If you’re throwing a New Year’s Eve party at your bar or restaurant, chances are you’ve already invested plenty of time and money into making your event the celebration of the year. You might not feel like putting the extra effort into marketing this late in the game, but if you want your event to be profitable, devoting some time and money towards event marketing will make all the difference. With so many options and so little time, you’ll need to prepare your strategy quickly. Luckily, our experts at FMDi are here to help. Here are 4 tips to help you spread that word about your New Year’s Eve event before it’s too late.
Create awareness with radio
Radio ads are a great way to build brand awareness with locals who are looking for things to do on New Year’s Eve. According to a study by Edison Research, radio reaches 93 percent of the adult population weekly, making it possible for 
your bar or restaurant to quickly reach a large number local consumers in a cost-efficient manner. If you’re a Delaware, Maryland or Pennsylvania business owner, FMDi can help you record and place radio ads that fit into your business’s budget. Try following these guidelines to get the most out of your radio advertising:
- Don’t talk to everyone – The best messages are specific. Narrow your audience by creating radio ads that appeal to a particular group of consumers on a specific occasion. For example, instead of saying “Delaware’s best Piano Bar” try “Ring in the New Year with exclusive musical performances, dancing and door prizes at the Piano Bar.”
- Include a call to action – If you want people to come to your bar or restaurant’s New Year’s Eve party, provide them with the next steps to do so. Do listeners need to purchase tickets online? Should listeners be prepared to pay a cover at the door? Providing some guidance to your listeners increases the likelihood that they’ll attend your event because they know what’s required of them.
- Don’t be shy – Great radio ads paint a picture in the minds of listeners of what they can expect to experience at your bar or restaurant’s event. To help spark the imagination of your radio listeners, don’t forget to provide details about your New Year’s Eve party, including theme, food specials, drink specials, music and anything else that sets your business apart from the competition.
Increase effectiveness with digital ads
Radio advertising is one of the best ways you can share your event with large, diverse groups of people. Some listeners may be interested, some may not, and some may be on the fence. To move these listeners further down your funnel, show them how great your party will be through digital advertising. Digital ads take audience targeting to a new level, helping you visually convey the perks of attending your event to locals who fall into the demographics you choose to target, including age, interests and location. Digital ads can also link to the website, social media site or landing page of your choice. This is your bar or restaurant’s opportunity to tell users everything you want them to know about your event. Don’t forget to include visuals, like photos and videos, that show-off the success of your past events.
Digital ads can be particularly helpful for bar and restaurant owners that sell New Year’s Eve event tickets online because they can be directly linked to e-commerce portals, making purchases easy for users and business owners alike. FMDi can help you choose the right type of digital advertising to fit your needs. Here are a few types of digital ads to consider:
Attract social people with social media marketing
Want to get people excited about your New Year’s Eve party? Using social media to share photos and videos of your bar or 
restaurant’s recent events can help capture the attention of customers looking for a place to party on New Year’s Eve. If you’re struggling to figure out what to share on social media or how often to post, remember that quality beats quantity. It’s important to post consistently, but only if you’re sharing information that’s:
- Relevant to your audience
- Helpful
- Entertaining
Make sure that your posts include photos and videos. Consider sharing images of last year’s event or sneak peek videos of what’s to come this year. FMDi can help your bar or restaurant create and set up social media posts that capture the attention of your target demographic. Our experts have the capability to schedule your posts throughout the month, eliminating the need for daily check-ins.
Stay top of mind with email marketing
Email marketing is a powerful channel for bar and restaurant owners who are looking for ways to promote New Year’s Eve events. Business owners can purchase email lists or build them internally by collecting customer information. Creating your own email list is a little more work, but it does offer several advantages. First, creating your own list won’t cost you anything. Second, you’re reaching people who already know and like your bar or restaurant. Third, you know that the people on your list are interested in receiving updates about what’s happening at your business.
Purchasing an email list also has its advantages. Purchased lists will likely include emails for people who haven’t been to your bar or restaurant, in addition to those that have. Marketing to a mixture of current and new customers is a great way to create awareness and attract new customers to your upcoming event. If you don’t already have an email list, it’s not too late. FMDi can you purchase an email list and create content that garners the attention locals who are looking to have a great time this New Years.
Put Your Event in the Spotlight!
Your bar or restaurant could appeal to thousands of people planning to hit the town on New Year’s Eve. If you need some help with your New Year’s Eve marketing, contact FMDi today to schedule a free consultation. FMDi will work with your budget to help you develop a marketing strategy that creates awareness about your bar or restaurant’s upcoming New Year’s Eve event.
