IT'S OFFICIAL. Walking is the most popular recreational activity, with over eight million of us taking walks at least once a month, according to a recent Sport England survey. That's eight million people out there looking for somewhere to walk - and often somewhere to stop for refreshment.
If you want to get some of those hungry and thirsty customers spending money at your pub it means making sure that when they go looking for a walk in your area they can find one that features your pub somewhere along the route - a 'pub walk' that leads them straight to your door.
What is a 'pub walk'?
For the uninitiated, pub walks are simply walking routes that include a pub stop. They combine fresh air and exercise and are popular with families and not to be confused with pub crawls.
They are usually circular walks, taking maybe between one and three hours to complete, though the walking enthusiast may elect for a longer route.
This path to new business used to be the exclusive domain of a select few pubs that seemed to appear repeatedly in published collections of pub walks. But not any more, it seems.
New website MyFavouritePubWalks.com is aiming to make it easy for any pub to promote itself by publishing a pub walk online at no cost. Walkers can search the database by pub name or area, view the search results and download any pub walk that appeals to them. They are then encouraged to leave feedback about both the walk and the pub so the database stays right up to date.
"This initiative offers pubs a unique opportunity to reach out directly to the walking community and put themselves 'on the map'," explains the website's founder Leigh Salkeld.
"And it's not just about attracting new customers. It's also about increasing the spend of all your customers, new and existing, and giving everyone an added reason to return to your pub again and again."
According to Leigh a pub walk is a marketing tool any pub can use, not only the traditional country pub. Town walks have their own following, especially if points of historical, literary or architectural interest are highlighted in the instructions. Some are even targeted at families and groups by including simple questions to test observation along the way.
For more information visit MyFavouritePubWalks.com/publicans.
If you run a country pub you could be perfectly placed to take advantage of walkers
The Quest for the Nation's Favourite Pub Walk
MyFavouritePubWalks.com is offering a year's free advertising on the site to pubs taking part in its current initiative the Quest for The Nation's Favourite Pub Walk.
Entrants have until June 30 to submit their favourite pub walks with voting continuing until 31 July. Additional prizes have been donated by some big names - The Ramblers Association, publisher of The Good Pub Guide Ebury Press and Blacks camping shops.
Pubs that enter their own pub walk into the competition will have an online presence, a free profile page and a share in the site profits based on how many times their walk is downloaded.
They will also be included in the MyFavouritePubWalks.com national database of online pub walks. You just need to choose a route, write down the directions, take a few photographs and add the walk to the site.
"Marketing your pub is all about engaging with your customers," says Leigh Salkeld. "A competition that encourages customers to help find your pub's best walks does just that and can even be turned into a community event and opportunities for publicity that should be seized with both hands.
"As all entries and votes are handled online it is very easy for participating pubs to use the site for their own local contest to find the best walks from their pub," he adds.
You don't have to pay anything to MyFavouritePubWalks to take part but publicans do need to provide a couple of extra prizes purely for their own customers who are then automatically entered for all the national prizes too.
The types of prize are at your discretion but it could be a meal for two or a bottle of champagne, for example.
Top 10 Tips
Getting the most out of taking part in the Quest
1.) Register your pub at MyFavouritePubWalks.com/publicans and submit details for your pub's Profile Page
2.) Tell customers about the competition by downloading posters from the website and displaying them in your pub. If you have an emailing list you can use the website's 'Tell a Friend' facility
3.) Tell your local newspaper you have joined the Quest, giving them information about your pub and a good photograph
4.) Tell your local radio station - they may even offer you the chance to speak on air about what a walk from your pub can offer
5.) Tell your parish magazine by sending a poster for the events page. You could also write a short item on your own favourite walk
6.) Always carry a few posters and ask to display them in your local tourist information office, library, supermarket, corner shop, leisure centre… anywhere!
7.) Make an event of the judging. Invite customers to participate and get them talking about your pub. Encourage them to try the walks, then vote and comment online.
8.) Choose your winners by viewing the star ratings and comments left by walkers on the website
9.) Celebrate the winning pub walk and use it for maximum publicity. Why not organise a group pub walk on the winning route?
10.) Remember any pub can use pub walks as a route to new business and more profit.