A golf clubs best asset is, of course, it’s course. Here we explore how golf club operators can maximise playing revenues using digital advertising.
With huge growth in participation, in particular from “casual” “new” and “non-member” players there exists a massive opportunity to achieve revenue increases for golf clubs.
These golfers aren’t like the members you see in your club every day. Many are new to the game, many are not in a position to pay joining fees or simply prefer to play a selection of different courses around their local area. Therefore we should treat them differently.
What are the advertising options for Golf Clubs?
There exists a holy trinity of digital advertising options for Golf Clubs.
Google Ads - A firm favourite for any club looking to attract a tee time booking from a Google Search.
Roar® Top Tip - ensure your google business listing is as detailed as possible. This will ensure the best conversion from your budget.
Meta Ads - The world’s largest and most detailed set of targeting options. Promote your club in the most accurate way available.
Roar® Top Tip - Treat your targeting settings like you treat your grip, posture and ball position. Always check these regularly to ensure budgets are being spent efficiently based on booking outcomes
Web Ads - Google Display network has made the world’s most premium golf websites available for your club to advertise tee times.
Roar® Top Tip - Explore the available options that apply to your club e.g. Location & Demographic to add an additional layer of accuracy
Each of these “channels” can be setup to ensure you only pay when a new tee time booking occurs. No win? No Fee!
Advertising Measurement
If you cannot measure it you cannot improve it - Lord Kelvin
How did a player first come to find your club? From Google? Facebook? Direct traffic?
Is that lead an active part of your email subscriber base, clicking and converting on marketing offers presented via email? Do they read your blog, and have they consumed any content that could indicate an interest in your club?
Well executed digital marketing analytics can tell you all of this and more, providing you with data that can help inform the optimisation of your budgets.
Roar® Top Tip - digital marketing analytics can help you turn your business objectives into measurable outcomes that support your bottom line. Prioritise data that reflects people’s purchase path over any other metric!
Creative Considerations
Video is imperative. Movement is key to attracting attention in a very “busy” visual space.
The sheer cost of video production has come down to a point where there are no barriers to entry.
Be unique. The average golfer has been exposed to thousands of images of “The 18th green” or the “19th Hole” to the point where recognition and recall is extremely low.
Roar® Top Tip - Focus on the real “value” your club provides. What are you known for? What makes booking a tee time at your course better than anywhere else? An awareness of these elements will help you stand out in a very crowded space
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Geography - Seemingly obvious but worryingly overlooked. Geo target your advertising for tee time bookings. Here at Roar Towers (London) we see a lot of ads for clubs more than 100 miles from our location. We’re keen, but not 4 hour round trip keen.
Creativity - Avoid gimmicks. No one is reading a staged text conversation in an advert. Drone footage is extremely attractive but also consider - what does that tell the player about availability or cost?
Reporting - Beware of soft metrics such as reach and impressions. Impressions, Clicks, Reach? Choose your reporting focus with outcomes at the very top - tee time bookings and the driving forces behind those bookings are all that matters.
Take a look at our Golf industry experience & get in touch if you'd like to discuss any marketing challenges with our team.
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