If you’re thinking about opening an escape room, there are some things you need to know.

If you’ve opened one recently, it’s not too late. We understand your challenges and are ready to help.

You may be thinking, “Wait, what challenges? What did I get myself into?”

The biggest challenge with escape room games is marketing them. It’s hard enough to market something people know about, but how do you market something where the entire premise is based on secrecy?

We’re going to show you how. Keep reading for five ways to market your escape room game effectively.

The Escape Room Games Boom

In the last four years, the obsession with escape rooms in America has grown by epic proportions.

There were 20 escape rooms in the U.S. in 2014. Now, there are close to 3,000.

They’re in both large cities and smaller towns. Enthusiastic game-lovers and savvy entrepreneurs both want their piece of the puzzle.

And why shouldn’t they? A successful escape room can bring in more than $125,000 a year if it’s done right.

But it also needs effective marketing. That’s been the biggest challenge so far for most escape room games. These tips will help with your marketing strategy.

1. Marketing a Secret

Not only is your escape room a secret, when your first starting out it’s a one-time event.

More established escape rooms have many games and puzzles to choose from. They get repeat gamers because it’s a different experience each time. They may start out with Mystery Mansion, then come back for Museum Heist.

If you don’t have the capital for more than one escape room game, set up a mobile mini-game instead.

Instead of the typical 60-minute puzzle, give them a 10-15 minute taste of what awaits. Think of it as a preview. You can set these up at fairs, community events, or even as a pop-up.

2. Offer a Discount

If you have a mobile preview or pop-up game, offer them a discount once they get through the mini-game.

If you did it right, they’ll definitely check your establishment out for the full puzzle.

3. Contact Your Local Radio or TV Station

Radio and TV producers are always looking for stories in the community. Morning shows in both mediums especially. You want your escape room to have a good reputation.

Offer the local morning show to come by and experience your escape room game. If it’s in your budget, consider having them do a remote broadcast from your location.

Approach stations or shows that share the same target audience. If your escape room caters to millennials, the local AM morning show may not be your best bet.

Make sure you have the final touches in place and you’ve received positive feedback before reaching out. You don’t want to present a half-finished product to your local media.

4. Partner with Competitors

This sounds crazy, but if your competitor has one escape room and you have one escape room, work together to promote each other.

In other words, you can hand out flyers at the end of your game promoting theirs and vice versa. The escape room community is still small, despite the industry growth. There’s no reason why you can’t work with other escape rooms to make your town an escape room enthusiast’s dream!

5. Start a Blog

This sounds simple enough, right? Everyone has a website these days. But how many have a blog with compelling content that draws gamers in?

But make sure you also have a blog with compelling content that triggers those SEO results! Like the broadcast route, make sure you’re targeting the right audience.

If your escape room targets a younger generation, blog about your local restaurants and nightlife. If it caters to families, blog about family-friendly events in your area.

SEO is important for businesses but it can often get confusing. If you don’t understand how SEO works or how to use digital marketing for your escape room, contact a specialist.

Don’t Forget Your Socials!

Last but not least, don’t forget to market your escape room on social media. Offer discounts and keep your followers up-to-date with any announcements or events.

Digital marketing a small business is hard, but using it for escape room games can be even harder. Sometimes, the best thing to do is reach out for help.

If you feel like getting help is the best strategy for you, we can help.

Check out our blog on brand marketing. We have plenty of tips that will fill in the missing puzzle pieces so you can be on your way to success.