Marketing Basics

A Quick 9-Holes

Golf SA Club Forum April 2011

HOLE 1Create an effective Website

Par 4

Hole 1 – Tips

Trust your website development, hosting and maintenance to specialists

Install Google Analytics to monitor your traffic

Take the search engine test – type in “Your Name Golf Club” or a golf related search phrase like “golf courses in my town” and make sure your site is listed at the top

List your website on all club printed materials, including your scorecards

List your website on course signage and on the front door

HOLE 2Email Databases & Marketing

Par 5

Hole 2 – Tips

If you currently keep your email database in a traditional address book like Outlook, Hotmail etc, switch to an automated system that automatically handles remove and change email requests. Manually managing a traditional email system is a time consuming job.

Dip your toes in the water with an online program like MAIL CHIMP (www.mailchimp.com) which offers up to 12000 emails a month free of charge

HOLE 3Internet Marketing Plan

Par 4

Hole 3 – Score

Assign a budget

‘Cross link’ with other websites

Advertise on other website

Generate income through your own site

Establish a regular schedule for updates

HOLE 4Customer Loyalty Programs

Par 4

Hole 4 - Tips

Offer the benefits and discounts to your loyal, regular players in appreciation of their regular patronage.

Check out the big online database selling ‘stores’ such as Scoopon (www.scoopon.com.au) and Cudo (www.cudo.com.au) but make sure you are able to utilize the customer database for future correspondence and ongoing loyalty offers

HOLE 5Programs for Businesses

Par 3

Hole 5 - Tips

Offer business related services (on course tabs, wi-fi, meeting rooms)

Specifically advertise ‘Business Groups Welcome’

Business card draws – build your contact database

Utilise your business group database to market your ‘Come & Try’ golf clinics or create special events especially for business groups

HOLE 6Public Relations & Media

Par 5

Hole 6 - Tips

Build your media database

Link with Councils, Tourist Centres, Information Centres

Do your research on local websites, bloggers and other ‘new media’ outlets

HOLE 7Search Engine Optimisation

Par 4

Hole 7 - Tips

Try the optimisation search for yourself: Go to Google (www.google.com.au) and type in the name of your course (ABC Golf Club). Make sure your website appears at the top of the list or at the very least on the first page.

Now type in a common search phrase for your course (e.g. golf courses in my town). Again make sure that your site is displayed prominently in the search results.

If you are not seeing the results you expect – contact your website administrator

HOLE 8Monitor your existing

advertising

Par 4

Hole 8 - Tips

Make sure advertising has a call to action

Make sure staff monitor responses

Give priority to your member retention strategies over external advertising

Build your database under all circumstances

Ask for editorial to supplement advertising

HOLE 9Image make over

Par 4

Hole 9 – Tips

Ask for an external opinion

Make over your logo and have it available on request

Touch up your signage.

Pay attention to your photography

Cost savers – who are your members?

Photographers

Graphic Designers

Signwriters

Web designers

Journalists

PR consultants

Students

Your Score?