Dive into our latest blog post as we unveil the comprehensive strategies employed by Rooks Agency for effective golf club marketing. From website optimization and PPC campaigns to seamless social media integration and beyond, discover how our tailored approach drives success in the competitive world of golf club promotion

Due to COVID-19, it may be difficult for Canadian golf players to get to Florida this season. This could have a significant impact on courses that aren’t well-prepared.

According to the Government of Canada’s website, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are being advised to avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice to limit the spread of COVID-19. For golf courses and country clubs that rely upon Canadian players and members, this travel advisory could have a significant impact. If your business falls into this category, it’s now more important than ever to be proactive in keeping your business healthy.

Your focus should shift to both locals and traveling snowbirds. This pandemic is changing how clubs market their courses and, in turn, gain players and members.

Rethinking your marketing efforts is the first step toward an effective strategy. At Rooks Agency, we’ve found that these five things will help you reach more than your fair share of the market.

1. Website Performance

Does your website have what it takes to convert visitors into leads? Can users easily book tee times or make dining reservations? Your site should always put your course and services in their best light and include easy-to-use features that improve the visitor’s experience.

Additionally, implementing video footage can help a website stand out from the competition. This is particularly true for golf courses and country clubs, where a beautiful course and peaceful grounds prove to be the main appeal. We recently worked with Bradenton’s Tara Golf & Country Club to create this stunning video of their course, making their exquisite grounds the first thing visitors see on their website.

Lastly, your website needs a responsive design. This allows it to easily adjust its formatting depending on the user’s device, which ranges from small mobile phone screens to large desktop monitors. As of 2020, U.S. users spend 51% of their online time on a mobile device, with the worldwide mobile market share at 52.1% compared to the desktop market share of 44.2%. Having a site that works well with all screen sizes is imperative.

2. New Search Engine Optimization Strategies

While a visually appealing website is critical, it’s equally important to optimize behind the scenes. Implementing the perfect blend of relevant keywords with a substantial amount of content depth allows your site to rank higher on Google searches.

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According to Statista, “Ever since the introduction of Google Search in 1997, the worldwide market share of all search engines has been rather lopsided. Google has dominated the search engine market, maintaining an 86.86% market share as of July 2020.” For this reason, websites must be designed with Google’s constantly changing algorithms in mind.

The conversion rates for SEO continue to outperform other digital marketing techniques, but optimization can get a bit complicated. You may want to consult an SEO expert to help you weave your way through this minefield. An SEO expert will monitor, test, and analyze your efforts, so all you have to do is enjoy the successful results.

3. Pay-Per-Click

While SEO is a critical component of a successful digital marketing strategy, it can take time to build up your online reputation. It can often take at least 60-90 days to organically get your business at the top of Google’s search results.

But not to fear, there’s a solution for that! Paid advertisements. Through pay-per-click advertising, you can simply pay Google to get to the top of the mountain – or in this case, to the top of the page.

Pay-per-click advertising, or PPC, is a form of digital marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time a user clicks one of their online ads. Advertisers are only charged when a user clicks an ad, hence the name pay-per-click. There are multiple types of PPC campaigns, with paid search being the most common.

According to David Rooks, founder of the Rooks Agency, “Search engines are incredibly effective advertising platforms, as they allow businesses to display ads that are relevant to what users are actively searching for.” 
When a user searches for a specific keyword or phrase, PPC ads appear at the very top of the results page. The goal is to lead consumers (in your case, golf players or potential members) to your website through persuasive text and effective call-to-action techniques.

4. Social Media Presence

Like Google Search, your social media presence can be built both organically and through paid advertising. Both organic and paid approaches work when done correctly, but due to the slower nature of organic posts, paid social media ads will get your message out faster and to a larger audience.

Another huge benefit of paid social media is that your ad will be directed to audiences (prospects) that would never see your message otherwise. Creating effective social media campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn can seem confusing and overwhelming. Each tactic has its own set of pros, cons, terminology, and formats.

This is where our social media marketing experts come in. If you’re looking for help in navigating your way around paid social media ads, our team is here to help.

5. The Last Mile

The bottom line is, even if you get your strategy right, it all comes down to the last mile.

What do we mean by this? Now, more than ever, your prospects and existing customers must feel valued. When is the last time you “shopped” your own product or service? Called your own phone number? Can prospects and customers talk to a real person?

Avoid unenthusiastic and automatic answering messages – have your prospects connect with a real person right away! Don’t keep your customers waiting, either. Long hold times can discourage people from continuing the relationship. Put your best foot forward and show your future-consumers that you only offer the best of the best when it comes to their experience.

Questions? Interested in boosting your current marketing strategy into further success? Contact the Rooks Agency today!