How To Get More People In Your Escape Room

If you own an escape room and you’re looking to get more people through the door, the challenge usually isn’t whether marketing works. It’s knowing which marketing channels actually help fill rooms consistently, and which ones only help in very specific situations.

This guide is written for escape room owners who:

• Want to grow bookings week over week
• Have a solid room experience but open slots to fill
• Are deciding what to handle themselves vs what to get help with

Rather than ranking channels or pushing one tactic, this post breaks down the most common marketing options escape rooms use and explains where each one works best, where it falls short, and what it realistically takes to run.

The Goal: Fill Rooms Consistently, Not Randomly

When owners say they want “more people,” what they usually mean is:

• More total bookings per week
• Fewer empty rooms, especially outside peak times
• Predictable demand instead of relying on luck or seasonality

With that in mind, each marketing channel below is evaluated using the same lenses:

• Speed to results (short-term vs long-term)
• Audience intent (ready-to-book vs unaware)
• Scalability (can it reliably fill more rooms)
• Setup effort vs ongoing effort
• Technical knowledge required

Google Search Ads

Google Ads are one of the most direct ways to get more people into your escape room because they capture existing demand. These are people actively searching for things like “escape room near me” or “escape room this weekend.” When your ads appear here, you’re not trying to convince someone to want an escape room. You’re simply competing to be the option they choose. This makes Google Ads especially effective for filling rooms quickly when campaigns are structured correctly.

Where Google Ads work best:

• People are already searching for escape rooms in your area
• You want faster results and are willing to allocate an ad budget
• You want more consistent visibility during high-intent moments

Limitations:

• Requires careful setup to avoid wasted spend
• Needs ongoing optimization, not set-it-and-forget-it
• Competitive markets can drive costs up

Effort & skill required:

• Moderate to high setup effort
• Ongoing maintenance required
• Strong understanding of keywords, location targeting, and conversion tracking

Google Ads are one of the most reliable ways to fill rooms with people who are already ready to book. The tradeoff is cost and complexity.  Results come faster, but only if campaigns are structured, tracked, and actively managed.

Facebook & Instagram Ads (Meta Ads)

Facebook and Instagram Ads operate differently. Instead of capturing demand, they are primarily used to create demand by putting your escape room in front of people who may not be actively searching yet. These platforms rely on interest-based targeting, visuals, and messaging to spark interest and urgency. Because of this, success is less about keywords and more about offers, creative, and timing.

Where Facebook Ads work best:

• You want to generate interest from people not actively searching yet
• You need to promote specific offers or incentives
• You want more control over when and how demand is created locally

Limitations:

• Lower intent compared to search traffic
• Requires strong creative and clear offers
• Results can fluctuate more than search-based ads

Effort & skill required:

• Advanced Technical Setup
• Ongoing creative testing and monitoring
• Knowledge of targeting, creatives, and offers

Facebook Ads can be a powerful way to introduce new people to your escape room and fill rooms that wouldn’t book on their own. The downside is higher technical setup, ongoing creative demands, and more volatility compared to search-based traffic.

Local SEO

Local SEO focuses on improving your visibility in organic search results and map listings over time. This includes optimizing your website, local listings, and content so search engines clearly understand who you serve and where you operate. The goal is to show up consistently when people search locally, without paying for every click.

Where Local SEO works best:

• You are willing to invest now for results later
• You want to build consistent visibility in local searches over time
• You want to reduce long-term reliance on paid ads

Limitations:

• Slow to produce results
• Requires consistency and patience
• Harder to scale quickly

Effort & skill required:

• Higher upfront setup
• Ongoing content and optimization work
• Technical and strategic SEO knowledge

Local SEO is one of the best ways to build sustainable, long-term traffic without paying for every click. The cost is time.  Results come slowly, and consistency matters far more than quick wins.

Website Optimization

Website optimization focuses on turning existing traffic into bookings. This includes how clearly your rooms are presented, how easy it is to understand pricing and availability, and how frictionless the booking process feels. It does not create demand, but it determines how much value you get from the demand you already have.

Where Website Optimization works best:

• You already have traffic from ads, SEO, or referrals, but a low conversion rate
• You want more bookings without increasing ad spend
• You want to remove confusion or friction from the booking process

Limitations:

• Does not generate traffic on its own
• Impact is limited if visitor volume is low

Effort & skill required:

• Low technical knowledge
• Understanding of conversion metrics and A/B Testing
• Occasional updates and testing

Website optimization is one of the easiest ways to increase bookings from traffic that is already coming in. The tradeoff is that it does not drive traffic itself, like SEO does.

Social Media (Organic)

Organic social media is primarily a visibility and reinforcement channel. It helps keep your escape room top of mind locally, especially when content is shared by past players or shows real experiences inside your rooms. On its own, it is rarely a consistent driver of bookings.

Where Organic Social Media works best:

• You want to stay visible within your local community
• You have content that shows real experiences or reactions
• You are supporting promotions or paid campaigns

Limitations:

• Inconsistent reach
• Slow growth without paid amplification
• Difficult to predict or scale

Effort & skill required:

• High ongoing effort
• Consistent content creation
• Platform-specific knowledge

Organic social media can support growth and credibility, but it requires sustained effort and should not be relied on to fill rooms consistently.

Word of Mouth

Word of mouth and offline promotion rely on real-world interactions rather than digital systems. This includes referrals, local signage, stickers, and anything that reminds people to talk about or remember your escape room after they leave.

Where Word of Mouth works best:

• You want to encourage repeat and referral bookings
• You want low-cost reinforcement of awareness
• Your experience is memorable and shareable

Limitations:

• Hard to control or predict
• Not scalable as a primary growth system

Effort & skill required:

• Low technical skill
• Moderate operational effort

Word of mouth is a powerful amplifier of a good experience, but it works best alongside structured marketing channels rather than replacing them.

Putting It Together

Most escape rooms don’t rely on a single channel. They combine:

• Short-term demand capture (ads)
• Long-term visibility (SEO)
• Conversion optimization (website)
• Trust and reinforcement (reviews, social, referrals)

If you want help implementing paid traffic, improving conversion, or building a system that consistently fills rooms, that’s exactly what we help escape room owners do.  Want to see how we can help your Escape Room grow?  Check out our services, or contact us today!

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