a nightclub owner that counts, it's about what you're doing to satisfy the wants, likes and needs of your ever-evolving target market," he says.
3. Be S.M.A.R.T
Knowledge is power is any aspect of life. When it comes to boosting the traffic that comes through your door, it's important to leverage tactics that are measurable. Mora says you shouldn't be afraid to revisit some of those marketing 101 tactics you learned in college, ones that S.M.A.R.T - specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Many of the approaches that owners and operators take can't be gauged, leading to wasteful spending, says Mora. "The most important tactics however, are those that fit a nightclub's overall brand strategy and operating budget while making sure that its effects - whether positive or negative - are measurable," he says.
Need more insight on nightclub? Make sure to check out the NEW! Nightlife Track focused on the specific needs of nightclub operators at the 2016 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show.