Making Your Regular Quiz Work

Introduction

Is your regular quiz not delivering the desired returns? Growing the demand for your quiz should be a constant objective. But understanding the dynamics of your quiz and getting more out of its current format may be the best place to start.

Marketing

Growing demand

The hardest thing to influence is the demand for your quiz. Here, the usual and logical steps apply:

• regular Facebook or social media reminders,
• sharing of the weekly quiz clues (Qwizard’s Current Questions Guide is released on Facebook every Monday),
• using on-premise collateral such as posters and DL flyers,
• informing your staff about the quiz and encouraging them to engage with patrons.

Grow Your Audience First

Don’t rely on your Facebook posts to reach a new audience if your number of followers or engagement is low. Consider extending your reach through new avenues such as local community groups, or business associations, or run some sponsored posts in an attempt to grow your social media audience first.

Get the Players Assistance

The best and most cost-effective marketing is to put on the best event possible and develop a strong reputation for a fun evening. Your objective is to get the current players talking about your event. Ensure that all elements of your quiz are supporting this objective e.g. timing, duration, hosting, staffing, communication, etc.
Read our document about Top Tips for more specific ideas in this area.

Improving the Variables

Calculate Your Break-Even Point

Your venue should calculate, and regularly review, the approximate break-even number of players for your quiz. To do this, simply add your direct costs (quiz supply and your hosting cost) and the cost price of any vouchers that are offered as prizes, then determine the revenue required to cover this direct cost. Dividing this revenue by the estimated spend per player provides a target break-even point.

Average Spend

You can try to improve each element of your breakeven formula in order to lower the break-even point. However, some of the direct costs are fixed in nature. It is the average spend per player that will deliver the most benefit.

The best way to influence player spend is by structuring your quiz event effectively:

• Ensure that the bar is well-staffed to cater for demand prior to the commencement of the quiz
• Schedule a drinks break at a set time – again, with a well-staffed bar
• Ask your staff to offer some table service
• Position some of your key teams closest to the bar as possible
• Run a Quiz Night Special to make the players feel like they are benefiting. A simple food & drink combination will encourage both eating and drinking.
• Use Qwizard’s on-screen advert placements to ensure everyone is aware of these specials
• Start these specials an hour before your quiz to encourage early dining and to spread out the demand
• Change these specials and on-screen adverts regularly to keep them fresh
• Ensure your quiz host is promoting these specials and sticking to a schedule that encourages team spending
• Monitor this equation regularly and see what works for your venue

Summary

There is no magic formula. Lots of small things add up to an effective quiz. Of course, the quiz event itself, including the content and delivery, is vital, but many of these small structural things around your event will ensure that you are in the best position to maximise the opportunity that your quiz offers.