THE ULTIMATE FAMILYEntertainment Center MARKETING GUIDE

North American families go to family entertainment centers three to five times per year at an average cost of $12 to $22 per person.

There’s good news for family

entertainment centers (FECs)

everywhere: old-fashioned family

fun is still alive and well. The bad

news: old-fashioned “word of mouth”

marketing is not. As competition soars

to get fun-seeking families through their

doors, FECs need new ways to attract

them and keep them coming back for

more.

Before rethinking your FEC marketing strategy too much, take a look at the email contacts,

customer birthdays, and Facebook

fans you already have on your fan

page. In three easy steps, you can

create an effective marketing system

that converts those assets into dollars.

1. Utilize Your Existing Assets to Get More PurchasesMost FECs have a large email database –consistently generating revenue from this database is key to success.

2. Capitalize on Birthday RevenueFamilies will spend big on kids’ birthdays – find ways to make your FEC a visible and attractive option for celebrating birthdays across age groups.

3. Grow Your Assets to Fill the FunnelUsing Facebook ads, target new and repeat local customers and build your assets by gathering new birthdays, emails and Facebook “likes”. These new assets will help you target potential customers with future marketing campaigns to get them to convert automatically.

Utilize Existing Assets to Get More PurchasesYour FEC has plenty of customer contacts and a solid fan base. How can these existing assets be converted into revenue?

EmailLeverage your email database to communicate what your business has to offer. Whether it’s your standard pricing or a special offer, “Buy Now” messages enable customers to easily make a purchase with the click of a button. If you make it easy for your customers to say “Yes” to you, they’ll be more likely to take advantage of your offer. In turn, they’ll be more apt to come through your front door.

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As great as your promotional offers are, remember that your

customers are not all the same. You should segment your email

lists based on past buying behaviors to ensure the right

customers receive the right emails. Building out these specifically

targeted lists based on consumer behavior can be a valuable

strategy for you. For instance, laser tag fiends will likely jump on

laser tag promotions – that’s an entire segment of your email list

right there! The right promotions targeted to the right customers

spell increased conversions and revenue for your FEC.

Marketers Everywhere

Targeting the Right Customers

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FacebookTargeted email messaging is great, but there’s only so much you can do to get those busy families to open and view your emails. The solution? Get in front of your customers on social media platforms like Facebook.

Most FECs have huge Facebook fan bases – imagine if you could monetize yours. You can! Similar to your email campaigns, show your Facebook fans a great promotion with a “Buy Now” feature that links to an optimized landing page and an easy buying process.

42%42% of people who like your Facebook page do so because they’re looking to receive a discount or coupon.

Capitalize on Birthday RevenueBirthdays are cause for your business to celebrate generating more revenue.Because birthday revenue accounts for such a significant percentage of

the overall revenue for an FEC, it’s crucial you keep track of kids’

birthdays. Developing a database rich with birthdays and emails

associated with those dates is essential. With that level of information,

you can divide your emails by month and age group to specifically target

each monthly list accordingly. This segmenting approach can be the basis

of your new strategic marketing plan.

A well-run family entertainment center can post 40-60% of revenue from birthday parties, with some FECs reporting birthday party revenues as high as 85%.

Aim to get your messages out four to six weeks prior to the actual birthdate because parents plan well in advance, and be sure to merchandise your offers to provide a variety of age-appropriate options such as food, guest goody bags and birthday guest of honor special gifts

Want to make this process easier on yourself? Automate it. An email marketing system that automatically sends messages out to the right targeted contact list at the appropriate time will help you save the energy and hassle of doing it manually.

Grow Your Assets to Fill the FunnelWith your existing assets established and the correct customers targeted by the proper

promotions, you can start building on your assets.

Want a fool-proof way to gain more customer assets inside your business’ doors? Every time

a first-time customer comes in, greet them by getting their email and birthday information. If

your FEC doesn’t have a mandatory waiver for all customers to sign, entice them to give you

their email and birthday information with specials and birthday discounts. For bigger

families, make sure you have a system in place to collect multiple birthdays under one email.

If the process of efficiently collecting and organizing new customer emails and birthdays is too long and time consuming for your staff, be sure to consider your options online:

Do you have emails, but need help gathering those new customer birthdays? All you have to do is ask them.

Get “face” time with customers online and gather their information through page posts and ads.

Grow Your Assets to Fill the FunnelWhen someone “likes” your business on Facebook,

they aren’t just telling you they’re a fan. They’re

giving you an invitation to stay in contact with them,

which means the possibility of converting them into a

paying customer is very real. Luckily for your

business, you have all the contact information you

need to stay in touch with them. While emails may

change, Facebook profiles stay the same.

But, to earn that opportunity to connect, you have to get them to “like” you first, and email can be a cost-effective way to achieve that.

Every new engaging email is an opportunity to earn another Facebook fan.

If you’re willing to spend a few dollars, you can boost your Facebook fan search with “page like” campaigns through Facebook ads or boosted posts that target local customers.

As your FEC goes on the lookout for more contact information, don’t

neglect what you already have. Remember, it’s easier and much less

expensive to keep existing customers than to search for a new one. If

you’ve started from day one, the system you use for gathering contact info

is the best way to continue marketing to your customers, especially if you

have an integrated and automated method of managing it all.

Ready to Get Started?

An effective FEC marketing plan isn’t all fun and games for your business. It takes time,

effort and commitment. But, with the right execution, it can be a valuable solution for

engaging with existing customers and connecting with new ones.

LocBox’s online marketing platform is the one-stop shop family entertainment centers need

to engage and grow their customer base. With innovative tools and a dedicated team of

experts, we’re ready to help you create an effective marketing plan that drives business

and revenue to your FEC. Join thousands of satisfied businesses today!

Support@GetLocBox.com | (855) 980-1982

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