How Golf Clubs Can Improve Their Bookings Through Social Media Marketing

I've actually blogged about this before, but it's a beloved topic of mine " two, actually, golf and social media marketing " so I'm going to post again with specific reference to raising your bookings.

Social media advertising is not like advertising in the common sense of the word. When you use the social media to advertise, you are more interested in raising awareness of who you are and what you do than you are of creating a direct sales action.

For a golf course, this kind of social media marketing translates to a consistent presence in the social networks of your existing members. Mingle photo updates with Tweets to let all members know of free tee off spaces and special offers and you'll see your attendance increase automatically. Any pair of your members who may have been half thinking about participating in a round today, when they see your Tweet telling everyone there's a tee space and the weather is great (particularly if you back up your opinions with a photo), are more than likely going to make the call to play, tipped into doing so by your gentle reminder.

That's the real difference between social media advertising and direct marketing. Social media marketing is about gentle reminders rather than stentorian claims.

You can use the same technology to fuel all sorts of extra business " announce competitions for specific age groups, for example, or invite a golf pro to show his or her stuff and Tweet limited places to play with him or her on the course. Anything that feels unique is fodder for the social network " built, as it is, on exclusivity " so take advantage.

As I've noted in other posts, there is also a broader sense in which social media marketing develops extra bookings. All of your own fans will have hundreds of non-fans in their own social circles. The interlinked nature of the social network means that all of those non-fans are exposed to your club " making them potential future attendees.