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May 30, 2022
The last two years of pandemic realities sideswiped thousands of tourism and hospitality companies in Canada, many of which are just beginning to gain back lost ground.
Golf courses, with their fresh air and open spaces, were not as drastically affected by COVID-19 and were attractive options when other activities and venues were less appealing. Avid golfers were delighted with opportunities to keep enjoying a favourite pastime, and demand increased as new fans gave the sport a try.
In fact, Canada’s golf industry experienced a 19% increase in play in 2021, according to Golf Canada’s 2021 annual report. In the same report, the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada also recorded a 15% increase in their membership numbers.
Golf is a competitive sport–and a competitive industry. It’s not a small market either. Golf courses and country clubs represent a $3 billion market in Canada, according to IBIS World industry statistics. Even with more people wanting to get in a round or plan a golf vacation, golf resorts need to ensure their businesses stand out to capture their share.
So, how can golf resort marketing pros gain a competitive edge in their marketing?
In this article, we’ll explore:
Challenges in golf course marketing
How to ensure your online experience measures up
10 ways an immersive online experience can drive up guest numbers
Why finely tuned targeting is so critical for golf resorts
How golf resorts can lead with improved digital marketing
Challenges in golf course marketing
Leading in a competitive market is always challenging. You know your golf resort can measure up to any of the properties around you, but it feels like you’re all marketing in the same ways.
If you’ve identified this as an area where your golf resort needs to step up its game, you’re not alone. “One of the primary challenges these companies have is their digital experience, website design, and presentation of their brand,” reports digital marketing company Linchpin SEO.
Golf resorts offer memorable experiences to their guests, often partnering expertly-designed courses with top-notch amenities and indulgences. It’s the perfect combination, but chances are, your competitors are offering similar experiences and you struggle to stand out from other properties when planning your golf resort marketing campaigns.
How to ensure your online experience measures up
These days, consumers regularly do research online when planning vacations or making buying decisions. With the right marketing investment, you can offer all the reassurances people need that you can meet and exceed their expectations.
Create online experiences worth remembering with these elements:
A clear and comprehensive website with updated information
Gorgeous visuals to catch the eye of visitors
Practical and intuitive tools that help your guests find exactly what they need
Unique offerings that tempt visitors to return to your website
Curated experience based on visitor interests and behaviours
Custom marketing messages that work in service to your customer
When people visit your website and can easily confirm what you offer, how they can optimize their visit, and get a glimpse of the full experience you offer, they’re more likely to commit.
Consider what you could do with an interactive webcam system that treats your website visitors to a completely different introduction to your property. An intuitive software platform can create an indelible brand experience that brings visitors back to your website and through your front doors.
10 ways an immersive online experience can drive up guest numbers
Innovative marketing technology is a key differentiator for any tourism or hospitality company, and interactive webcam software is changing travel marketing. Golf resorts would be wise to track how other tourism companies stand out in their markets, and what types of marketing investments are paying off in big ways.
Here are 10 ways an interactive webcam system can boost golf course marketing:
Show off your property and grounds with high-resolution imagery
Attract more traffic to your website and help boost SEO
Give visitors a sneak peek into your indoor facilities
Customize your visitors’ online experience with targeted marketing messages
Provide an expansive view of your course and the layout of each hole
Give visitors a way to share their experience with other enthusiasts
Extend the length of time viewers engage with your online content, helping visitors to remember you
Highlight nearby amenities to help visitors plan a full experience
Keep your visitors updated with real-time weather checks
Create an ongoing stream of beautiful imagery to bolster social media marketing
Every new guest you welcome to your facility this year needs to make the decision to step foot on your property, and these decisions are made online.
Finely tuned targeting critical for golf resorts
A marketing challenge (and opportunity!) that golf industry marketers can’t ignore is the average age of their guests and the extent to which their marketing aligns with the expectations of that age group.
Over the past 15 years, golf in the U.S. actually lost over 10 million players, with Canadians dropping the sport at the same relative pace, reports online golf magazine The Pointer. The magazine also reports that recovery is including a more diverse demographic, including younger players.
Golf resorts would be wise to clarify their audiences and ensure they are creating memorable marketing experiences for the guests they should be targeting–and these may not be the same guests who were playing a decade ago. Younger players will expect a more sophisticated online experience than their older counterparts, and the resorts that are first to get in front of these players in impactful ways will buy loyalty for the long term.
Golf resorts can lead with improved digital marketing
Digital marketing offers golf clubs and resorts the opportunity to rise above the competition in an often-crowded market. A fresh approach to marketing can improve the online experience you offer guests, increasing the likelihood of you welcoming them in person.
Innovative marketing technology can elevate your marketing campaigns across every platform, creating unforgettable brand experiences every time a potential guest encounters your business online.
Showcasing your golf resort in new, innovative ways can lead to more guests and better positioning in your market. Book a call to discuss how we can help you stand out from the rest.