Social Media Tactics That Drive Footfall in Seven Days

Posting pretty cocktails once a week will not save a struggling venue. What works is a tightly choreographed sprint where every post, story, and message points to a specific seat, date, or package. Here is the playbook.

Day 0: Prep

• Choose one hook (Burns Night warm-up, quiz relaunch, or a locals tasting).
• Build a simple landing page or Google Form that captures name, phone, party size, and preferred time.
• Collect last month's best photos plus a list of superfans willing to feature on camera.

Days 1-2: Proof First

Film raw reels of chef prep, cellar setup, staff tastings, and menu teases. Post morning and evening, tagging local partners. Use captions that spell out availability: "12 tables left for Wednesday".

Days 3-4: Spotlight Guests

Share testimonials, stitch TikTok duets with regulars, and run polls in stories that let followers vote on cocktails or playlists. Message anyone who interacts with a poll and offer them first refusal on bookings.

Day 5: Paid Push

Take the best-performing organic post and put £5-£10 behind it targeting a 5km radius plus lookalikes of your email list. Optimise for messages or conversions, not reach. Reply to every DM within five minutes even if it is just "Got it, back in touch at 9am".

Day 6: Influencer Swap

Invite two micro-creators (under 10k followers) for a complimentary experience in exchange for same-day stories. Brief them on the narrative: value, warmth, comeback. Share their content immediately.

Day 7: Countdown and Close

Post a final availability update, run a live video touring the venue, and share a behind-the-bar toast thanking everyone who booked. Close the loop by messaging non-bookers with next week's theme.

Conversion Rules

• Every caption ends with a CTA: "Book via link", "Comment TABLE and we will DM", or "WhatsApp 07900 123456".
• Track leads in a simple sheet with columns for platform, party size, status. Follow up twice before giving up.
• Segment email list by engagement and send a final reminder with urgency.

Mini FAQ

Do I need professional photography? No. Authentic, well-lit phone footage outperforms glossy ads because it feels real. Just stabilise shots and use subtitles.

What if I cannot respond instantly? Use saved replies and autoresponders stating when you will reply. Speed wins, but clarity prevents ghosting.

One focused social sprint beats months of half-hearted posting and gives the team the morale boost they deserve.