Modernizing Membership Marketing Begins in the Boardroom
From coast to coast, there is fantastic momentum sweeping across the private club industry. Renovations on and around the course are taking place...
8 min read
Kathy Heil
:
February 24, 2023
The next generation private club member — your future looks pretty slim without them, yet your current marketing strategy just isn't delivering enough new and younger members to grow and scale your club.
But the most frustrating part? You have no idea why your efforts just aren't working.
Millennials are joining private clubs, they just might not be joining yours. It’s not that you're not offering great experiences or top-notch facilities. The real problem is that the prevailing strategy for connecting with the next-generation member is broken; you’re still practicing membership marketing initiatives that worked yesterday but are no longer relevant today.
This generation of future members thinks differently, communicates differently, and connects differently. Their purchasing behavior is much different than what you’re used to. The speed that a millennial consumer can (and wants to) extract value from your website should be taken seriously by your entire marketing, communications, and leadership teams. All this to say your website matters…a lot.
Guess what, prospective members shopping for a country club or a golf club don't want to be surprised. In fact, right now, right this second, your prospective members are spending a great deal of time online to avoid just that: being surprised.
Try putting yourself in the shoes of this digitally native audience. They are used to accessing information when and where ever they want. They expect information to be front and center on your website, including your pricing.
Think about yourself when you make purchases. The bigger the purchase (cars, computers, houses), the more likely you are to do some research, right? Same with private clubs.
If you keep your great club a secret — no one will know anything about you. Your club's website is an open door to your clubhouse for your prospective members to take a look around without even having to leave the couch.
The key to building relationships that make a lasting impact starts with your website. Here are a few questions to ask of your current website to see if it measures up:
For a long time, clubs have been able to get by using one technology platform for everything. But as websites, marketing, and the buying process evolve online, it’s unrealistic to think that one technology platform can and should do it all.
Like most club technology platforms, brochure websites–websites that look like and feel like a printed brochure–are built for the internal audience; event management promotion and sign-up, reservations, internal communications, etc. This functionality is extremely important to the operations of your organization but because it’s not catering to the needs of your prospects, it’s preventing you from converting visitors into qualified leads.
Below is an example of how one of our clients, Hazeltine National, transformed its online presence from a brochure website to a fully functional and navigable website.
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Old | New (Doesn't that look nicer?) |
The majority of private club websites we encounter have very few pages with limited descriptions of what makes their club unique. You can even use HubSpot for private clubs to craft content that will create connections with website visitors and influence their desire to get to know you better.
Think back to the example of targeting young families. Consider creating unique communications strategies (i.e. summer programming guide, golf instruction for juniors download) to educate young parents on all your various kid programs. If you're a club looking to book more weddings, consider building out a wedding resources page for interested couples.
Content creates connections and it's also what will help your website rank higher among search engines. If you want to learn more about the Value of SEO Content, check out this article.
Take a look at your 5-10 closest competitors' websites. If you didn't know anything about these clubs, could you tell the difference beyond name and location? We've found that many private club websites look like this:
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Whether or not you realize it, your prospects are seeking out content left and right. They want information so badly that they buy smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home to answer questions they randomly think of off the top of their heads! “Alexa, what is the largest mammal?” or “Hey, Google, how tall is the Eiffel Tower?”
It’s safe to say that these days, buyers love to be informed. There aren’t enough articles in the world to quench their thirst for knowledge. And when someone is thirsty, what do you do? You get them a drink. Quench your buyers' thirst by keeping your website content fresh and up-to-date.
Having a great public-facing website is necessary, but how do you do it without a budget-busting overhaul? Here are our tips:
Plus, search engines favor websites that are updated regularly, with unique quality content that provides real value to the reader. Some SEO experts suggest you should add 20-30% of new pages on your site every year.
For instance, here's an example of one of our client's website traffic as we blogged for them. We published original articles once per week every week, building up a large supply of content. However, in September 2018, we started updating old blogs and clearing out outdated content. Our website traffic doubled in 4 months!
Adding new pages to your website doesn't have to be complicated. Think about things that are already happening around your club that you can share.
This is why blogging and social media have become an essential part of online marketing success for clubs. Your static website has very few ways to support prospects on their buying journey. In their quest for information and justification, they want to get to know you. They want access to your club and one of the best ways to give that to them is through sharing interesting stories about your members, staff, and culture. But proceed with caution, they have a disdain for “manufactured” content that makes them feel like they are being sold to. Your content needs to be brief, entertaining, funny, fresh, unique, informative, and relevant. When it comes to creating good content, lean into storytelling not storyselling.
Instead of reaching someone who might not be the right fit for your club, you’ll reach the right crowd of golfers or families who are looking for a club that feels like the right fit for them.
Things like:
When it comes to private club websites, solving problems and answering questions creates more opportunities to engage and connect with your prospects. Create resources that give buyers the kind of information they are seeking, like a pricing matrix spelling out your fees by category or a budget template for planning their upcoming wedding.
This type of content creates a myriad of ways to engage with prospects earlier in their decision-making process, not just at the end when they are ready to “be contacted.”
Provide as much information as possible, so prospective members can learn more about your membership,culture, and differentiators so they just can’t wait to give you a call and set up that tour. (And when they do, you'll be surprised how much the conversation becomes about them "buying" rather than you "selling").
Not sure what kind of videos will perform well for your club? Think about membership recruitment, staff profiles, or even member testimonials. Here is a great “About us” example.
Your staff has so much knowledge about a wide variety of topics (remember earlier: prospects are seeking knowledge!), so do two things at once: make staff feel special by allowing them to share their gifts while simultaneously empowering prospective members with more information.
Your website can be your most valuable sales asset and to compete in the buying market today it has to be. Even if you have a good handle on the internal side of your website, it’s time to turn your website outward and match the way the modern buyer is looking to engage. It’s time to solve problems and answer questions. It’s time to tell stories and share club culture. It’s time to create value and differentiation so you can grow.
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