Football season isn’t just about touchdowns, it’s also one of the busiest times of year for local bars. From Sunday watch parties to college rivalries, football brings crowds together. The question is: how do you make sure they’re gathering at your bar and not the one down the street?
Here are some digital marketing strategies to help your bar score big this season:
1.Target Fans with Game-Day Ads
Use Google Ads and Facebook/Instagram Ads to target fans searching for:
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“Best bar to watch Broncos game in Denver”
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“Football specials near me”
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“Sports bar with happy hour”
Run ads on Friday–Sunday with geo-targeting near your bar’s location to capture fans making last-minute plans.
2. Promote Weekly Specials on Social Media
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Create a weekly post or Reel highlighting your food and drink specials tied to game days (ex: “$5 wings every Su
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nday”).
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Use countdown stickers in Instagram Stories to remind followers of kick-off times.
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Share real-time updates (“The game’s on, the beer’s cold, and happy hour starts NOW”).
3. Leverage Google Business Profile
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Update your Google listing with football season hours and specials.
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Add photos of your TVs, seating, and food to show it’s a great game-day spot.
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Encourage customers to leave reviews mentioning “football,” “game day,” and “Broncos” for better SEO.
4. Email & SMS Marketing for Regulars
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Send a weekly “Game Day Lineup” email with the schedule, specials, and any events.
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Use SMS reminders an hour before kickoff with a simple CTA: “Kickoff is at 2! Grab your table early — first round of beers is $3!”
5. Host Digital Promotions
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Run a social media contest: “Tag your game-day crew for a chance to win a $50 bar tab.”
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Partner with local influencers to post from your bar during big games.
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Offer a “Score Prediction Challenge” on Instagram Stories where winners get a free drink.
6. Retarget for Repeat Visits
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Retarget customers who visited your website or engaged with your ads.
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Remind them: “The Broncos are back at it this Sunday — see you at kickoff?”
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Build loyalty by keeping your bar top-of-mind every game week.
Final Whistle
Football season is one of the best times for bars to increase foot traffic and build loyal customers. By using digital marketing tools like paid ads, social media, Google updates, and email campaigns, you can turn game day into your most profitable days of the year. Need some help getting launched? Let us step in and do the heavy lifting for you.
