When was the last time you got a Text on your phone, or a Chat in your Gmail, from the golf professional who manages your favorite golf course?
If never is your answer then you are not alone.
The Question
Now, this is not to say golf professionals, the men and women who work for the tens of thousands of golf clubs around the world, are not using text or Chat bots to communicate with their golf club members or students they are teaching.
In fact, most golf professionals, not the clerks golf clubs hire to work their pro-shops, are using some sort of digital media for inbound and outbound communications.
So, if the golf professionals of your golf club are using digital media to communicate with students, close friends and family, why are they not using digital media on a broader scale?
The Answer
The answer possibly could be
- They Don’t Know How
- They know how but were not aware of the power of digital marketing
- They were told by someone who does not understand digital marketing to not to use digital media of any form for any reason.
- or All of above!
If you chose D you are in the 99% group. However, C. is probably the reason most golfers never hear from their favorite golf club unless they call them or drop into the pro-shop.
From Management’s Point of View
Looking at things from the Golf Directors desk, most golf clubs are not set up to handle digital marketing.
Yes, they have a fancy website and they may even have a few videos produced, that are now over ten years old, to showcase their golf course and facilities.
Even a few will create a digital footprint but do not manage it or use it effectively.
Most will hire an agency to manage their digital marketing, but not an agency that has any golfers on staff or personal interests in the golf industry. This results in a lukewarm effort to use their social media effectively.
Most golf directors are afraid of allowing their staff to use digital media. The concern is not knowing what they are saying or doing.
Their lack of understanding digital marketing and not using outside resources to manage their digital marketing is having a negative result on the golf club’s overall marketing.
The Solution
The simple solution would be:
- The Golf Club develop a Social Media policy.
- Have a Digital Marketing Roadmap produced that outlines how social media is to be used and when it should be used.
- Hire a Digital marketing agency that clearly understands the golf market.
- Make the strategy sustainable.
Digitizing golf professionals will help Golf and the Golf Clubs who allow the use of social media.
I would enjoy a text or chat from time to time with all the golf professionals I know.
Let me know how I can help.
