GolfBoard and Social Media: How To Surf Your Way to Sales And Marketing Success

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Zeb Welborn

GolfBoard is not only a perfect vehicle for golf, it’s an ideal vehicle for social media.

If you want to know exactly what photos and videos you need to take to execute a successful GolfBoard social media strategy read this post, then DOWNLOAD the free document: The 8 Photos/Videos You MUST Have To Promote GolfBoard On Social Media

Want to know what drives millennials to take action? Create a compelling, new and social golf experience.

Top Golf is a perfect example of this phenomenon. It’s new, socially engaging and unique. You can create opportunities to be a destination golf course by bringing something new to your golf course to attract golfers who wouldn’t play it otherwise.

GolfBoard is the perfect product to drive rounds and revenue at your golf course and increase social engagement, but you have to promote it well. Below are some tips to improve the promotion of GolfBoard or you can Hire 19th Hole Media.

Need Help Promoting GolfBoard at your course?
19th Hole Media has a GolfBoard Social Media Program that we can perform for your course. To find out more, click the button. LEARN ABOUT OUR GOLFBOARD SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM

Prior to writing this article we looked at courses across the country who are using GolfBoard and their social media promotion of the boards is, quite frankly, hugely lacking – one or two Instagram post a year doesn’t cut it.

Here’s how you can promote GolfBoard to your social audience to increase rounds, memberships and revenue.

GolfBoard at Indian Wells Golf Resort

The proof is in … the purchasing!

That’s exactly what Indian Wells Golf Resort did with its GolfBoard fleet after 19th Hole Media assisted them with their program launch in 2016-17. They doubled their fleet to eight boards for the 2017-18 season.

For those unfamiliar, GolfBoard is a surfboard-like motorized scooter on which golfers carry their clubs and traverse the course in a manner similar to surfing, skiing or skating. Those who participate in those sports usually find mastering GolfBoard a breeze.

The rest of us?

We sometimes need a little help, but a driver’s education session on the range and a few holes on the course usually does the trick.

As a social media challenge, GolfBoard presents a similar education curve that revolves around two questions: What is it? How do you use it?

The good news is social media is ideally suited to answer these questions and draw new golfers, new revenue and new excitement to your course! Here’s a look at the case study for the launch at Indian Wells Golf Course and the blueprint for promoting GolfBoard at your course.

Step #1 – Create a GolfBoard Press Release

The first thing we did at Indian Wells was to write a press release announcing GolfBoard and promote it on Facebook. The response was incredible. Without boosting, the post had more than 10,000 views and 100 likes and many enthusiastic comments that show that showed the interest and awareness of GolfBoard. Sprinkled amongst those comments were some questions about GolfBoard use and safety that were easily addressed.

This post was published weeks before the arrival of the boards to not only stir enthusiasm but early rentals. You should have a waiting list at your course by the time the boards arrive.

Step #2: Educate GolfBoard Safety with Social Media

Another critical part of the pre-launch is to introduce the one-time safety waiver that has to be signed and video that has to be viewed at each course before using GolfBoard. This also presents a great social media opportunity for promotion and education and to answer more questions about them and build engagement.

You’ll quickly learn that photos of the boards stir interest but also raise questions. Seeing videos of the boards in action flip the switch for people and drive them to rent them. Why? Because they’re fun!

Step #3: Create GolfBoard Content for Social Media

Which brings us to the next step. When the boards arrive, you want to start creating content around them as quickly as possible. Take photos of them at course when they arrive but then get them active on the course and start taking videos of golfers using them. This is your best marketing vehicle for GolfBoard and where 19th Hole Media can help you most. We’re experts at GolfBoard video and creating videos that showcase the boards and your course, which is the best of both worlds.

Watch this video at Indian Wells Golf Resort –

GolfBoard can be rented solo or in groups, but you want to start booking groups as soon as possible. GolfBoard is a great group learning experience and golfers enjoy mastering the boards together.

Facebook and Instagram are the best social media vehicles for promoting GolfBoard, but Instagram is particularly effective due to the ease of loading video and the existing community of GolfBoarders and courses that use GolfBoard that already exists. Eventually the goal is for your GolfBoarders to start sharing their own videos on your social media, and you should be encouraging these. These are self-generating testimonials for use of the boards!

The boards are seen as a draw for millennials, but you’ll quickly find that the boards will impact all demographics of your course when promoted properly, which for older generations means allaying safety concerns. The best benefit is that you’ll find new golfers discovering your course out of curiosity or because they’ve experienced the boards elsewhere and this is their preferred way to play.

GolfBoards at Maderas Golf Club

Prior to joining 19th Hole Media, Corey Ross, our Content Strategist, worked on the GolfBoard launch at Maderas Golf Club in San Diego and created the social media program for promoting them.

In the first year of the boards at the course, they generated nearly 1,000 rentals and we’re credited with generating an additional $100,000 for the course! That’s the kind of impact GolfBoard can have for your course if promoted properly and consistently.

One thing we see consistently is an underpromotion of GolfBoard by the courses that have it.

GolfBoard gives your course a competitive advantage and social media helps you capitalize on it. You’ve already paid to rent or buy the boards. It’s only a little more to make sure they’re marketed properly! Let us help and show you how to Surf the Earth on social media!

We want to help you succeed at bringing more golfers to your golf course to use GolfBoard. That is why we created this FREE download that shares the 8 Photos/Videos You MUST Have To Promote GolfBoard On Social Media:

Use the information in the download and the tips in this post and you will likely be well on your way to expanding your GolfBoard fleet.

We created a program specifically to promote the booking of GolfBoard at your golf course. Learn how we can create social media campaigns to get new golfers to your course and sell out on your GolfBoard rentals.

19th HOLE MEDIA GOLFBOARD SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM

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The Six Biggest Mistakes Golf Courses are Making on Facebook

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Lacey Welborn

The Don’ts of Facebook Marketing for Golf Courses

“Mistakes are part of the game. It’s how well you recover from them, that’s the mark of a great player.” – Alice Cooper

A new General Manager was hired at one of the first golf courses 19th Hole Media signed up to manage their social media pages. In my first conversation with him he told me he saw no value in social media.

“What do I care what people had to eat?”, he said.

In speaking with many golf course owners and general managers, they were of a similar opinion.

That was six years ago.

Through education, competition and the shifting purchasing habits of golfers most golf course owners and general managers realize the importance of social media in increasing rounds and revenue at their golf course.

Many, however, are doing it wrong.

Here is what NOT to do when marketing your golf course on Facebook:

Don’t Be Overly Promotional

People use Facebook to keep tabs on their family, friends and the companies that interest them. Selling on Facebook is acceptable, but not all the time.

How many of you would willingly sign up to watch TV commercials, look at magazines with only advertisements, or read newspaper ads without any news stories?

If all your posts are sales posts, your audience will get tired of your constant ads and stop following your course.
Another reason not to be overly promotional is that Facebook algorithms will show posts that get low engagement to fewer people. From analyzing thousands of Facebook posts, I can tell you that promotional posts get little to no engagement.

If you continually make posts that get little engagement, Facebook will show your posts to fewer and fewer of your followers.

Don’t Post Flyers

Many golf courses treat their Facebook page like an on-site bulletin board. They have their marketing team draft a flyer, blast it out via email and share it on social media.

Just like when you’re being overly promotional, flyers typically get little to no engagement. The less your Facebook followers engage with your posts, the less likely your posts will show up.

You also don’t want to post flyers because flyers usually contain a lot of text. Facebook will not allow you to boost – spend advertising dollars to reach more potential customers – any posts that have close to 20% text in the photo.

Facebook did this to limit an advertising look and feel to their platform. They also recognized that most photos with text had little to no engagement. And Facebook is all about engagement.

Lastly, consumers can spot, and ignore advertisements easily and flyers are easy-to-spot advertisements.

Think about opening your emails. Do you know which emails are promotional and which ones are not?

Most email users can immediately identify and delete any sales/promotional emails while recognizing emails that are important to them.

Think about watching TV. Do you watch commercials when you watch TV?

Most TV viewers now have a DVR to record programs and skip through commercials to watch their shows uninterrupted.

Think about retrieving the mail from your mailbox. Do you open and look at every piece of mail you receive?

Most people immediately discard mass mailings and open the letters that are important to them.

As consumers we’re constantly filtering out sales messages. Try your best to avoid anything that looks like an ad in your social media posting.

Don’t Post Too Infrequently

Another problem golf courses have is posting too infrequently. I can’t tell you how many golf course Facebook pages I’ve seen get started enthusiastically and then go dormant.

Many of your golfers are accustomed to getting information about their world from their social media pages. If your golf course is absent from posting to the people who want to hear from you the most, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.

There are many reasons why golf courses’ Facebook pages go dormant: perhaps the person in charge of social media moved on, it wasn’t a priority, or there just wasn’t enough time in the day to commit to creating a vibrant social presence. (Which is why golf courses hire 19th Hole Media.)

Every day something worthy of social media is happening at your golf course. Identifying those opportunities and sharing them with the world takes a consistent, committed and focused effort.

Don’t Not Engage

Another big problem we see many golf courses struggle with on social media is responding when followers comment on stuff.

Imagine a customer comes to the counter at your golf shop and says what a wonderful time they had playing your course and the person behind the counter says nothing.

Better yet, imagine your golf shop full of golfers when your customer complains loudly about an experience they had at your golf course and the person behind the counter says nothing.

When golfers comment on your social media pages they are expecting a response, just as they would when they are at your golf course. Ignoring comments by followers not only misses an opportunity to connect further with the golfer who commented, but it also hurts your relationship with other golfers who see that you aren’t responding to your golfers.

The more you comment back, the more you encourage comments in the future. And the more engagement you have on your posts, the more Facebook will show your posts to your followers.

Don’t Post the Same Type of Post Over and Over

Just like you wouldn’t want to continually post advertising messages on your Facebook page, you also wouldn’t want to post the same type of post all the time on your Facebook page.

I see many golf courses who just share links to websites on their page. Facebook posts can be links to webpages, pictures, questions, testimonials, polls, videos and others. The more variety you have on your Facebook posts, the more likely your followers will stay engaged with your course.

Don’t Not Analyze Your Efforts

Facebook has an excellent analytical tool called Facebook Insights which monitors the success, or lack thereof for your Facebook efforts.

In addition to gathering valuable demographic information about your Facebook followers, Facebook Insights will also show you which Facebook posts are delivering results and which ones are not.

Analyzing your efforts will not only provide valuable feedback when it comes to posting on Facebook, but it will also give you valuable insight into other marketable aspects of your business.

The Back Nine for Social Media

As Alice Cooper would tell you, in golf and on social media, mistakes happen. If your golf course is guilty of any of the Facebook don’ts for golf courses, it’s not too late to turn things around.

Don’t be overly promotional, don’t post flyers, don’t post infrequently, don’t not engage your golfers, don’t post the same type of post over and over and don’t not analyze your efforts.

Instead, recover from your mistakes, be great, and do Facebook right.

Coming Soon How to Do Facebook Right at Your Golf Course: The Do’s of Facebook Marketing for Golf Courses

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How Donald Trump Won the Presidency with Social Media

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Zeb Welborn

Regardless of how you feel about the election results, you witnessed a drastic shift in the way politics will be handled in the future. Golf courses and businesses should take note of the power and influence Donald Trump was able to yield through social media.

“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” – Oscar Wilde

Our President-Elect, Donald Trump, made controversial statement after controversial statement throughout the campaign and – every time – our political pundits said he was done. He would not recover.

But, he did recover.

Not only did he recover, but he continued to make more and more controversial statements and each time his influence grew.

His campaign is a testament to the new age of marketing – the power of social media.

Donald Trump’s strategy was to make sure eyes, ears and minds were on him and only him.

His strategy worked and it will work for your golf course.

Trump’s campaign relied on one simple premise:

“There is no such thing as bad publicity…” – Brendan Behan

If you’ve ever thought to yourself social media doesn’t work, it’s a waste of time, or it can’t help to get more golfers playing golf, Trump just proved you wrong. Trump used social media to persuade our country.

In a traditional campaign, any number of Trump’s controversial remarks would have doomed his run for the presidency, yet he thrived.

With each tweet, Trump defied conventional thinking and the reason it worked is because his statements dominated the headlines nearly every day of the campaign election cycle. Every late night talk show host, news anchor, newspaper, magazine and media outlet mentioned Trump on an almost daily basis.

The free press Trump received far surpassed the mentions of Hillary Clinton throughout the entire election. Whether good, or bad, Trump was on the minds of the American people and we have social media to thank.

As the results were being read, many pointed to the fact that this election would “rewrite the history books.” Its ramifications will reverberate throughout the future of political campaigns.

Trump was able to activate an untapped voter base. In the same way, golf courses can use social media to tap into golfers who have considered taking up the game, but haven’t yet.

In every debate, Facebook and Twitter were mentioned – they even had a selfie spot at my polling place.

Those engaging in discussions on Facebook and Twitter permeated news feeds and those who proactively supported or endorsed either candidate influenced our election.

If you’re active on social media you’re an influencer. You have the ability to persuade others to your way of thinking in today’s connected age. If your golf course is active on social media, you have the ability to persuade golfers to choose you over another golf course – OR – to choose golf over another recreational activity.

And when they choose you, you have the ability to generate a “base” of followers who will overwhelmingly support you and your brand. So much so, that they’ll take to Twitter, to Facebook and other social channels to tell everyone just how great your golf course is.

Trump demonstrated the power and appeal of reaching the masses. If you’re not using social media you have zero influence on those people using it. If you use social media, you have the potential to tap into thousands of people on a daily basis to convince them to play golf at your golf course.

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Top 5 Reasons Why You Should NOT Set Up Automatic Posting On Your Social Media Accounts – And How To Do It Anyways

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Zeb Welborn

Before I tell you how to set up automatic posting for all your golf course social media accounts, let me tell you why you absolutely should NOT do it:

It Screams Inauthenticity: To engage in social media effectively, you need to use each channel as it was intended. Posting the same exact message on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest will tell your followers that you’re not engaging with anyone, you’re just blasting out a message. Remember, the key word in social media is “SOCIAL.” If you think socially and interact with your followers you’re much more likely to connect with golfers and encourage them to play your golf course more often.
Social Media Channels Will Limit Your Reach: Facebook and other social media channels have become more sophisticated in identifying when a third party tool like HootSuite is posting to your golf courses Facebook page on your behalf. As a result, they will make sure your posts show up less than if you posted them directly inside of Facebook.
Your Message Won’t Look Right: Each social media channel operates differently than the others. Instagram and Twitter are #Hashtag heavy, while Facebook and LinkedIn are not. Twitter can only post 140 characters at a time. When you share blog articles each platform pulls different website data to automatically populate the posts. Each social media channel has its own socially acceptable behavior. When you set up automatic posting for your golf course, you’re failing to reach your audience in the way they’d like to be reached.
You’ll Miss Out: If you only post in third party apps, you’ll miss out on opportunities that come from operating organically in each one of those social media pages. When logging into your accounts directly on your various social media channels you’ll be able to conduct outreach in those channels. If you’re relying solely on getting a message out there, you are missing out on opportunities to build connections and collaborate with other referral sources, golfers, local businesses, and your community.
Neglect Advertising Opportunities: The advertising feature in each social media platform operates differently too. As more and more consumers flock to social media, these social media channels will require more and more advertising to reach target audiences. If you’ve seen your Facebook reach lately you have probably realized that Facebook only shows each post to a small percentage of those who have liked your page. Spending money on social media advertising is an extremely affordable and effective way to reach your target audience. Use of an automatic posting tool will not help you identify advertising opportunities within the various social media channels.

Although I recommend not setting up automatic posting, it’s better than nothing. Realistically, posting on social media is time consuming and posting organically inside of each social media platform may not be feasible. For those of you that are interested, I’ll share with you some of the top tools to set up automatic posting for your social media channels.

HootSuite
TweetDeck
Buffer
SproutSocial
HubSpot
Social Oomph
Social Flow

Of the previous tools listed, I’ve only used HootSuite and TweetDeck. Each one operates a little bit differently and has unique features. If you’re looking to automate your social media postings these tools are a great place to start.

If at all possible, avoid automatic posting to your social media channels.

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Social Media Check-Up for Golf Courses: Are You Doing It Right?

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Zeb Welborn

Most golf course owners and operators know they need to be using the internet to attract new golfers. Most golf course owners and operators know they need to be using social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to increase rounds. And yet, most golf course owners and operators are uncertain about how to navigate the online marketplace to reach more golfers, convince them to play more often and spend more money at their golf course.

To help golf course owners and operators, 19th Hole Media has created a Social Media Check-Up for Golf Courses. This check-up should help you understand your online presence and whether or not it can be improved. Although, this Check-Up is only half the equation. We will be giving our Social Media Checklist to subscribers on our email list for free. 19th Hole Media’s Social Media Checklist for Golf Courses– coming soon.

Check out this post to see where your golf course stands. You’ll be well prepared when we send you our Social Media Checklist, a well-organized resource that will help you move forward and develop a plan to step up your social media efforts to the next level. It will be available only to those on our email list. If you know someone that might benefit from our Check list, make sure they join our email list!

Sign up for our email newsletter. You will receive more helpful information like this, and our Social Media Checklist, a well-organized resource that will help you move forward and develop a plan to step up your social media efforts. If you need assistance contact Zeb at (909) 973 – 9089 or Zeb@WelbornMedia.com.

Social Media Check-Up for Golf Courses

Golf Course Website

A golf course’s website should be the online marketing home. You’d be surprised how many golf courses are still without a website, one of my colleagues informed me that he has a list of over 3,000 golf courses that are still without a website . . . so, if your golf course has a website, you’re actually ahead of the curve.

Poor: No website or a website that has limited information, no functionality or is one page with no external links.

Average: Many golf courses are also controlled by management companies. In some cases their online presence is controlled by these larger management companies which is not ideal for a local golf course. The way the internet and online marketing is shifting, it is giving more and more attention to local organizations rather than a large corporate presence. In addition, every golf course is unique and that should be reflected on the website.

Exceptional: The best websites are those that demonstrate the unique character of a golf course, are updated regularly with events/outings/promotions and other course news. These websites also highlight in detail the different activities/events that go on at your course, giving golfers an opportunity to book tee times, contact tournament/banquet coordinators and offer an array of images that depict the ideal experience a patron will have at your golf course. It should also be easy to navigate and look modern.

Some websites to use as an example are: Maderas Golf Club, Stevinson Ranch Golf Club and Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club. They demonstrate the unique character of the golf course, are easy to navigate and are updated regularly.

Golf Course Email List

Every golf course should have an email marketing campaign in place. In my experience, the email list has been the most effective way to encourage golfers to make purchasing decisions. When done right an email campaign can have a significant impact on the bottom line. When done wrong, it can turn golfers away.

Poor: Not having an email list is setting up a golf course for failure. If you’re not collecting emails and using those emails to sell your products and services, your competitors will syphon off your golfers through their special offers and discounts. Once you lose a customer, it will become much more difficult to attract more golfers to your course . . . especially without an email list.

Golf courses should think of their email list like an insurance policy that you can call on when times are slow to get new golfers to experience your golf course. Offer exceptional service while they are there and that will increase the number of rounds golfers play at your course.

Average: Most golf courses I’ve encountered are missing two major components to creating an effective email marketing campaign. The first is that they do not have a proactive strategy to get new golfers to sign up for their email list. The second thing most golf courses are missing in their email marketing campaigns is creativity. As individuals, our email inboxes are bombarded with sales messages from all different types of businesses. In order for golfers to open your email they have to have compelling headlines and compelling copy. Emails with generic headlines like, “It’s a Beautiful Day, Come on Out!,” “Special Discount on Golf this Week Only,” or “Check Out this Sunday Golf Special” will get lost in the shuffle because they are not creative, not specific and are obviously sales driven. Most of us delete them immediately.

Exceptional: Golf courses that do their email marketing right are the golf courses who have a proactive strategy to get new golfers to sign up for their email newsletter. I recommend collecting emails:

at the point of sale
through your website
through special contests created for the golfers at the course

Every email you collect can lead to increases in sales. Getting creative in the ways you get golfers to sign up for your email newsletter is a must. Creating compelling headlines and compelling copy will increase the chances your emails are actually read. One golf course that does email marketing really well is the Champions at the Retreat who have emails with headlines like, “The easiest Father’s Day gift is a few clicks away,” “FREE greens fees at Champions Club (not a joke!),” and “THREE entries for the price of one!” The percentage of people who will open these emails is much higher than those mentioned in the average section. If more golfers are compelled to open your emails, then the more golfers will be compelled to take advantage of the call to actions you have in your emails.

Facebook

Poor: Golf courses with a poor Facebook presence are those that do not have one at all, and those who set one up but haven’t updated it in months.

Average: Currently, an average Facebook presence for golf courses is a golf course that updates their Facebook page regularly but has no plans for outreach. Their posts are strictly sales driven, too similar to one another, lack engagement and often are not relevant to the golf course itself.

Exceptional: The best golf courses on Facebook are those that promote the unique character of the golf course, build an engaged community and vary the type of posts they use. These golf courses post pictures, have a creative outreach program to attract new followers, utilize the highly targeted Facebook advertising feature, use copy designed to engage their golfers, follow up with discussions, vary the type of posts, and thank their followers regularly. For examples of golf courses that have an excellent Facebook page, please visit the Arroyo Trabuco, Maderas Golf Club and/or Stevinson Ranch Golf Club Facebook pages.

Blog

A blog is a great way to post relevant content on your website to share with golfers at your golf course.

Poor: A non-existent blog page that delivers no new content to your golfers or followers.

Average: An average golf course blog is one that posts infrequently and doesn’t offer anything of value to your followers.

Exceptional: An exceptional blog highlights all major activities that take place at your golf course. The blog focuses on your core golfers, golf-related groups, and highlights other areas where your golf course can see an increase in revenues, like banquets, weddings, the golf shop or restaurant.

Twitter

Poor: Most golf courses do not use Twitter.

Average: Many of the golf courses that do use a Twitter account only tweet out sales messages. They do not monitor mentions of their course and they make no effort to connect with their golfers on Twitter.

Exceptional: Golf courses that understand how to use Twitter and make the most of it are courses that engage Twitter users who mention their golf course in meaningful discussions. They reach out to golfers who indicate they play golf in the geographic region of the golf course. And they promote the game of golf through their followers. To see an example of a golf course that does a good job on their Twitter presence, check out the Arroyo Trabuco Twitter Account.

YouTube

YouTube is a fantastic visual resource that golf courses should use to remind every golfer how nice it is to be outdoors at the golf course.

Poor: Most golf courses do not use YouTube.

Average: Many golf courses that have set up a YouTube account have a page that contains a scattering of videos with very poor quality that don’t seem to be set up with any clear purpose or goal.

Exeptional: The golf courses that use YouTube well post videos with high-quality audio and video. Each video has a clear call to action or a specific purpose for the video. Excellent videos to include are golf tips to help your golfers, demonstrations of appropriate golf etiquette, testimonials from golfers and commercials promoting your golf course.

Instagram

Instagram is a great platform for reaching out to younger golfers because it’s easily accessed and utilized from any mobile smart phone.

Poor: Non-existent.

Average: Golf courses that use Instagram inconsistently and share boring or poor quality images.

Exceptional: An Instagram account should be posted to daily with unique pictures. If any golfers appear in the photo their Instagram accounts should be tagged. And the copy of every post should include appropriate hashtags and be designed to get users to engage.

Greenskeeper.org, Review Websites, or Other Similar Golfing Communities in Your Geographical Region

Review sites are extremely important for any business. Nowadays there is a lot that a business can do to affect the status of their golf course on the web. Despite this, most golf courses owners and operators visit review sites infrequently and many do not monitor mentions of their golf course at all.

Poor: Never find out what is being said about your golf course online.

Average: The other mistake often made is golf course owners or operators will respond too emotionally or without empathy to negative reviews. This can easily escalate the situation or demonstrate that you’re not interested in the plight of your customers.

Exceptional: An owner or operator that manages their online reputation well is someone who monitors what is said about the golf course and responds to comments, questions or concerns regularly and in a professional manner. They empathize with the customer and respond to situations uniquely.

Being proactive in managing your online reputation will help avoid major issues, can convince golfers to return and encourage more golfers to visit your golf course. These reviews can also indicate trouble areas or areas of strength for your business which can help you build a better business.

Honorable Mention: Pinterest/Vine/Google+/LinkedIn

The previously mentioned platforms are essential for any golf course competing in today’s market to attract new golfers to their golf course. However; an exceptional social media presence requires devoting some of your resources to social media sites which can be of importance for golf courses currently and in the years to come.

Pinterest is excellent to share compelling photos of the golf course, banquet facilities and golfers. An exceptional Pinterest account uses high-quality photos that link to your website and have a lengthy, keyword-rich description for each photo.

Vine is a platform that records brief 6-second videos. You can use these to attract a younger generation of golfers. Encourage your young golfers to create unique and compelling videos at your golf course and you can have a hit marketing tactic on your hands.

Google+ – Unlike Facebook and Twitter, all Google+ updates are indexed by the Google Search Engine. When people are searching for golf-related activities, the more content you have on Google+ and the more connections you have, the more likely your posts will show up in a Google Search. For example, if a golfer who is connected to you on Google+ searches for “California Golf” on Google, something you’ve posted in the past with the words California and Golf may show up at the top of that person’s Google search.

LinkedIn – LinkedIn is for professional contacts. As an Owner, General Manager, Marketing Director or Tournament Director, it’s important to connect with tournament organizers, banquet organizers or influential golfers from your personal account to establish a deeper connection designed to gain more golfers, retain tournaments and share insider information about your golf course to your LinkedIn connections.

Are You Doing It Right?

Creating a strong social media presence can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re starting from scratch, but slowly improving your internet marketing and social media habits can have a drastic impact on your bottom line. If you found our Social Media Check-Up for Golf Courses helpful, please subscribe to the 19th Hole Media Newsletter to get more advice and help on developing your social media presence.

To help you, we’ve created a Golf Course Internet Marketing and Social Media Checklist to help you enhance your golf course marketing efforts and take your golf course to the next level. Contact Zeb at (909) 973 – 9089 or Zeb@WelbornMedia.com if you’d like to get your free social media checklist to see if your online presence is poor, average or exceptional!

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Zeb Welborn & John Hakim Present at KemperSports Regional Meeting

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Zeb Welborn

Amy Spittle, Regional Sales and Marketing Director at KemperSports Golf Course & Hospitality Management invited John Hakim from Greenskeeper.org and Zeb Welborn from 19th Hole Media were invited to present at the KemperSports Regional Meeting held at Desert Willow Golf Resort.

Zeb Welborn, Amy Spittle, Nichole Tudor Nelson and John Hakim at the KemperSports Regional Golf Meeting at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Springs, California.

The Social Golf Course

In our presentation we discussed our book, The Social Golf Course and its implications for the golf course industry. We shared ideas on how employees can take part in the social media strategy at a golf course, how to use Facebook and Twitter, how to evaluate the ROI of social media, how to increase followers and a brief Q&A session.

KemperSports has an award-winning portfolio that includes nationally-ranked courses and tournament venues. They work to develop and manage a broad range of private clubs, golf resorts, public golf courses and municipal golf courses. They have expanded their management expertise to include conference centers, lodging operations and recreational facilities.

KemperSports continues to be a family-owned business with over 5,500 employees. They’re based in Northbrook, Illinois and operate regional offices in Northern California, Southern California, Dallas, South Florida and Maryland.

The KemperSports Regional Meeting presentation went extremely well and we’re so grateful that Amy gave John and Zeb the opportunity to speak to golf course owners, golf course operators, golf course general managers and golf course marketing directors on the importance of social media. If you’d like John or Zeb to speak at your event, please email Zeb Welborn at Zeb@WelbornMedia.com

Thanks again Amy!

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Social Media in Scottish Golf Travel on The Scottish Golf Podcast

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Zeb Welborn

Ruairidh Macdonald, the host of The Scottish Golf Podcast interviewed me about my book, The Social Golf Course. Listen to the episode titled, Social Media in Scottish Golf Travel, by clicking on the link.

During the interview we talk about my Scottish heritage and how I’ve been able to help golf courses reach more customers and get golfers to play more often using social media.

Scottish Golf Podcast

The Scottish Golf Podcast launched to enhance the travelling golfers understanding of the Scottish golf scene. For too long, the traveling golfer been puzzled by what awaits them on this golf course infested isle. The podcast hopes to unearth the gems of Scotland while showcasing the great variation of golf courses, hotels and activities this great country has to offer. Make the trip to Scotland the most fulfilling you can at any budget and experience all that Scotland has to offer.

The Scottish Golf Podcast aims to:

Showcase Scotland as truly the best golf destination by covering a wide spectrum of activities that the country has to offer golfers

We want to distribute revenue generated through golf tourism throughout Scotland and away from the statistic ’75% of revenue, created by 25% of courses’

Create a better experience for you the inbound travelling golfer and create a platform where golfers can share great Scottish Golf experiences

I had a fantastic time chatting with Ruairidh and hope one day to get the chance to play at the home of golf. If I do, I’ll definitely be hitting up my good friend, Ruairidh.

Listen to my interview with Ruiaridh Macdonald on the Scottish Golf Podcast.

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Friday Foursome with Zeb Welborn from The Social Golf Course

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Zeb Welborn

Immediately following the launch of our book, The Social Golf Course, John Hakim and I headed to Phoenix to meet with Troon Golf, a golf management company located in Phoenix, Arizona. I had been communicating with Ricky Potts through his Google+ Golf Community and randomly, John Hakim scheduled an appointment with Troon Golf and Ricky Potts was in attendance.

We hit it off immediately, sharing ideas about social media, golf and it was a great experience along with a great lunch.

We connected further in conversations on Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter until a last-minute dropout on his schedule put me on his show, Friday Foursome which he co-hosts with Jason Boslow and Les Bailey.

It was so much fun talking with Ricky, Jason and Les about my book, The Social Golf Course and we had such a great time chatting that Ricky plans on having both John Hakim and I back at a later date for another Friday Foursome.

During the interview I chat about our book, the future of social media and even answered some random, rapid-fire questions about myself, golf and other random bits of information. Loved the light-hearted tone of the interview and like I said, I had a blast.

A big thanks to Ricky Potts, Troon Golf, Jason Boslow, and Les Bailey for the opportunity to share my book and introduce myself to the Google+ Golf Community.

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California Golf Course Owner’s Association Presentation on The Social Golf Course

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Zeb Welborn

John Hakim from Greenskeeper.org and I presented a webinar to the California Golf Course Owner’s Association (CGCOA) on April 10, 2014.

The webinar focused on our book, The Social Golf Course and highlighted social media and how to use it effectively at the local golf course level. The webinar was the largest webinar the CGCOA has put on and we had a fantastic time sharing our knowledge of social media and golf with the CGCOA members.

California Golf Course Owner’s Association

The Social Golf Course: Increasing Rounds with Social Media is an introduction to golf course marketing with social media. Social media is not just a marketing and sales tool. It creates word-of-mouth excitement, helps attracts more golfers and gets golfers to play golf more often. help build business.

The CGCOA aims to enhance the lives of golf course owners by making their businesses more profitable, more efficient, and better managed. They provide exceptional products and services to every type of owner – from the family-owned 9-hole course to the multi-course corporation.

A special thank you to Marc Connerly for giving us the opportunity to speak with the California Golf Course Owner’s Association. Looking forward to being involved with the CGCOA for many years to come.

If you have questions about social media marketing for golf courses, contact me, Zeb Welborn at 909 973 9089 or by email Zeb@WelbornMedia.com

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GolfBoard at Indian Wells Golf Resort

Step #1 – Create a GolfBoard Press Release

Step #2: Educate GolfBoard Safety with Social Media

Step #3: Create GolfBoard Content for Social Media

GolfBoards at Maderas Golf Club

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The Don’ts of Facebook Marketing for Golf Courses

“Mistakes are part of the game. It’s how well you recover from them, that’s the mark of a great player.” – Alice Cooper

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Don’t Post Too Infrequently

Don’t Not Engage

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