In the early stages of starting a mobile bartending business, you’re excited. The fun process of picking out your brand colors or logo and seeing the business begin to take shape is rewarding. The hard part about starting a mobile bar is sales, marketing and of course finding customers. If it was easy to close events and customers, everyone would quit their jobs to start a mobile bartending business.
We had a question that is commonly asked in the Mobile Bar Hub Facebook Group. The group member asked, “how do I get leads and bookings?” By the way, if you’re looking for marketing and sales strategies to accelerate your mobile bar business forward, it’s all included in our Membership.
1. GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE
Optimize Your Profile
First, ensure your Google Business profile is set up correctly. Remove any legal jargon like “LLC” from your business name to keep it clean. Focus on gathering reviews from friends and family initially, as this helps with both SEO and credibility. The Google Profile is arguably the most impactful tool for SEO. Make sure you verify the profile and signal to Google that they should be recommending your mobile bar when people search for “mobile bartenders in my area.” Also add photos regularly and keep potential customers updated with snapshots of your successful events, cocktails you’ve mixed or whatever content you’re putting out on other social platforms.
2. ENHANCE YOUR WEBSITE
Sell the Outcome, Not the Features
Your website should immediately answer three questions: Who you are, what you offer, and why someone should choose your services. Instead of listing every single bartending package that exists in the world, sell the experience and results your clients will get. Use engaging images and testimonials to build trust and showcase the joy your services bring. People looking to book a mobile bartender are looking for smiles and successful events, not how much your napkins costs.
Simplify and Streamline
Keep your website content concise and easy to navigate. Avoid long paragraphs and complex information. Instead, use brief descriptions, bullet points, and strong calls to action. Highlight key services and ensure your site loads quickly to retain visitors. Remember, website visitors will bounce off your website if it takes longer than 4 seconds to load. If you have too much text and additional information that looks like a book at first glance, they will also leave your site and check out other mobile bars.
3. LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA
Improve Your Bio
Craft a compelling bio that clearly states what you offer and where you’re located. Use bullet points for clarity and include a direct call to action, like a link to get your brochure with pricing and packages. Simplicity is key and buyers often won’t make a choice or opt-in if you are giving them too many choices.
Remember, people use social media for entertainment and value, not to be sold to. Post videos of cocktail-making, provide useful tips, and share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business. Your promotions are built in when they see great content but notice it’s being posted by a mobile bar. You don’t need to remind them on every post that you have dates open.
4. FACEBOOK COMMUNITIES AND GROUPS
Join Facebook Groups
Engage in local Facebook groups related to events, weddings, or other gatherings. Provide value by answering questions and subtly promoting your services with a link to your website. If someone in your town is asking about “what are the best signature cocktails for a wedding?” answer the question even if they’re not a potential customer. Others will notice you provide good answers on bartending for events and will trust you for their questions as well.
5. HOST A LAUNCH PARTY
Organize a small event, even in your backyard, to take professional photos of people enjoying your services. Offer incentives like Amazon gift cards for those who write Google reviews. Pictures and videos will create a better website with credibility but will also energize you to post on social media much more. It’s huge for the momentum of your mobile bar and will also turn more “maybes” into “yes'” with potential customers.
Across the board, average opt-in rates on a website typically range between 1% to 5%, with the average rate centering around 1.95%. However, depending on the placement of the opt-in form, these rates vary highly.
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6. lEAD CAPTURE SYSTEM
Create a Brochure
Develop a simple brochure that outlines your services, includes a personal story, and showcases images. Offer this brochure in exchange for email addresses on your website to capture leads. It’s important to pull in your website traffic and email them as they get closer to needed a quote or hiring a mobile bartending business.
7. fOCUS ON ONE SOCIAL CHANNEL OR MARKETING ARM
Pick one marketing channel to focus on. If social media is your choice, dedicate time to it daily. Find content that works for other mobile bars and do it in your own way. If you prefer ads, set up Facebook or Google Ads correctly and monitor their performance.
