10 social media tips for pubs

24-Jun-2014 - Last updated on 25-Jun-2014 at 14:32 GMT

Be vigilant when it comes to online content relating to your business

The way people communicate is changing at an alarming rate. The particular growth area is photos — Snapchat, Instagram and similar sites are the new frontier of online communication. No doubt many of your customers will be taking and sharing photos in your pub, which could have implications for your licence. Here Poppleston Allen provide some tips to being social media savvy.

How can sharing photos possibly affect my licence, I hear you ask.

Well the police and other enforcement agencies now have a social media presence and can watch activity relating to your premises, just as anyone else can. Indeed, it might prove to be a fruitful source of evidence in the event of a review or prosecution, and more worryingly, prompt the enforcement action in the first place.

In order to ensure that you do not fall foul of the online content (not limited to photos) that relates to your business, I would recommend taking a number of simple precautions.

Google your own premises and check the results. Set up Google and Twitter alerts (the latter can be done on TweetDeck) with the name of your premises so that you can keep up to date with new developments.
Talk to your customers on a regular basis about how your premises are perceived on social media sites.
Make sure that any promotions that you — or indeed your promoters — advertise online could not be construed as being irresponsible.
Check your social media pages on a regular basis. If there are any postings showing inappropriate (eg, drunken) behaviour, remove them immediately. If what you see concerns you then investigate it.
Be on your guard in relation to photos. In addition to drunken people, they could show underage customers boasting about being in your premises.
Take care that photos do not show what might be perceived as a potential breach of your licence, for example customers drinking outside your premises after a certain time, if your licence prohibits that.
If an event at your premises is promoted on a social media site, ensure that you control the guest list and are able to meet your licensing and capacity requirements. Consider whether security (or additional security) is required.
If you are not the promoter, make sure you work closely with the person who is and ensure that they understand any licensing and capacity restrictions that may apply.
Remember that promoters may use their own websites to promote events at your venue. If difficulties occur, it will still be your licence at risk. Ensure that you check the content published by promoters and if necessary enter into a contractual agreement to control that content.
The police and local licensing team in your area may have their own social media pages. It makes sense to follow them to keep up to date with local developments.

So be vigilant when it comes to online content relating to your business, even if you are still ‘old school’.