This is a question many golf clubs will pose to us. One key benefit for partner clubs is that we create a marketing strategy and then implement it. There are several key factors that can affect the success of joining flexible members.
Having a CRM system to be able to track your customer journey is key. There are many CRM systems available on the market. At PlayMoreGolf we use HubSpot to support us. A CRM system is only as good as the people using the system and the information you upload into it. A good CRM system alone will not deliver the results you expect.
We have a system in place at PlayMoreGolf whereby we assign a score to prospects based on their activity. It looks at the information they are seeking and the way the prospect interacts with our website and the communication we provide to them. This is called Lead Scoring. Having a scoring system can enable you to assess how you prioritise your prospects and which ones to contact first.
Attracting potential flexible members into your website is key to begin with. We invest marketing funds to do this across several different channels. Paid Search and Paid social media are two key channels for us. We target golfers within a certain radius and demographic of our partner clubs with key messaging around the benefits of flexible membership at XYZ Golf Club.
Paid Search is for golfers who are actively searching themselves for membership near them. We will then feature at the top of search results with our adverts.
Paid social media is where we are advertising to a particular audience or demographic based on a criterion, we have set.
The general feeling is you will generate more ‘warmer’ leads through Paid Search as these are actively looking for your product. However, paid social media is a perfect way to reach a brand-new audience and generate a larger number of leads. This will then give you a greater opportunity to convert more into members.
One of the many beauties of social media, it is free! PlayMoreGolf can help support your golf club with different ideas and content which can be posted on the different channels.
It is vital your Social Media accounts are kept up to date and portray the club in the way in which a prospect would feel when visiting in person. Does your imagery highlight what other members are like? Can you use recent reviews or take pictures of the course improvements to show your club is not standing still?
Furthermore, each social media platform typically has a different audience demographic and therefore should be used differently.
Once a golfer has started to engage with the idea of becoming a potential Flexible Membership, it is important our website provides more information. Our key priority is to provide the prospect with sufficient information so they can research the benefits of joining as a flexible member themselves.
The information we provide comes from many years of experience in understanding the needs and wants of flexible members and ensuring our website reflects this. We look at all the questions that prospects and members ask and aim to reflect this within our website.
Not all prospects will join there and then. Many prospects will take some time to consider the benefits before purchasing. The prospect will quite often visit our partner club’s website to look around and may also take the opportunity to visit the club in person.
It is key that we continue to provide valuable information to the prospect to assist them in their decision making. Our communication to prospects is tailored to their needs and wants and the specific queries that they may have. There are not a one size fits all approach. We take time to understand our prospects to ensure the information we provide meets their needs and is effective.
Our marketing team will create emails which can be sent to prospects as part of a newsletter or based on their activity on our website. It is important we try to create as many touch points as possible with these potential flexible members to progress them through the sales process.
Existing members can be one of your biggest sources for generating new members. At PlayMoreGolf, we incentivise existing Flexible Members to refer their friends to sign up. In return, they would get extra points to use. After all, golf is far more enjoyable when you are playing with other golfers.
Existing members are also great for writing reviews, especially if you ask them. What better way to sell your club than have somebody sell it for you by saying how great you are.
The marketing strategy that we implement at PlayMoreGolf has come from years of experience in joining flexible members on behalf of our partner clubs. This strategy has evolved over time and will continue to evolve as we uncover new insights into our members and prospects.