Golf Industry Central Autumn 2013 | Page 28

Has your club got a family membership option? Usually, parents will join if their child has a passion for the game, so give them a couple of options, don’t forget mum. The more practical, flexible and value filled your junior membership options are, they more return you will get. Remember, you are trying to build a life member, not a quick buck. What do you want? Product to value add your junior program. Six – COMMUNICATE The more that you can add into your program the more value filled it is, and the more likely that parents will say, ‘wow, that’s great value!’. Giving the child a golf club and some golf balls will allow them to grow an affiliation or bond if you will with the game in their own time. They will be more likely to practice in their own time and share the activities with their friends. Keep in contact with the children on a regular basis. You need to keep them excited about the golf program, even when they are not actually participating. How? Here is how... 1. Email i. Get their email addresses (yes, even 5 year olds have email addresses) ii. Use a free email management service (like Mailchimp) to create fun and colourful emails that will grab their attention. iii. Structure the emails on a specific day, so they know when its coming. If your program is held on a Saturday, send your email off on a Wednesday. It will give them something to look forward to and they will talk about it in the playground. 2. Facebook page specific to just children i. Post photos and videos from the weeks program on the page to get them using the page frequently - tagging the kids in the photos and videos will give them instant notifications on their smart phones (yes, they have these too!) ii. Facebook pages are a great way to build engagement amongst the children and begin conversations between them. iii. Put junior membership options on the area and offer children’s clothing and golfing equipment on the page. 2. Website i. Give them a “secret” username and password just for kids so only they can access the area of the website. ii. Upload photos and videos. iii. Post information about membership, upcoming kids programs and club events. iv. Have social media share buttons on all photo albums and videos - expand your viral reach... kids will talk about the program online through their communication channels. Most importantly, keep them engaged, so that they expand your viral reach for the program. You will get more children just through word of mouse. Seven – SPONSORS Every golf company in the world wants to be affili