The Complete Guide to Escape Room Marketing in 2025
A practical, no-fluff marketing playbook for escape room owners. Covers Google Business, local SEO, paid ads, social media, email, and partnerships that actually drive bookings.
Start With Google Business Profile
Before you spend a dollar on ads or social media, make sure your Google Business Profile is fully optimized. This is free, and for most escape rooms, it is the single biggest source of new customers.
Here is your checklist:
- Accurate business information. Name, address, phone number, website, hours. Double-check everything. Inconsistencies hurt your search ranking.
- Photos and videos. Upload at least 20 high-quality photos of your venue, lobby, themed rooms (without spoilers), and team. Google rewards listings with lots of visual content.
- Categories. Your primary category should be "Escape Room Center." Add secondary categories like "Entertainment Service" and "Tourist Attraction" if they apply.
- Posts. Google lets you publish posts directly on your listing. Use this weekly. Share promotions, new rooms, events, or tips. It signals to Google that your listing is active.
- Q&A section. Pre-populate this with your most common questions and answers. If you do not, random people on the internet will answer for you, and they often get it wrong.
Reviews Are Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool
Nothing drives escape room bookings like reviews. A venue with 200+ reviews and a 4.7-star average will crush a competitor with 30 reviews and a 4.9 average. Volume matters more than perfection.
How to get more reviews:
Ask every single group after their experience. Not by handing them a card. By sending an automated text or email within one hour of their visit with a direct link to your Google review page. Make it one tap. The easier you make it, the more reviews you get.
Respond to every review, good and bad. Thank happy customers specifically (mention their room or something personal). For negative reviews, be professional, acknowledge the issue, and offer to make it right. Other potential customers read these responses.
Pro tip: Never offer incentives for reviews. Google will penalize you. Just ask genuinely and make it easy.
Local SEO That Actually Works
Beyond your Google listing, your website needs to rank for local searches. Here is what matters most:
Target the Right Keywords
The keywords that drive escape room bookings are:
- "escape rooms near me"
- "escape rooms in [your city]"
- "best escape rooms [your city]"
- "things to do in [your city]"
- "[your city] team building activities"
Create dedicated pages on your website for each of these. Not thin, spammy pages. Real, helpful content about your rooms, the experience, and why your venue is worth visiting.
Build Local Citations
Get your business listed on every relevant directory: Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and niche directories for entertainment and activities in your area. Make sure your name, address, and phone number are identical everywhere.
Get Local Backlinks
Reach out to local bloggers, tourism boards, event planners, and "things to do" websites. Offer them a free experience in exchange for an honest writeup. One good local backlink is worth more than 100 generic directory listings.
Paid Advertising on a Budget
For escape rooms, Google Ads is almost always a better investment than Facebook/Instagram ads. Why? Because Google captures intent. Someone searching "escape room birthday party Denver" is ready to book. Someone scrolling Instagram is just browsing.
Google Ads tips for escape rooms:
- Focus on local keywords with booking intent
- Use location targeting (10-20 mile radius around your venue)
- Set up conversion tracking so you know which ads actually lead to bookings
- Start with $15-20/day and scale what works
- Write ads that mention specific things: room names, pricing, group sizes, your star rating
When Facebook/Instagram ads work:
- Promoting special events (holiday themes, new rooms)
- Retargeting website visitors who did not book
- Gift card promotions around holidays
- Reaching corporate event planners
Email Marketing That Brings People Back
Most escape room owners collect email addresses and then do nothing with them. That is a wasted goldmine. Someone who visited once and had a good time is your easiest sale for a return visit.
Essential email sequences:
- Post-visit follow-up (1 hour after): Thank them, ask for a review, include a photo from their experience if possible.
- New room announcement (when relevant): "We just opened a new room and wanted you to be the first to know."
- Re-engagement (90 days after last visit): "It has been a while! Here is 10% off your next adventure."
- Birthday/anniversary (if you collect this data): Personal touch with a special offer.
- Gift card promotions (before major holidays): Remind past customers that escape room gift cards make great presents.
Keep emails short, personal, and focused on one action. Do not blast your entire list with the same generic newsletter every week.
Partnerships and Cross-Promotions
Escape rooms thrive on partnerships with complementary local businesses:
- Restaurants and bars nearby: "Dinner and escape" packages
- Hotels: Put your brochures in the lobby, offer a guest discount
- Corporate event planners: Position yourself as the go-to team building venue
- Schools and youth groups: Special rates for educational groups
- Other entertainment venues: Cross-promote with bowling alleys, laser tag, mini golf
The best partnerships feel natural. You are both sending customers to each other. Nobody is doing anyone a favor. It is mutual benefit.
Social Media Without Burning Out
You do not need to be on every platform. Pick one or two and do them well.
Instagram is the best platform for escape rooms because the experience is visual and shareable. Post photos of happy groups (with permission), behind-the-scenes content, room teasers, and customer stories. Use local hashtags and location tags.
TikTok works if you can create short, engaging video content. Room walkthroughs (no spoilers), reaction videos, "day in the life" content, and themed seasonal content all perform well.
Facebook is still useful for local community groups, events, and reaching an older demographic. Do not sleep on Facebook Groups for your city. Participating genuinely (not spamming) in local "things to do" groups drives real bookings.
Measure What Matters
Track these numbers monthly:
- Total bookings (online vs. phone vs. walk-in)
- Revenue per available time slot
- Customer acquisition cost by channel
- Review count and average rating
- Email open and click rates
- Website traffic by source
If you are not measuring, you are guessing. And guessing gets expensive fast.
