Escape Room Marketing: How to Fill Every Time Slot and Build a Loyal Following
Escape rooms sell experiences, not products. And experiences live or die by one thing: what other people say about them.
Think about how your customers find you. They Google “escape rooms near me,” scan the star ratings, read a few reviews, maybe check your Instagram for photos of excited teams. Within minutes, they’ve decided whether to book — or click on your competitor.
The escape rooms winning this game aren’t necessarily the ones with the best puzzles. They’re the ones who’ve mastered social proof: visible evidence that other people chose them, loved them, and can’t wait to come back.
Here’s how to turn your lobby, your social media, and your reviews into a booking machine.
Why Social Proof Is Everything for Escape Rooms
Escape rooms have a unique challenge: you can’t try before you buy. Customers pay upfront for an experience they’ve never had, in a room they’ve never seen, with puzzles they know nothing about.
That’s a lot of trust to ask for.
Social proof bridges that gap. When potential customers see:
- Hundreds of 5-star Google Reviews
- Thousands of Instagram followers
- Photos of happy teams celebrating their escape
- Real testimonials from real people
…they stop wondering “Is this place any good?” and start asking “Which room should we book?”
But here’s what most escape room owners miss: social proof doesn’t just work online. It works even better in person, in your physical space, where customers are already excited and ready to engage.
Transform Your Lobby Into a Booking Engine
Your lobby is prime real estate. Groups arrive early, wait between sessions, and linger after their escape. They’re excited, phones in hand, ready to share their experience.
Most escape rooms waste this opportunity with bare walls and a bored receptionist.
Smart escape rooms turn their lobby into a social proof powerhouse.
Display Your Google Reviews on Screen
A screen in your lobby showing your Google rating and rotating customer reviews does several things at once:
For waiting groups:
- Builds excitement (“Look, everyone loves The Haunted Lab!”)
- Validates their choice (“4.9 stars — we picked a good one”)
- Sets expectations (“People say the puzzles are challenging but fair”)
For groups who just finished:
- Reminds them to leave a review (“Oh right, we should rate this!”)
- Shows that reviewing is normal here (“340 reviews — everyone does it”)
- Makes the ask feel natural, not pushy
Position your reviews display where everyone can see it — near the waiting area, visible from the front desk, impossible to miss.
Services like Social Counters make this simple: connect your Google Business Profile and your reviews appear live on any screen, updating automatically as new reviews come in.
Show Your Social Media Following
Escape rooms are inherently social. Groups come together, solve puzzles together, celebrate together — and increasingly, post together.
A live follower counter displaying your Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook following creates instant credibility:
- 15,000 Instagram followers signals popularity
- Growing numbers show momentum (“This place is blowing up”)
- Multi-platform presence proves you’re established, not amateur
But more importantly, a visible follower count triggers reciprocity. When customers see thousands of people following you, they want to join that community. Pair your follower display with a QR code linking to your profiles, and watch your following grow with every group that walks through your door.
Create a Photo Wall With Social Integration
Escape rooms already do victory photos. Take it further:
- Display recent posts from customers who tagged your location
- Show your latest Instagram content on a screen
- Feature your best team photos alongside your follower count
This creates a loop: customers see others posting, they post too, their posts appear on your display, future customers see them, and the cycle continues.
The Psychology of Reviews in Entertainment Booking
For escape rooms, reviews aren’t just helpful — they’re decisive. Here’s why:
Reviews Answer the Questions Customers Won’t Ask
Before booking, customers wonder:
- Is it actually scary? (Or too scary for my group?)
- Are the puzzles frustrating or fun?
- Is it worth the price?
- Will my non-gamer friends enjoy it?
They won’t call and ask these questions. But they’ll read 50 reviews looking for answers.
When you display reviews prominently — both online and in your physical space — you’re answering these questions proactively. A review saying “My 12-year-old solved the final puzzle!” tells family groups everything they need to know.
Reviews Create FOMO
Escape rooms thrive on urgency. Limited time slots, limited availability, “book now before it’s gone.”
Reviews amplify this urgency. When waiting customers see:
“Best escape room we’ve ever done! Already planning our next visit.”
“We failed with 2 minutes left — have to come back and try again!”
…they’re not just thinking about the room they booked. They’re already planning their next visit. They’re wondering which other rooms they should try.
Display your reviews strategically and watch repeat bookings climb.
Practical Tactics: Getting More Reviews and Followers
Visibility is only half the equation. You also need to actively grow your reviews and social following.
Ask at the Peak Moment
The best time to ask for a review or follow? Immediately after the escape (or the dramatic failure). That’s when emotions peak.
Train your game masters to make the ask natural:
“That was amazing! You guys crushed it. If you had fun, we’d love a Google review — there’s a QR code at the front desk. And definitely post your photo and tag us!”
The key is enthusiasm, not desperation. Celebrate with them first, then make the ask.
Use QR Codes Everywhere
Eliminate friction. Place QR codes:
- At the front desk
- In the victory photo area
- On the back of team photos
- On receipts/booking confirmations
- In your post-game email
One QR code for Google Reviews, one for Instagram. Make it impossible to miss.
Display Your Stats to Trigger More Engagement
Here’s the psychological trick: showing your existing reviews and followers actually generates MORE reviews and followers.
When customers see “4.8 stars from 340 reviews” on a screen, they think:
- “Lots of people reviewed this — I should too”
- “My review will join all these others”
- “Reviewing is what people do here”
The same works for followers. A live counter showing “12,847 followers” signals that following you is normal, expected, valuable.
This is why displaying your stats in your lobby matters so much. It’s not bragging — it’s triggering social behavior.
Marketing Escape Rooms Online: Where Reviews Win
Your physical lobby is one battleground. The other is online, where potential customers decide whether to book.
Google Business Profile Optimization
Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression. Optimize it:
- Photos: Upload high-quality images of your rooms, lobby, and happy teams
- Reviews: Respond to every single one (yes, every one)
- Posts: Share updates, new rooms, special events
- Q&A: Answer common questions proactively
But most importantly: volume of reviews matters. A 4.7 rating with 500 reviews beats a 4.9 rating with 30 reviews. Quantity signals popularity.
Instagram and TikTok: Show, Don’t Tell
Escape rooms are visual. Use this advantage:
- Post team victory photos (with permission)
- Share behind-the-scenes content of room design
- Create short puzzle teasers that don’t spoil solutions
- Repost customer content religiously
Your follower count is social proof. When someone discovers your Instagram and sees 20,000 followers, they think “This must be good.” When they see 200 followers, they wonder why.
Growing your following is a long game, but displaying that following in your physical space accelerates it. Every group that visits sees your count, follows you, and increases it for the next group.
Facebook: Events and Groups
Facebook isn’t dead for escape rooms. Use it for:
- Events: New room launches, themed nights, competitions
- Groups: Local escape room enthusiast communities
- Reviews: Facebook reviews matter for older demographics
Your Facebook follower count is another trust signal worth displaying.
Room-Specific Marketing: Match Reviews to Rooms
Different rooms attract different audiences. Use this strategically.
If you have a horror room and a family-friendly room, display relevant reviews for each:
Horror room area:
“Absolutely terrifying! I screamed the entire time. 10/10 would be traumatized again.”
Family room area:
“Perfect for our kids’ birthday party. Challenging enough for adults, fun enough for the 8-year-olds.”
This targeted social proof helps customers self-select the right experience, leading to better reviews overall.
Email Marketing: The Forgotten Goldmine
You have something most businesses don’t: a list of customers who already experienced your product and (hopefully) loved it.
Post-Visit Email Sequence
Email 1 (Same day):
Subject: You escaped! (Or did you? 😅)
Thanks for playing [Room Name]! Your team [escaped in 47 minutes / gave it a valiant effort].
Loved it? We’d be thrilled if you left us a Google Review: [Link]
And don’t forget to follow us for behind-the-scenes content and new room announcements: [Social links]
Email 2 (One week later):
Subject: Ready for your next challenge?
You conquered [Room Name]. Think you can handle [Different Room]?
[Include reviews specific to that room]
Win-Back Campaigns
Customers who haven’t visited in 6+ months:
Subject: We’ve missed you (and we’ve added 2 new rooms)
It’s been a while! Since your last escape, we’ve launched [New Room 1] and [New Room 2].
Here’s what people are saying: [Include recent reviews]
Tracking What Works: Simple Metrics
You don’t need complex analytics. Track these basics:
- Monthly review count: Are you getting more reviews over time?
- Review velocity after changes: Did displaying reviews increase new reviews?
- Social followers: Growth rate before and after adding displays
- Repeat booking rate: Are customers coming back for other rooms?
- Source tracking: Ask “How did you hear about us?” at booking
Even simple tracking reveals what’s working.
Common Mistakes Escape Rooms Make
Mistake 1: Hiding Reviews Online Only
Your best reviews shouldn’t live only on Google. Display them everywhere: your lobby, your website, your social media, your email signatures.
Mistake 2: Ignoring the Lobby
Groups spend 15-30 minutes in your space before and after their game. That’s 15-30 minutes of potential engagement wasted if your lobby is just chairs and a desk.
Mistake 3: Asking for Reviews at the Wrong Time
Asking for reviews via email two days later is too late. Ask when excitement peaks — immediately after the game.
Mistake 4: Treating Social Media as Optional
For experience-based businesses, social media IS marketing. If you’re not posting, you’re invisible to entire generations of customers.
Mistake 5: Not Responding to Reviews
Every review deserves a response. Every. Single. One. It shows you care, and it influences future customers who read them.
Implementation Checklist
Week 1: Audit
- Check your Google rating and review count
- Note your follower counts across platforms
- Observe customer behavior in your lobby
- Identify prime display locations
Week 2: Set Up Displays
- Install a screen for Google Reviews display
- Add social media follower counters
- Create QR codes for reviews and follows
- Position displays for maximum visibility
Week 3: Train Your Team
- Script the post-game review/follow ask
- Role-play with game masters
- Ensure everyone understands the “why”
Week 4: Optimize
- Track review and follower growth
- Test different display positions
- Adjust messaging based on results
SocialCounters can help with the display setup — showing live Google Reviews and social follower counts on any screen in your lobby.
The Compound Effect of Social Proof
Here’s what happens when you implement these strategies:
- Groups see your reviews and follower count in the lobby
- They feel validated in their choice and get excited
- After their game, they leave a review and follow your socials
- Their review and follow increases your counts
- The next group sees even higher numbers
- Repeat, forever
Social proof compounds. The more you have, the more you get. The escape rooms that start building this flywheel now will dominate their markets for years.
Conclusion: Make Social Proof Visible
Escape rooms are social experiences. People come in groups, share emotions, create memories, and want to tell others about it.
Your job is to make that sharing easy, visible, and rewarding.
Display your reviews where every customer sees them. Show your follower counts proudly. Ask for engagement at the right moments. Turn your lobby into a social proof engine that works on every group, every session, every day.
The escape rooms winning right now aren’t just building great rooms. They’re building communities — visible, engaged communities that attract more customers and turn players into promoters.
Start displaying your social proof today. Your booking calendar will thank you.
