Elliot HamiltonI don't know about you but I'm sick to death of seeing endless posts, presentations and videos on 'How to Create the Perfect Social Media Strategy'.
You know what developing a social media 'strategy' does for most golf courses...?
It stops them actually getting active on social media because they get so caught up in the strategy.
You want to use Social Media as a marketing tool? Fantastic.
Here's an idea...take a few minutes to read this piece and then just start posting.
Instead of worrying about writing out lengthy Strategy documents, let's focus on the Who, What, Why, When, Where & How and get your social media MOVING right now.
WHERE do we start?
Facebook is where you should start focusing your attention. Yes, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram are also amazing tools, but the key is to take one step at a time here. So let's start with Facebook.
When you're a whizz on that, the others easily follow as you'll soon understand.
WHY Social Media at all?
I’m often asked "what should I post on my Facebook page?" Valid question. But before I give you the answer, I’d like to ask you a more important question...
WHY are you using social media in the first place?
A lot of golf clubs jump on the social media bandwagon because 'it’s the thing to do'; 'because everyone else is'.
They set up their pages and start growing an audience by asking their members and other people they know to "Like Our Page". All good first steps. Then the daily grind of running the business gets in the way and that shiny, new Facebook page starts developing a few cobwebs.
I mean, "who has time to write a post?"
And when you do have time, what do you write about?
Then the lightbulb appears. Aha, how about we post that green fee promotion for next week? Or offer discounts on food & drink. Or weddings. After all, our followers have LIKED us. Right? They must LIKE our sales promotions.
And so the Page develops...long periods of silence punctuated by discounted offers on everything the club sells.
I totally get it. The purpose of posting sales messages is completely understandable. There's no point in doing this work unless it results in more sales, which, at the end of the day, is your WHY.
The ultimate reason WHY you're using social media is...to GROW SALES
WHAT should we post?
The best way to demonstrate the best WHAT TO DO is to highlight WHAT YOU SHOULDN'T DO.
Sales success will definitely not come from boring your audience to death or hitting them over the head with sell, sell, sell messages. Put yourself in your customer's shoes… how many times have you actually bought something the moment you saw it advertised? Hardly ever right? And that’s the point.
Not everyone is ready to buy NOW.
In fact, more than 99% of your audience in NOT ready to buy now. So stop hassling them.
Reward your followers with REAL VALUE for the time they spend on your page.
Keep them AMUSED, ENTERTAINED & ENGAGED and they in turn will KNOW, LIKE & TRUST YOU so that when they're ready to buy, you'll be the FIRST and the ONLY option that they'll want to consider.
And that’s the beauty of Facebook. It is THE easiest platform to help you build a relationship with your followers.
Ok, so now you understand the WHY... to get more sales. And you know the HOW, by adding value and building a relationship (NOT by spamming them with sales offers). That all makes sense. So "WHAT do I post?” I hear you say…
...GREAT CONTENT is the answer
Here are a couple of tips to get you started:
Tip#1 - You DON'T have to be a Marketing Guru to write good Facebook posts.
Nor do you need to be an expert copywriter. Or Facebook whizz. Trust me when I say, simply being yourself will get you further than any of the above. Authenticity wins, hands down. People connect with people, simple as that.
Tip#2 - It's NOT all about Golf
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you're marketing a golf facility, all people want to hear about is golf. But that is NOT the case. Your customers don’t just have one interest. They have other hobbies, ambitions, jobs, family, friends.
So what makes great content...here are a few suggestions:
#1 - The Foodie Post
Food and cooking is now trendy. If you have a food and beverage service at your golf facility, share some great shots of the dishes your Chef is putting together. Maybe go a step further and take a picture in the kitchen behind the scenes. Or a recipe. Or an interview with Chef.
#2 - The Team Photos Post
A lot of the people that like your Facebook page will have visited the club at some point and will have most likely interacted with a member of your team at some point. People respond and react to people they know on Facebook, that’s the core of it all. It is, after all a 'social media'. So start sharing experiences and moments.
#3 The Competition Post
People like free stuff. Plain and simple. This is one of the fastest ways to grow your Facebook audience and your email marketing lists. Post competitions on your Facebook page, ask people to like and share your post to enter a draw or link the post to a specific page on your website with an entry form to capture contact details.
If you'd like to check out more great content suggestions take a sneak peak at a Social Media Lesson from The Golf Marketing Masterclass. The lesson includes:
Top 10 tips for creating content for Social Media
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