Guest WiFi Marketing for Pubs and Gastropubs

The opportunity

Why guest WiFi works for pubs

A pub is rarely quiet for long. Locals drop in after work, groups settle in for the match, families arrive for Sunday lunch and the quiz crowd fills the back room midweek. Your busiest hours are also when your team has the least time to recite the WiFi password or chalk it on a board.

Wayv lets guests sign in with a social account or a short form, prompts them to follow your pub, and then sends them to your own page or website. Regulars are recognised next time and connect automatically. Meanwhile you build a database of guests who have opted in to hear from you.

That list is where the value sits. Match days, quiz nights, a new guest beer, live music and the Sunday roast are all moments you can promote directly to the people most likely to turn up, instead of hoping a social post is seen at the right time.

Benefits

How Wayv helps pubs

Four ways guest WiFi marketing earns its keep for pubs, from the first sign-in to the next visit.

A database of your regulars

Every sign-in adds a guest to your list, along with the details you chose to ask for. Guests who opt in become people you can invite to events, rather than familiar faces you only know by sight.

No more password reciting

Returning guests connect automatically and new guests sign in once. Your team stays behind the bar pulling pints instead of reading out a password to every table on a busy Friday night.

Session limits for your trade

Set time limits on WiFi sessions around last orders, closing time or guests who have settled in for the afternoon. You can ask for a purchase, or let staff authorise more time, to extend access.

Reach your regulars directly

Send an email or text to guests who have opted in, such as a same-day deal or a reminder that the quiz starts at eight.

Inspiration

Campaign ideas for pubs

Each idea works by email or text, and most can run automatically once set up. Our guide to WiFi marketing has more on consent, timing and measuring results.

Match-day offer to regulars
Before a big fixture, email your regulars a match-day offer, such as a jug deal or a reminder to book a table near the screen, so your pub is the first place they think of.
Quiz night reminder by text
On the afternoon of the quiz, text opted-in guests the start time and a prize teaser. A short message is quick to read and easy to act on, and it fills tables on a quieter evening.
Win back lapsed regulars
Build an automation for guests who used to drop in often but have gone quiet. A friendly message, perhaps with a free starter or snack on their return, gives them a reason to pop back in.
Birthday pint
Collect birthdays at sign-in and send each guest a birthday message with a free pint or a treat for their group. One person's celebration can bring the whole table through your door.

How it works

How guest WiFi marketing works

Your guests get quick, free WiFi. You get a growing list of opted-in customers and simple tools to welcome them back.

Connect
Guests join your free WiFi
Sign up
A quick social or email sign-up with consent
Market
Send targeted emails, texts and offers
Grow back
Bring guests back again and again

FAQ

Guest WiFi for pubs: common questions

Can I stop people sitting on the WiFi all day?

Yes. You can set time limits on each session, plus speed limits so a few devices do not hog the connection. Limits can be built around last orders, closing time or guests overstaying, with extra time authorised by staff or unlocked through a purchase.

Can I text customers who are in the pub right now?

Yes, for guests who gave a mobile number and opted in. Depending on your package, you may also be able to aim a text at guests who are on the premises, for example to promote a last-minute deal. Text messaging is set up with us, so ask how it works for your pub.

Will it work with the WiFi equipment we already have?

Often, yes. Wayv connects with UniFi, Meraki and Omada through your existing controller, with self-install guides for Aruba, MikroTik, Ruckus and Cambium. Tell us what your pub has and we will say whether it can be connected.

Got another question? Read our guest WiFi marketing FAQs or see every Wayv feature in one place.

Explore more

Good ideas travel well between trades. See how guest WiFi marketing works for venues with a lot in common with yours.