• The Most Effective Forms of Golf Course Marketing

    Kent Ashby  •  September 13, 2015

 Marketing your golf course is a necessity. You probably knew that already. However, not every form of marketing was created equal, and there are SO many to choose from. Deciding how to spend your marketing budget can make or break your golf course's fiscal year. To better answer the question of what marketing channels work best for golf courses, we started compiling research.

 Let’s start out with the cost of marketing for each channel. Below is a screen shot taken from Moz’s recent blog article on marketing costs by media type.

golf marketing channel costs

As you can see, traditional marketing channels are dramatically more expensive than the others. So expensive, in fact, that a positive return on investment is nearly impossible to achieve. The prices that traditional media (TV, print, radio) demands these days are unwarranted, as the results achieved from these forms of advertising are typically lackluster.

Let’s put things into perspective. The least expensive traditional channel is still 4x more expensive than running Facebook ads. On top of costs, digital marketing also has the ability to be much more targeted than traditional adverts. Another thing to mention is that this chart only shows paid media channels. SEO, content marketing, email, and organic social media campaigns are all free and have proven, time and time again, to be the top performers.

It’s a digital world we live in. Traditional advertising just doesn’t make sense for golf courses. Your customers are online and you should be too.

Digital Marketing Channels Compared

Now that traditional media is out, you’re probably wondering what digital channels are worthwhile. According to Conductor, organic search and email are the two digital channels that give you the most bang for the buck. This makes sense, as PPC campaigns have to be funded and social media is more for staying connected with customers.

digital marketing effectivness

Even though this chart shows a hierarchy of digital marketing effectiveness, it’s important know that all four of these channels need to work together for maximum effectiveness. SEO, PPC, social media, and email marketing are all great ways for golf courses to generate revenue, especially when used in unison.

In Conclusion

Most traditional advertising is not ideal for golf facilities. Digital media is more effective and is inexpensive in comparison. All too often, we see golf courses wasting their marketing budgets and receiving subpar results. It’s time to start investing your time, money, and efforts to targeting your customers online.

If you are unsure of how to setup a digital marketing campaign for your golf course, give us a call at (407) 395-4701 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We can help get your marketing campaign back on track.

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