Pub marketing guide · 9 min read

How to Promote a Pub Quiz Night: 10 Practical Ways to Attract More Teams

A good quiz night can turn a quiet midweek evening into one of the most reliable nights of the week. But teams don't appear just because there's a quiz. People need to know when it is, what it costs, how big teams can be and why it's worth turning up.

This guide covers ten practical ways to promote your quiz, whether it's been running for years or you're launching your first one. There are five example posts to adapt, a seven-day checklist and a realistic four-week plan.

Words in [square brackets] are placeholders. The examples are illustrative only, not details of any real pub.

1. Choose a consistent quiz night

The easiest quiz to promote is one that happens at the same time every week. "Every Tuesday from 8pm" is easy to remember, easy to tell a friend and easy to fit into a routine. Regular teams form when people can plan around it.

Pick a night that's normally quieter for you, so the quiz adds trade rather than competing with a night that's already busy. Then stick with it. If you have to move or cancel a week, say so clearly and early.

2. Give people a reason to join

People want to know what they're signing up for before they commit an evening. Spell out the essentials every time you mention the quiz:

Format: number of rounds, any picture or music round, roughly how long it lasts.
Team size: the maximum, and whether smaller teams or people on their own are welcome.
Entry fee: per person or per team, or free.
Prizes: what the winners get, kept realistic for your pub.
Atmosphere: friendly and relaxed, or a serious quiz for keen teams. Be honest about which it is.
Food and drink: whether the kitchen is open and any quiz-night deal.

3. Start promoting before quiz night

One post on the day often isn't enough, because many teams arrange things a few days in advance. A simple timeline works for most pubs:

Five to seven days before: announce the date, time, entry fee and team size.
Two or three days before: a reminder, with something specific such as a themed round or the prize.
On the day: a short post in the afternoon with the start time and how to book a table.
After the quiz: thank everyone and announce next week's date.

4. Write Facebook posts that get the details across

Put the key detail in the first line: "Quiz night this Tuesday from 8pm". Then add team size, entry fee, prizes and how to book. A clear photo of last week's quiz (with permission from anyone shown) is better than a generic graphic.

For a regular quiz, consider creating a Facebook Event so people can mark themselves as interested and find all the details in one place. Update it straight away if anything changes. The example posts further down this guide give you wording to start from.

For more on Pages, events and reaching local people, read our guide to promoting your pub on Facebook.

5. Use Instagram Stories and photos

You don't need professional photos or video. Short, simple moments show what the night is like better than a polished advert.

A photo of the answer sheets and pens laid out before the doors open.
The quizmaster setting up, or a ten-second clip of the room during a round.
A Story on the day with the start time and a reminder to book.
A photo of the winning team holding their prize, only if they're happy to be shown.
A teaser question in a Story the day before, with the answer revealed on quiz night.

Looking for things to post on other nights? See our 25 social media post ideas for pubs.

6. Promote the quiz inside your pub

Your existing customers are your easiest audience. People already in the pub on other nights are likely candidates for a quiz team.

A poster by the bar and on the toilet doors with the day, time, fee and team size.
Table cards on busier nights such as Friday or Sunday lunch.
A chalkboard outside or by the door: "Quiz every Tuesday, 8pm".
Staff mentioning it when people pay or ask what's on, without a hard sell.
A reminder from the quizmaster at the end of each quiz about next week.

7. Reach local groups and communities

Local sports clubs, workplaces, walking groups, parent groups and societies are natural sources of quiz teams. A friendly message or a poster in a club house can work better than any post.

Community Facebook groups can help too, but read each group's rules first and post only where promoting local events is welcome. Don't share the same advert in every group every week. A charity quiz or a special themed night is a more natural thing to share than a regular weekly reminder.

8. Encourage teams to come back

A quiz grows when last week's teams return and bring friends. Run it at the same time, start on time and keep it moving. A friendly host who learns team names and welcomes newcomers makes a big difference.

Repeat-visit incentives can help if they're simple, affordable and open to every team: a running league table over a month, a small prize for the best newcomer team, or a themed round any team can play. Keep any drinks offer responsible and appropriate for your licence.

9. Avoid common pub quiz promotion mistakes

Missing details: no start time, no team size or no mention of the entry fee.
Changing the day or time without warning, which breaks the routine teams rely on.
Dark, blurry or empty-room photos that make the night look quiet.
Unrealistic claims, such as "the best quiz in town" or prizes you can't sustain.
Overcomplicated offers with too many conditions to explain in one post.
Only promoting on the day, when most teams have already made plans.

10. Measure whether your quiz night is growing

Keep a simple weekly note: the number of teams, roughly how many people, how many teams were returning and how many were new. Add the night's takings, food sales and anything unusual such as bad weather or a big match on TV.

After four to six weeks you'll see whether the quiz is growing, which promotions seemed to help and whether it's worth the cost of prizes and staff. Ask new teams how they heard about it; it's the simplest way to find out what's working.

Ready-to-use quiz night posts

Swap the details in square brackets for your own, and add a photo you've taken yourself.

First quiz announcement · example post (illustrative)

New: quiz night at [Pub name] 🧠 Every [day] from [time]. Teams of up to [number], £[entry fee] per person, and [prize] for the winning team. Food served until [time]. Call [phone] or message us to book a table.

Three-day reminder · example post (illustrative)

Quiz night is this [day] from [time]. Teams of up to [number], £[entry fee] each, [prize] for the winners. This week's picture round: [theme]. Book your table on [phone].

Same-day reminder · example post (illustrative)

Quiz tonight from [time] 🧠 Get your team together: up to [number] people, £[entry fee] each. Kitchen open until [time]. Message us if you'd like a table saved.

Last-minute availability · example post (illustrative)

We still have [number] tables free for tonight's quiz, starting at [time]. Teams of up to [number], £[entry fee] each. Call [phone] to grab one.

Only post this when the tables genuinely are free.

Thank-you and next-week announcement · example post (illustrative)

Thanks to every team who came to the quiz last night, and well done to [team name] 🏆 Next quiz is [day] [date] from [time]. Same format, [prize] up for grabs. See you then.

A seven-day quiz promotion checklist

The seven days count down to your quiz night, with Day 7 being the day of the quiz itself.

Day 1: Confirm the date, start time, team size, entry fee and prize. Update posters and the chalkboard.
Day 2: Post the announcement on Facebook and create or update the Facebook Event.
Day 3: Mention the quiz to customers and message any local clubs or groups that might enter a team.
Day 4: Post a reminder with something specific, such as a themed round or the prize.
Day 5: Share an Instagram Story with a teaser question or a photo from a previous quiz.
Day 6: Check bookings, prepare the questions and answer sheets, and brief staff.
Day 7: Post a same-day reminder in the afternoon. Afterwards, thank teams and announce next week.

Building a regular quiz audience over four weeks

An example of how a pub might build a quiz crowd. Your numbers and pace will differ.

Week 1: Pick the night and format. Put up posters, announce the quiz and tell regulars in person. Expect a small start.
Week 2: Post a thank-you from week one and a reminder for week two. Message one or two local clubs or workplaces.
Week 3: Share photos from previous weeks (with permission) and a teaser question. Consider starting a monthly league table.
Week 4: Compare your notes on teams, returning teams and takings. Keep what seemed to help and drop what didn't.

Established quizzes and first quizzes

If your quiz is already running

Focus on keeping regulars and adding new teams. Refresh your posters, add a themed round now and then, start a league table and ask regular teams to bring friends. Check your posts still have the right time and fee.

If you're launching your first quiz

Start promoting at least a week before, keep the format simple and choose a quizmaster who's comfortable on a microphone. Expect a modest turnout at first and give it several weeks on the same night before you judge it.

Make it enjoyable and commercially sensible

A packed room isn't the only goal. A quiz should be enjoyable for customers and make sense for your pub. Look at what teams spend on food and drink, not just how many turn up.

Keep prizes in proportion to the night's takings, think about staffing for the extra orders, and avoid offers that cost more than they bring in. A smaller quiz that people love and come back to each week can be worth more than a crowded one that loses money.