Have you ever had a member drive a number of miles to an event that you had cancelled or delayed? How impressed were they? You then had the “fun” of dealing with an unhappy member who most likely then complained to anyone who would listen to them for the next six months!
Of course, we are ignoring the fact that you would have emailed them to let them know of the change, but they didn’t see it. It could be because they simply didn’t check their emails that morning, or had checked their email five minutes before you hit send. Either way, you now have an unhappy member.
However, there is a solution, and it’s one that is right in their hands, one that they never leave the house without – their phone. And on that phone is your club’s app.
Your club’s app can do something your more traditional methods of communication cannot; it can send a push notification that will put your message right across the front of their phone – and there’s no missing that!
Getting Your Strategy Right
Push notifications are a direct path of communication with your golfers; they don’t get caught in spam filters, or forgotten in an inbox. Clubs should treat the ability to communicate with users via push notifications as a privilege, not a right, which means your club must provide value to your members and visitors. If you optimize your push notification strategy correctly, your club will be able to communicate at a whole new level.
Permission is key. Push notifications are permissive; this means the very first thing you will need to do is to get your members to agree to let you send them push notifications. While many golfers will allow you to send notifications without even thinking about it, it is a good idea when introducing your app to members, to remind them that they need to agree to you sending notifications to keep them up to date with current events, course conditions and any last-minute changes.
Unlike other businesses, club apps are an anomaly when it comes to push notifications. In other industries the general rule is don’t send too many – maybe once or twice a month, otherwise people will ignore them or even delete your app. However, golf clubs buck the trend, and our statistics show the more push notifications a club sends, the higher the engagement with their app, and the better the feedback to the club. This does not mean you should bombard members, but provide timely notifications that are relevant.
What Should You Send?
You might feel that using push notifications to forewarn of course closure or delay in playing is the only thing you should be sending members. While this is valuable information, and certainly appreciated by the golfer, your club would be missing out on its potential to drive engagement, interaction and even revenues.
Statistics* of click-through rates from promotional push notifications can be as high as 78 per cent, making this is an area your club cannot afford to ignore.
Below is a selection of real-life examples of notifications sent out by clubs that will give you a base to build your own unique strategy upon:
Personal:
· Wishing members happy birthday
· Congratulating the winning player/team
· Informing members when to check out photos of the latest event
Improving member experience:
· Reminder of upcoming fixtures and social events
· Last minute openings in an event
· Notification of today’s closed tees and times due to a fixture
· Cancellation of event…. but the club house is still open/the meal is still on!
Pro shop:
· Club fitting and demo days
· Seasonal sales and new arrivals
· The start of a new coaching course(s)
· Installation and deals on golf simulators
Promoting products or offers to increase sales:
· Reminder to book tickets to golfing events
· Promotion of non-golfing events e.g. live music or family fun day
· Promotion of non-golfing facilities e.g. tennis, or the spa, or even function rooms
· The latest food and/or drink promotion
They can even be used for reminders to pay subscriptions and to direct your members to other marketing channels, such as social networks.
Summary
Push notifications cannot be underestimated; they can be a vital part of the whole club dynamics. They place your message directly in front of your members, giving you an incredible communication tool that can give updated information, encourage engagement at a club level, increase numbers at events, and improve retention.
The technology is here and it is simple to use and implement. Don’t be afraid to move to a modern way of thinking because mobile phones and apps are commonplace in all our lives, no matter our age. We all like to do things quicker, easier, better. Your members are no different, so give your team the tools to communicate and engage on a whole new level.
*Statistics from tracking analytics in CourseMate Golf Club Apps September ‘17 to August ’18.
Jenni Biggs specialties in creating dynamic apps that deliver results for her golf clients. Writing technical papers for different golf magazines, online blogs and associations she has enjoys educating and helping the golf industry grow. Visit http://coursemateapp.co.uk/
