Line Genie Blog

3 Simple Steps to Spreading Word of Mouth

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:02:11 -0400

There is no better marketing/advertising/PR than a good ol’ fashioned organic referral. Every business owner in the world knows this to be an undisputed fact of life. When people love your product, they become advocates and tell all their friends… and the same is true when people hate your product. The question that we often ask ourselves is how do we, as business owners, take actions to encourage natural referrals? It is a difficult concept because we are trying to develop tactics to spread awareness, but word of mouth usually spreads without intervention. Nonetheless, by following the three guiding principles below we can create an environment that fosters inter-consumer communication.

1. Create a truly great product that people want to talk about – This is the best way to increase word of mouth about your product or business. It is no surprise that we spend the majority of our time perfecting our offering to the consumer, always aiming for a product that sells itself. If consumers love your product, they want to share the love with their friends. And a glowing recommendation from a close friend is the type of marketing that money can’t buy (it’s also FREE).

2. Talk to your potential customers face-to-face – It is essential to speak directly to your target customers, especially with new products or businesses that consumers have never heard of before. Not only will this help you receive feedback to help achieve #1 above, but it also allows you to provide a clear and concise message to the consumer. We have all played telephone as a child and know how jumbled the message can get as it moves from person to person. To increase the odds that the correct message gets through the chain, communicate your message face-to-face and address any questions or concerns immediately.

3. Offer small incentives to say thank you to your loyal customers – Small incentives can go a long way, and while a referral with a small reward may not be 100% organic, it encourages your current customers to initiate communication to potential customers. Two companies that are great at this come to mind immediately: Dropbox and Uber. Dropbox gives each current user 500MB of new storage space for each referral and Uber provides $10 of credit as a thank you. These “refer a friend” programs are extremely effective because they align incentives between the company and the consumer. You want more storage space or rides for free, we want more users. It’s the classic, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

Word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool in the world. Use it wisely and awareness of your product will spread like wildfire.

Give a little back...Have a lot of fun

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:23:50 -0400

Line Genie has been busy for the past year, proving out a concept that we feel very passionately about. We reward customers who commit their money ahead of time by giving them better access to bars and nightclubs. We have already helped thousands of people including many bachelorette parties, birthday parties, and large groups that just want to go out and have a great time without worrying about getting stuck in line. My partner, Trevor, and I felt so strongly about this concept that we launched Line Genie a little over a year ago in Boston, and now we want to celebrate our 1 year anniversary by giving a little back at our 1^st Anniversary Charity Pub Crawl.

We are having a 1^st Anniversary Charity Pub Crawl at our 5 Faneuil Hall venues, and giving back 50% of all proceeds from the pub crawl to Community Work Services (www.cwsbos.org). CWS is a leading and innovative organization, helping adults overcome barriers and transform their lives through employment.

The pub crawl kicks off Friday June 22^nd at McFadden’s Boston at 7pm, then will proceed in 1 hour intervals throughout the night to our first 5 bars, ending up at The Harp Boston, next to the TD Garden. You can purchase your $25 ticket to the pub crawl at LineGenie.com.

Show up at McFadden’s anytime between 6:30-7pm to sign in and get your T-Shirt for the pub crawl, which is included in your reservation along with #NoLineNoCover to all the bars we are visiting (basically making your entire $25 purchase price back just in cover charges alone + a free t-shirt + giving back to CWS!).

The idea behind Line Genie has always been simple, albeit a difficult one to market in 140 character tweets! There’s a better solution for both the consumer and venue than by making great customers wait in line; that’s how we help. We offer the platform for you to show the venue that you are a better customer, and therefore shouldn’t wait. Please join us in celebrating our growing company on Friday June 22^nd to give a little back, and have a lot of fun.

Best,

John

PS More details available here at our facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/248663378567876/

How to Build a Loyal Following for Your Nightlife Venue

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 11:31:00 -0400

We’ve all seen it happen a million times in the nightlife scene. A new bar or club makes a huge splash when it first opens up, only to be forgotten just a few months later. The nightlife crowd is a fickle one. Everyone wants to go to the latest and greatest new hot spot in town. This leads to immense popularity and massive lines (for monetization see LineGenie.com) at the onset. The question that has continued to challenge venue owners, general managers and marketers is how to sustain this popularity for several years and keep people coming back.

The solution to this age-old dilemma may not be so hard to find. Just think of how hotels and airlines have built up loyal followings over the years. Almost every corporate traveler I know has his or her go-to hotel chain and airline. These consumers are extremely loyal because they have built a relationship with the service provider and are rewarded for their loyalty. They will even choose a less convenient hotel or flight in order to stick with “their” brands. Why is that? It’s actually a simple answer; these consumers receive superior service and are rewarded for their loyalty by earning points or miles towards future purchases. Who wouldn’t want to receive premium treatment while simultaneously earning free perks? Hotel chains and airlines have loyalty down to a T and nightlife venues should take notes from their counterparts in the hospitality business.

While the travel and nightlife have their differences the same principles of loyalty still hold true. By applying the 3 principles outlined below, venues can transition from being a flavor of the month to a respected brand with a loyal following.

1. Identify your best customers – This sounds easy, but it is actually very difficult to identify who are your best customers. You can do this through price discrimination (First Class airline ticket) and frequency of use tracking (miles, points, etc.). In nightlife, introducing loyalty programs allow you to identify these customers by tracking visits, spend and referrals.

2. Offer Rewards that people care about – The best rewards eliminate a customer pain. Airline loyalty programs offer a security line fast track, priority boarding and comfortable airport lounges to their premier customers. You can provide premium customer service to your clientele through line privileges, table selection and complimentary offerings such as free admission or food & beverages. Ask yourself, what are my customers biggest pain points and design your rewards accordingly.

3. Encourage organic referrals – The best way to increase your customer base is through word of mouth. Offering a loyalty program that consumers can’t stop talking about is the best way to gain more market share. Bar-goers have tons of options every night, but offering rewards that truly improve the customer experience will allow you to differentiate from the competition and get people talking.

Practical reward programs go a long way with consumers. These programs can even turn average customers into premium customers. I have seen this first hand with Line Genie as customers continue to return to our venues because they know they receive superior customer service. Consumers are able to demonstrate their value to the venue and the venue reciprocates by alleviating the customer pains of waiting in line and paying a cover charge. This leads to happier, more loyal customers who keep coming back.

Why Groupon Rewards Your Worst Customers

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:49:00 -0400

Who doesn’t love taking advantage of daily deal sites? You get to try new things and save money while doing it. Everyone loves a deal right? Wrong. Just ask any bar or restaurant owner.

While daily deal sites seem great to the consumer (50% off $100 of food!), they sound like flushing money down the toilet to an owner. Of the $50 in revenues on that $100 Groupon, the venue only gets half, the other half goes to Groupon. So the venue loses 75% right off the top, and while restaurants and bars typically have high margin products, they’re not that high.

We’re working with several venues in Boston and we continue to hear the same Groupon complaints and horror stories. We lost $10,000 on our last offer, thanks Groupon. The Groupon customers are entitled and stingy, they tip on what they paid for the Groupon, not what the bill came to. It’s basically a giant scam; it’s a ponzi scheme.

What about the Groupons that people never use? Groupon economics or Grouponomics would claim that much of the revenue lost by offering a deal is covered in unredeemed Groupons. Let’s think about that for a second. So if I were losing $75 each time a Groupon is redeemed, I would need to have three Groupons go unredeemed to cover the $75 I lost on the one that was redeemed. So three out of four Groupons would need to go unredeemed or only 25% redeemed. That’s some wishful thinking. Unfortunately for bar and restaurant owners, the typical redemption rates for Groupons are around 80-85%[1]. The consumer and Groupon realize the financial benefits, while the venue has to pick up the check.

What about the loyalty that Groupon builds? Groupon builds loyalty alright, but it’s not for the venue, its Groupon loyalty. Consumers continue to buy Groupons and hop, skip and jump from venue to venue. They follow the deals wherever they go and don’t return without further incentive. In fact, only about 10% return to the venue after using a Groupon[2]. Once consumers know that a venue offers Groupons they wait until it offers another Groupon before going back:

Hey do you want to go back to that restaurant where we used the Groupon last month?

No, let’s wait until they have another Groupon.

To build loyalty, you must incentivize loyalty, and a one-time deal only incentivizes a one-time visit. Rather than attract coupon cutters who will dine and dash, why not build a loyal following with rewards that translate to an increase in revenue. Why not reward customers who commit to spend money rather than commit to save money? Those are the customers you really want coming back.

Line Genie’s marketing solution rewards high value customers to keep them coming back. When patrons make reservations through LineGenie.com, they prove their value by committing to spend and are rewarded with premium entry. After that night, we allow venues to continue to reward these loyal customers by offering special deals. We don’t keep the contact data to ourselves for our own benefit; we want our partner venues to connect with their customers and encourage repeat visits. Thanks for being a loyal customer. Show this text any day this week for a FREE appetizer! Line Genie builds loyalty through rewards and privileges, not gimmicks and freebies.

The Groupon value proposition is fundamentally flawed, as value must be created on both sides of the B2C equation to be successful in the long run. As consumers keep winning and venues keep losing, venues will stop offering Groupons until the entire daily deal industry fades away. Maybe Groupon could survive if it opened its own bar or restaurant, but then it would have to offer Groupons, which is just bad for business.

Trevor

Line Genie Co-Founder

[1] http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/doing-the-math-on-a-groupon-deal/

[2] http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/doing-the-math-on-a-groupon-deal/

Line Genie iPad giveaway

Thu, 10 May 2012 19:18:33 -0400

Dear Line Genie Follower,

Win a brand new iPad HD in our first ever social media contest!

Every facebook “like” and “tweet” that mentions a new bar to sign onto (with their twitter handle) and @LineGenie will be entered to win the iPad. The idea is to have the voice of the customer (YOU) tell the bars and nightclubs you love our service, and you would love them more if they signed on with Line Genie. There’s no limit to the amount of tweets, so tweet away!

Example Tweet: Hey @theBrahmin I wish you had @LineGenie, I would definitely come more often if you did! #NoLineNoCover

Your tweet doesn’t have to be exactly like this, but you get the idea. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to us at Sales@LineGenie.com. Thank you and good luck!

Best,

John Clifford

Co-Founder

Line Genie

How to use text marketing effectively

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:12:34 -0400

Ok, so you want to drive business during your off peak hours; here’s a solution to help. Text message marketing. Why is this so effective? It has been shown that people read over 93% of text messages sent to them, while only 20% of emails….but we all love email marketing right? It’s easy, but ineffective. Here’s how to make the most out of your text message marketing platform.

Make it interactive: I don’t want to text you the same message you can read on any billboard. I want to text you something that you care about, and that makes a call to action, all in 162 characters minus the required (reply STOP to opt out, standard txt rates apply).

Don’t Do: DJ Crazy Craze is here this Saturday night, gonna be great party, come b4 9pm.

Come on, really? I just read that on your Facebook site. STOP

Do: DJ Awesome is here tonight; show this text for no cover. Limited to first 50 ppl.

Now that’s cool, not only am I giving you something while I invade your privacy, I make it monetarily worth your while. Oh yeah, and I can also demonstrate how effective the text marketing platform is, they’re showing your texts to get in the door right?

Genie girls

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:56:10 -0400

Genie girls

New Venue Launch Party

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:57:52 -0400

That’s right folks, we just increased our venues by 50% with a partnership with Grand Canal right in the Garden area of Boston. It’s a great spot with a huge outdoor patio perfect for the summertime, overlooking the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

We are hosting our launch party with Grand Canal this Saturday night April 21st. Come one, come all…there will be some great live music by Hot Mess, giveaways, and of course: Genie Girls.

Skip the line and cover with a reservation purchased at www.LineGenie.com, or come early and chat with Trevor and John about what other venues you wish had Line Genie.

Check out the Facebook event here at: www.facebook.com/linegenie.

Oh yeah, and by the way, we have more venues being signed as we speak! Stay tuned….

Giveaways from the last Line Genie launch party at The Harp!

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:14:13 -0400

Giveaways from the last Line Genie launch party at The Harp!

Let's Catch Up

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:21:00 -0400

Line Genie has been very busy recently and we thought we would let you in on all the fun. First, we are now live at The Harp directly across from the TD Garden here in Boston. We’ve also gone completely online now, so the only way to skip the line is to make a reservation at LineGenie.com. Reservations are available until 9PM or until we sell out each night. If you’re planning a big night out, make sure to book your reservation early as we have been selling out more frequently.

Word of Line Genie is spreading quickly throughout Boston. We had a launch party at The Harp, at the end of February and have recently gotten some great press. Check out the articles below from Boston.com and BostInno.com. Keep up to date on the latest news from Line Genie by Liking our Facebook page and Following us on Twitter. As always, we are open to suggestions on new venues to add or anything else you would like to see from Line Genie. Keep the suggestions coming!

Customer Loyalty

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:52:12 -0400

Female customer last weekend: “Do you still have that Line Genie special?”

Line Genie marketing team: “Of course. How did you hear about us?”

Female customer (Katie): “I use you every weekend, I only come back now because of you guys. I don’t like waiting.”

Line Genie marketing team: “Oh thank you, I’m glad you like what we do. Do you tell your friends about us?”

Katie: “Of course, I brought 6 of them with me tonight.”

Line Genie: “Wow. Thank you for being such a loyal customer.”

This actually happened last weekend…so we started to think, how do you reward your customers? That was a question we asked ourselves, and not being marketing gurus….we had to take a minute to brainstorm. Now we just put some new technology into our website to take care of this issue, and take care of our loyal customers.

Line Genie went live about 2.5 months ago, and we have since garnered the attention of well over 700 great customers; these people have used Line Genie to skip the line and cover charge at some of their favorite bars in Boston, MA. We want to take care of these customers as they are the lifeblood of our business, and have voiced their love of our service over and over again to our faces. And now, we want to pay them back.

Therefore, pay attention to the tweets, Facebook posts, and texts that come from us. We will be offering discount codes on our gift cards (yes, now you get a discount on simply cutting the line and cover!), happy hours for Line Genie loyalists, and repeat cash offers for those most vocal of our benefits (hint hint: Tell your friends about us!). We want to share our success with you, and think that you will continue to share your success using us to your friends.

HELP: I'm missing the bachelor party!

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:51:06 -0400

Has this ever happened to you? Okay, well maybe not this exact situation, but if you have as much FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) as I do, then you’ve experienced this panic moment.

Last weekend at Ned Devine’s, we had a customer come running to the front of the line in a frantic sweat. He had just arrived to meet up with his best friend’s bachelor party, only to find a 200 person line there to welcome him. Everyone else was already inside having the time of their lives, and he was stuck outside getting text updates on the escapades ensuing inside the bar. So he did the only thing he could think of and started to plead with the GM to help him out. Lucky for him we were there.

The GM told him the only way to get right in was with Line Genie. He was thrilled. “So you mean all I have to do is buy a gift card to spend inside and I get right in? I still get to spend the money? It doesn’t cost me anything? And I don’t have to pay cover or wait at the downstairs bar? This is too good to be true.” This is a pretty common reaction from our consumers. “So I get to use the card inside? So you’re telling me I save $10 and don’t have to wait in line?” YES. Brilliant right? Thanks.

That’s why we get more and more repeat customers every week. Once someone uses Line Genie for the first time, they use it every time. And now we want to say thanks by developing a customer loyalty and friend referral program. We are open to ideas and suggestions, so let us know how you would like to be rewarded.

And next time you are missing out on a great time just because you showed up a little late, tell the bar to get Line Genie and you will never have to wait in line again.

Public Enemy #1: The Line

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:52:55 -0400

Waiting in line is miserable. It is a complete waste of time. I don’t know about you, but nothing frustrates me more than the torture of standing in line. I can’t believe that in this day in age, with all of the technology we have at our fingertips, we still subject ourselves to this archaic act.

I think my hatred goes back to my childhood when my parents brought me to Disney World. Nothing kills the magic and excitement of the “happiest place on earth” for a 6-year-old than standing in an hour-long line just to get on the Tea Cups. What kind of cruel trick is this? I don’t remember seeing any lines in the commercials?

That was where it all started…here is where it ends. I hereby declare war on lines everywhere. Through mobile technology and real time communication Line Genie arms you with the tools to never wait in line again. Our first victim will be the nightlife lines here in Boston. No longer will you have to stand outside like cattle being herded in the night. The days of paying a bouncer $50 just to cross an invisible line are over. We will prevail. Viva la resistance!

Come join the good fight at Ned Devine’s Irish Pub on Saturday nights.

Where do you hate waiting in line Boston?

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:55:01 -0400

How many times have you wanted to go out at night but were deterred because you knew it would be packed and the line to get in would not be worth it? Who wins in that situation? Not you, you’re stuck at home on the couch. Not the bar or restaurant you were going to, they don’t make any money off of you. And definitely not your friends that got there early; you are depriving them of your company and witty comments all night. Line Genie can help, if you can’t get their early enough to avoid the line, we enable you to bypass the line at any time of night, just by purchasing a gift card for the bar you are going to. Then it’s a win - win situation for everyone. You get to go out and get off the couch, the bar makes money because you are telling them you spend money even before getting in, and your friends get to hear your jokes and see you dance all night. How does that not sound like a great idea?

So go use Line Genie, go to the bar as late as you want, and join the crowd that sells us out every weekend.

If you know of any place that might use our services to help everyone out in the Boston area in upcoming weekend nights, let us know. Email us at John@linegenie.com with the name of the venue where we could help you not wait in line, and help the bar know that you will be a great customer of theirs. Don’t worry, we will take your suggestions and work on partnering with the bar for you.

Line Genie; never wait in line again!

The Idea

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:46:00 -0400

Why do we still have to wait in line? Where’s the VIP service for the rest of us middle income people? If I am going to spend more than the average Joe, but don’t have want to waste the money or have the cahunas to slip the bouncers $20 just to get in and then pay a cover, why do I still have to wait in line behind the average spender? Why can’t I simply explain that I am going to spend a lot of money inside the bar to the GM and get right in?

These are the questions I asked myself about a year ago, I spend some good money at bars around the city of Boston, why should I wait to get into them? I am not getting bottle service or anything, but I do spend more than the average person, where’s the VIP for the guy in the middle? I decided to do something about it, so I got some buddies together and created Line Genie. Our goal, to provide alternatives to waiting in line.

Line Genie works like this, during peak demand times, think huge line at 11pm on a Saturday night, we offer those that are going to spend more than the average person an alternative. If you commit to spend your bar tab up front, through purchasing a gift card to that bar off of our website, you get to the front of the line and don’t have to pay a cover. The bar wins because you are spending money before you get into the place, and you win because you get the full value of your money (gift card for the bar as opposed to the bouncers pocket) and you save on the cover. Why should you waste your time in line when you are going to spend your money in the bar?

Oh, and if you don’t want to spend money before you get in, but want to still get line privileges and free cover, we have that too. Check out the home page of the website.

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Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:36:53 -0400

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