Seasonal and eventsHow to fill your Christmas party bookings, starting in OctoberA week-by-week plan to fill Christmas party bookings from mid-October: packages, deposits, pre-orders, party nights, follow-ups and late availability posts.The Venuesmith blog
Marketing guides for pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes
How to fill tables with social media, email and local search. Written for people who run venues and do the marketing between shifts.
Seasonal and eventsHow to fill your Christmas party bookings, starting in OctoberA week-by-week plan to fill Christmas party bookings from mid-October: packages, deposits, pre-orders, party nights, follow-ups and late availability posts.All guides
Social mediaRestaurant social media marketing: a practical guide for UK independentsWhich platforms an independent UK restaurant needs, what to post, how often, photos, captions, reviews, measuring it, and a weekly routine that fits service.
Social mediaPub social media ideas that get people through the doorPub social media ideas grouped by theme (the bar, food, events, staff, the building, local and seasonal) with example captions and a sample week of posts.
Live sportHow to promote live sport in your pub: a practical UK guideShow sport legally, post fixtures early, fill tables for the big games and keep the non-sport crowd happy. A practical UK guide with the rules and timings.
Seasonal and eventsHospitality marketing calendar 2027: UK dates for pubs and restaurantsEvery 2027 date that matters to UK pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes, month by month: bank holidays, big sport, one marketing angle each and when to start.
Local search and reviewsHow to get your restaurant recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini and AI OverviewsWhere ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews, Copilot and Siri get local business information, and what a UK pub or restaurant can do to show up in their answers.
Email marketingEmail marketing for pubs and restaurants: what to send and how oftenWhat to send, how often, subject lines, phone-friendly design and honest measurement for UK pub and restaurant email marketing, with real benchmark figures.
Local search and reviewsLocal SEO for pubs and restaurants: showing up when people search nearbyLocal SEO for pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK: Google Business Profile, reviews, directories, your website, local links and what AI search changes.
Seasonal and eventsNew Year's Eve marketing for pubs and restaurants: a plan for 2026How to sell New Year's Eve at a pub or restaurant: tickets or walk-ins, packages, deposits and refunds, when to post, staffing and licensing hours.
Social mediaHow often should a pub or restaurant post on Instagram?What Instagram's boss, Buffer, Later and Hootsuite say about posting frequency, plus a realistic weekly rhythm for UK pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes.
Social mediaBest time to post on Instagram for UK pubs and restaurantsWhat Sprout Social, Hootsuite and Later found about Instagram timing, why they disagree, and suggested posting times for UK pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes.
Email marketingCan you email your customers? GDPR and PECR rules for UK venuesPlain-English UK rules on emailing venue customers: consent, the soft opt-in, Wi-Fi and competition sign-ups, unsubscribes, records and the 2025 changes.
Social mediaInstagram captions for restaurants and pubs that people act onA three-part structure for restaurant and pub Instagram captions, with examples for roasts, quizzes, new beers, rainy days, match days and private hire.
Local search and reviewsGoogle Business Profile for pubs and restaurants: setup, hours and postsHow to claim, verify and fill in a Google Business Profile for a UK pub or restaurant: categories, special hours, menus, booking links, photos and posts.
Local search and reviewsHow to respond to reviews as a pub or restaurant, with reply templatesHow to reply to good, mixed and bad reviews of your pub or restaurant, with templates, Google's review rules and what UK fake review law says.
Seasonal and eventsDry January: how pubs and bars can keep January busyHow pubs and bars can market Dry January without preaching: who takes part, building a low and no menu, food-led offers, events and example posts.
Strategy and toolsBrand voice for restaurants and pubs: how to find yours and keep itHow a pub, bar, restaurant or cafe can define its brand voice: the words you use and avoid, prices, emoji and hashtags, with a filled-in example voice sheet.
Strategy and toolsCan AI write your restaurant's social media? An honest guideWhat AI tools do well for restaurant and pub social media, where they go wrong, and how to keep every post on-brand and accurate before it goes live.
Social mediaCocktail bar marketing ideas that fill the quiet nightsMidweek and early-evening cocktail bar marketing ideas, from menus and bartenders to events, plus the UK drinks promotion rules you have to follow.
Social mediaCoffee shop and cafe Instagram ideas for every day of the weekA week of coffee shop and cafe Instagram ideas that skip the cliches, with morning posting times, ways to feature regulars and example captions.
Email marketingEmail ideas for restaurants and pubs: what to send all yearA year of restaurant and pub email ideas grouped by type and season, from welcome and birthday emails to Christmas and Easter, each with a sample subject line.
Social mediaFacebook marketing for pubs: why it still fills tablesWhy Facebook still matters for UK pubs, with Ofcom's latest usage figures, and how to use Page events, reels and local community groups to fill quiet nights.
Email marketingHow to build an email list for your restaurant or pubPractical ways to grow a restaurant or pub email list: booking forms, guest Wi-Fi, QR codes on tables and receipts, loyalty and events, within UK consent rules.
Photos and contentHow to promote a new menu: a launch plan for social media and emailA week-by-week plan to promote a new menu, from four weeks out to two weeks after: teasers, launch week posts, the email, staff briefing and what to measure.
Seasonal and eventsHow to promote pub events: quiz nights, live music and moreHow to announce, build up and fill quiz nights, live music, comedy, open mics and tastings with Facebook events, posters and email, and which licences apply.
Social mediaInstagram insights for restaurants: which numbers matter and whyWhat each Instagram insights metric means, which ones matter for a pub, bar or restaurant, and a 20-minute monthly routine for turning them into decisions.
Strategy and toolsManaging social media for multiple pub and restaurant locationsHow to run social media across several pubs or restaurants: account set-up, local voice, approvals, permissions for site managers and reporting venue by venue.
Live sportMatchday posts for sports bars: what to post before, during and afterWhat a sports bar should post on matchday, hour by hour: a timeline from morning to full time, example captions and how to avoid looking official.
Photos and contentRestaurant food photography tips for shooting on your phonePhone food photography for restaurants and cafes: window light, the right angle for each dish, plating for camera, light editing and Instagram photo sizes.
Live sportSix Nations to Euro 2028: pub marketing for major tournamentsChecked dates for the 2027 Six Nations, Women's World Cup and Rugby World Cup and Euro 2028, with UK kick-off times and a pub marketing plan for each.
Strategy and toolsSocial media scheduling tools for restaurants and pubs comparedMeta Business Suite, Buffer, Later, Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Venuesmith compared for pubs and restaurants: listed prices, free plans, trials and networks.
Photos and contentUser-generated content for restaurants: repost customer photos properlyHow UK restaurants and pubs can repost customer photos properly: asking permission, crediting, copyright, Instagram's terms, Collabs and a DM template.