How To Promote Trivia Night

Running a good trivia night is half the battle. The other half is setting up a system that gets butts in seats, week after week. Here is a step-by-step plan to help you market, launch, fill, and grow your trivia nights, ultimately creating a routine everyone can follow.

Trivia Demand

• Trivia is one of the few things in the world that is accessible to all and never fails to run out. 2020 and the past few years gave everyone the time and an opportunity to brush up on their general knowledge. And now that things are opening up, and are getting back to normal. People now want a place where they can show off what they know. The demand for trivia night and/or local weeknight events has never been higher and it’s only getting bigger.

• People want to get out and talk to people face-to-face, not through phones, screens, or texts. In a world where AI seems to be taking everything over, the ability to know things off the top of one’s head is not only impressive but will always be memorable. And what better way of giving people the platform to showcase their wealth of facts than by hosting trivia nights at your establishment.

Trivia Material and Setup

• If you already have a set of trivia questions, feel free to use that. But if you don’t, head over to our ‘Kickstarter Trivia Packs’ section on our website Here to get some trivia content (including audio clips, picture rounds, answer sheets, and an automatic scoreboard) you can download and use to help you get started.

• Play with a microphone and have your audio system set up so that everyone can hear the host/quizmaster. The ideal environment is to have an open space for teams to gather and play. This encourages everyone to play fairly and honestly (as everyone will be able to see everyone), and the audio will be clear and heard all around.

Promoting Trivia Night for Your First Time

• Getting any attraction early will take time, so be patient. If anything, the start is a great opportunity for your host/quizmaster to iron out a presentation and delivery style that works for them. Use a variety of different tactics and strategies mentioned in this post in conjunction to see what works for you and your brand.

• Our 'Kickstarter Trivia Packs' are here so you don’t have to worry about content creation and can focus more of your time and attention on building an initial following and promoting the event.

Date and Location

Plan the day of the week you would like to have trivia night. Most establishments like having trivia on Tuesdays as ‘Trivia Tuesday’ has a nice alliteration with it. If your establishment has social media accounts, let your followers know that you guys will be hosting trivia nights along with letting everyone know the start time (ideally 7:00 PM) and a team capacity (usually a max of 8 people).

Get Staff To Spread the Word

Get your staff to also spread the word that your establishment is hosting trivia. Those that are curious will usually ask for more information, which is a perfect opportunity to let patrons know more details (date, start time, team capacity), and whether they would like to book a reservation then and there.

Free Agency Table

Invite individuals or walk-ins to come in and play by having a ‘Free Agency’ table so everyone can at least play in a group (even if it’s with strangers). You could also have a free agent join a team with a similar cohort of patrons. Trivia is a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.

Promotional Posters

Don’t be afraid to go old school and have posters up on the walls of your establishment letting patrons know that you guys will be hosting trivia nights. Click Here to see our 'Promotional Posters' section on our website where you can download and use some of the ideas we have if you don’t have any. Feel free once downloaded to add your: brand logo, dates, start times, or upcoming categories to build some anticipation.

Prizes and Awards

Include some incentives as a prize for winning trivia. Something serious that's practical to use (like a gift card that can be redeemed) but not too crazy (like a free entrée or appetizer) that it encourages people to cheat just to get first place or finish on the podium (first, second, or third).

Trivia Theme Nights

Don’t be afraid to switch up the different types of trivia content you deliver in order to target a specific audience. Catering to a younger demographic might be things like: pop culture, 2000’s hit songs, or celebrities. To an older demographic it might be things like: history, geography, or science. Or maybe have a theme night like ‘Star Wars’, ‘The Office’, or ‘Harry Potter’ trivia night.

Direct Response Advertising

Direct response advertising especially on sites like Facebook and Instagram also work to great effect here. Most people who are interested in trivia spend the bulk of their social media screen time on Facebook (older demographic 40-60+) and Instagram (younger demographic 27-35). Not to mention as well but both platforms are owned by Meta, so a single advertisement or advertising campaign can cover both platforms and audiences.

High Traffic Blitz and Referral Marketing

Awareness in high density environments like: grocery stores, malls, conventions, or collegiate campuses work very well, as these are prime locations for trivia enthusiasts. Don’t be afraid to use trivia nights as a way to reach out and partner up with other neighboring businesses. It’s a great opportunity to create referrals/affiliate programs and a way to further build your brand, help out other local businesses, or invite sponsorships and brand deals.

Urgency, Exclusivity, and FOMO

• Once trivia has been established at your location. Keep the momentum going by building some urgency letting everyone know that there will be a limited number of spots (trivia shouldn’t always take up the entire place). People don’t like missing out on things that were fun, and it encourages teams to be serious with trivia and make a commitment to organize their teams and show up for next time.

• Teams can sign up or reserve next time (or next week) after a trivia night has ended or if there are still enough spots. They can call in later in the week to book a reservation for the next upcoming trivia night (or if it’s packed, the next available trivia night). Exclusivity is a powerful tool, no individual wants to be the one left out of the group.

Status and Winning Moments

People love status and recognition. Lean into those emotions by having some materialist item (such as a trophy, medal, or something as simple as a certificate) and take a photo of the winning team every week and post them on your socials. This helps build brand authority and repeat business from winnings teams, runner ups, or newcomers. You can go one step further and collect the stats for winning teams or for the top three teams. People who love trivia tend to also love numbers.

Competitiveness, Taking Trivia Way Too Seriously, and Question Difficulties

• Be careful of too much competitiveness that trivia no longer feels fun because the game is taken too seriously by too many people. People come to trivia to spice up their weeknight evenings, not to apply for Jeopardy! or to redo their SAT exams. Keep it light.

• If the questions are too obscure, casual patrons can feel isolated or left out as they don’t know the questions/answers and won’t want to show up for future trivia nights due to not being able to play along (or out of feelings of embarrassment). The questions that are asked should be accessible to the majority and masses. So understanding your audience is paramount.

Have More Than Just Trivia

• Don’t just have trivia as your only weeknight event, variety is the spice of life after all. Some other event night themes that can be incorporated can be: karaoke nights, live music shows, comedy shows, board/card game nights.

• Be careful of doing more than one trivia night per week. Too much of a good thing too often, will make patrons take your (trivia) event for granted knowing they can come some other time later in the week.

• There is also such things as trivia fatigue, especially for staff and your host/quizmaster. What makes trivia special is that it’s an event where people can come together, feel smart, build community, and catch up once (maybe twice) a week.

Leverage Local Word of Mouth and Positive Reputation

Never underestimate the value of running a successful trivia night. The byproduct will naturally be patrons wanting to invite or recruit friends and family members to join their teams to play trivia at your establishment. To learn more about ‘How To Run a Successful Trivia Night. Click Here

Trivia League and Season

For those patrons who truly are serious and want more trivia. A trivia league and season might be what’s needed. The setup here could involve:

• Playing on another day of the week (maybe on a Monday or Wednesday)

• An accumulation of total points over a stretch of weeks or hitting a number of wins

• Having harder questions

• A sign up fee to encourage attendance and commitment

• Peer review for ruling/grading

• Having a serious prize that truly is worth winning

Alternative Promotional Tactics

• You could promote trivia night or other weeknight events by having a schedule or reminder at the bottom of patron’s receipts letting them know when things are.

• If you have access to a changeable roadside sign, you can let those who are passing by know that there’s trivia night at your location.

• Bundle a meal, snack, or discount to some of your items during the nights your establishment hosts trivia nights. ($4.00 beer, $7.00 basket of fries, 10% off deal, etc.)

Know When to Prioritize Holidays and Special Events

• If your trivia event lands on a holiday (Christmas or New Years for example) or if your local sports team is in the playoffs or in the championship finals. Don’t schedule trivia on the same date. Give trivia a rest and let other patrons who might not be interested in trivia come in and watch sports and enjoy your establishment. Trivia should be an extension of your brand, not the main course. Big or rare events should be treated with the respect that it deserves.

• In fact, a break from trivia allows those who are interested a chance to have a break, experience the holiday/sport, or extra time to practice/improve their skills. Sometimes absences and space is what garners more interests.

Conclusion

So there you have it. A simple guide to help you promote your trivia nights and make it something people remember and return for more. Keep in mind that there's no limit to how creative you can promote your trivia event (or any event for that matter). Have fun with trying new ways to get people through your doors, whether it's through promotional content or through the deliver of how you guys play trivia. What matters most is building a brand that people can instantly know.

• Want to learn more about the rules and structure to how trivia nights are ran? Check out our ‘Rules and Regulation’ section on our website Here where we go over everything that is needed along with providing you a script you can follow and read aloud.

• Need some trivia poster ideas you can use and put up at your establishment? Check out our ‘Promotional Posters’ section on our website Here.