Golf Internet Marketing

Golf Marketing Solution Proven to Quickly Boost Sales - Golf Club Business

2011-04-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

Golf Marketing Solution Proven to Quickly Boost Sales - Golf Club Business

Turnkey Golf Marketing Program Details:

Facebook BrandBoost Marketing – Reach over 2,500 active golfers on Facebook
Twitter Promotion – Reach over 15,000 golfers via Twitter
Email Marketing – Reach over 15,000 active golfers
Custom HTML Email Design – will be supplied to you for future marketing efforts
Retail & Distributor Marketing – Reaches over 2,000 wholesale & retail buyers
Online Press Release – Reach over 100,000 golfers with an SEO friendly press release

Golf Pulp Defines & Measures Golf Social Media - Golf Club Business

2011-01-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

Golf Pulp Defines & Measures Golf Social Media - Golf Club Business

Golf Marketing in the "Off Season"

2010-11-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

Golf Season is winding down and some states are even dealing with snow! However, there is NO Off Season for Golf Marketing. It is important to keep building your database, maintain an SEO campaign and keep growing your social profiles like Facebook and Twitter.

Inactivity of online marketing can lead to a departure of your customer/fan base, lead to loss in search engine placement and makes for a difficult start up in Spring.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Maintain Ongoing Link Building Campaigns
Create Content for Off Season Use - Indoor Practice, Strength, Conditioning, Mental..
KEEP THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON IN MIND!!!!
Continue to Leverage your Facebook Page and other Social Profiles
Run Off Season Specials to Grow Your Database

2010-09-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Pali Ke Kua 126. by Princeville Vacations in Princeville, Kauai. Brought to you by TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals, powered by TripWow!™

7 Ways to Increase Sales on Your Golf Website

2010-08-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

1) Highlight One Product on Your Home Page - Many companies with multiple products often drive web traffic to a shopping cart. If you can highlight one featured item for display on your home page you will have a better opportunity for conversion.

2) Don’t Say Buy. We recently started changing the words “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” to things like “Experience Now”, “Add to Bag”, “Become a Better Golfer”. These minor changes in text have lead to more click-through to shopping carts and more purchases.

3) Position Benefits not Products. Does your product or service solve a problem? Let golfers know how your company can improve their golf game or golfing experience.

4) Show credibility. Positioning customer or client testimonials can have a great impact on your ability to sell to potential customers. Make certain you display testimonials that are influential and speak to possible concerns your target audience might have.

5) Instill urgency in your copy! You gotta do this NOW! Update your website copy to position your solution as something the website visitor must focus on immediately to see results. Often times a sale deadline or assignment of a number “improve your short game within 3 weeks – Start Today!” can lead to quick decisions by website visitors.

6) Offer something for opt-in emails. To keep your sales growing you will need to grow your leads. In order to get more leads offer something free or unique to your visitor that will make opt-in a no-brainer.

7) Follow Up. Ok you can’t close every sale but you can make certain to follow up on the leads that do come your way. An effective auto-responder email program can help you stay close to those that are interested in your golf products or services.

Need help getting more golfers to buy from your website? Click Here to Experience Increased Sales Now! Or Call 888.344.9915

Using Email To Pick A Fight! TaylorMade & Callaway...

2010-04-30T10:03:00.001-07:00

Email marketing is a great way to get your message out quickly to your existing fan base. But it can also be used to position your brand within a competitive market. Here's a recent email I received from TaylorMade in regards to Callaway's claim to be the #1 Driver on Tour.

Is TaylorMade picking a virtual fight? NOTE: I do not own this content.

Recently, Callaway has made a claim that they are the new #1 Driver on tour. They are trying to confuse the golfer. We have published the response below to set the record straight. Being the #1 Driver in Golf is something TaylorMade has earned and we hold that honor in high regard.

Dear Callaway,

Congratulations on your players' recent tour victories. We fully understand the excitement and sense of pride that comes from winning. In fact, two more tour professionals won this weekend with our drivers.

And, in the last 10 years, we've had 525 wins of our own. A full decade of domination. This is why we take exception with your claim of being the #1 Driver on Tour. Here's the truth.

TaylorMade is the #1 selling driver today and has been each year since 2004.

TaylorMade is #1 in worldwide tour wins today and has been over the last decade.

TaylorMade is the #1 played driver on tours worldwide today and has been over the last decade.

We hope this sets the record straight at Callaway and for anyone in golf who was confused.

Sincerely,
TaylorMade

What are your thoughts?

We All Want People to "Like" Us

2010-04-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Facebook announced today that the term "become a fan" was going to change to "Like" in hopes of providing the users who are supporting Facebook "The Businesses" more interaction.

I guess we will have to see if this has influence on Business Fan Pages -

Here's the message Facebook Sent

"Introducing the Like button
Starting today people will be able to connect with your Page by clicking “Like” rather than “Become a Fan.” We hope this action will feel much more lightweight, and that it will increase the number of connections made across the site. Learn more."

Like Us? http;//facebook.com/GolfPulp

Using the "A" Word

2010-04-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

When is it appropriate to use the “A” word? Everyday especially if it's for Golf SEO! I use it religiously, and NO I am not referencing THAT word, I am talking about Analytics.

The Breakdown: Think of your website as a store. Your employees working at the counter or helping guests who stop by (or maybe even your surveillance video camera) would be your analytics. It’s a report on:

• how many visitors come to your “shop”
• how many stop by your “displays”
• how many customers purchased
• how many poked their head in and left

Well there’s a lot more to analytics but this should allow you to get your foot in the door. An easy to use & FREE analytics software is Google Analytics. Follow the simple instructions to download and keep monitoring your site daily, weekly, and monthly to learn more about how your site is reaching potential customers.

Considerations:

• Be certain to use keywords
• Keep Bounce In Mind – these are people who visit the site and never navigate to other pages. You have to wonder why are they leaving.
• Set Up Conversion Goals – What path do you want your customers to take?
• Track Marketing Efforts – Use analytics to see if advertising or marketing is effecting traffic

If you need further assistance in establishing analytics or would like to learn how you can improve your marketing efforts please contact us.

A Word About Golf Keywords

2010-04-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

Playing golf without a golf ball just wouldn’t work right? Sometimes the smallest piece of something can have the biggest impact on the whole. Let’s take keywords for instance. Golf keywords are the most important piece of not only your golf seo campaign but also your golf social media campaigns.

Keywords should not just be picked out of a hat or consist of a long list of golf search possibilities you feel golfers may find you under. Keywords should be the result of ongoing research and constant monitoring. If you are braving the golf seo and golf social media storm alone there are plenty of tools to help you with this process.

A great tool is Wordtracker and another great and FREE keyword tool is Google’s Keyword Tool. Both of these tools will allow you to grab search information for particular keywords and even provide suggestions for new keywords.

We have seen the way Golfers search with keywords morph over the years as they become more internet savvy, so you want to keep your finger on the pulse.

Golf Pulp has been able to create a keyword research databases that tracks progression of search terms for particular segments of the golf industry - keyword groups for products like "golf training aids". This type of tracking allows for more precise targeting and increased web traffic for our clients. We are not saying you have to go to this length for your own campaign but it goes to show how important keywords are.

Finally, if you have an established website or ppc campaign there is a potential goldmine for keyword research at your finger tips. If you dive deep into analytics or into search queries you can extract the most popular phrases golfers are using to find your website. Use these keywords to build groups of closely related terms. This will allow you to develop a more target keyword campaign for your golf website.

How is your Golf Brand's Online Reputation?

2010-03-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

More and more golf companies are diving into social media marketing and introducing their concepts and content to the world by using online resources. Many companies that are trying to gain recognition and credibility within the golf industry will often times submit their products or services for review by industry influencers or premium websites. As a rule of thumb, the more exposure for your brand the better, right? Well, yes except...

All this discussion around your brand can be BAD if you don't keep your finger on the pulse. Most reviews and press releases that are distributed online are open to comments from the general public and more importantly, YOUR COMPETITORS. When is the last time you followed up on the online reviews you have received? If it has been some time I would urge you to track them down and browse through the comments posted. Before we dive in lets get some things straight.

Online Reputation Management can be the difference between winning sales or losing sales.

So what is it?

Online Reputation Management defined: The act of monitoring, addressing or mitigating undesirable search engine results or mentions in online media for a company or product.

So what does this mean? Your company should be conscious of what is being said about your brand online. Read the comments on your reviews, answer questions that may arise, counter competitor's comments that tend to lead readers to alternative products (believe it or not some companies hire people to market their products and services under the reviews of competitors), dispel rumors or incorrect & misleading information. Another IMPORTANT TASK is to address any negative reviews of your product by stating facts or offering to address the issue directly.

Probably the most agitating thing is that it is a fairly labor intensive task to monitor all the conversations happening that involve your brand. If you run a company that has invested in marketing or advertising I would advise hiring an internet marketing company to assist with these efforts. Below I have provided a short list to get you started on your own venture into monitoring your company's Online Reputation.

1) Reference all review sites that you have submitted information to and look up your company name on their site.

2) Set up Google Alerts (FREE) http://www.google.com/alerts Enter Your Business name or Product Name(s)

3) Set up Yahoo Alerts (FREE) http://alerts.yahoo.com/ Enter Your Business name or Product Name(s)

There is a lot more to Online Reputation Management but this should get your feet wet. Please feel free to email me or call if you have additional questions.

Golf Web Marketing Tip: Link Building Campaigns (101)

2010-03-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

The golf business world is quickly coming up to speed on the importance of golf internet marketing and the impact that it can have on online revenue as well as brand visibility. Link Building is a big part of Golf SEO that can generate great results if done properly. Below are some bullet points on things to research and validate as part of any link building campaign for your website.

1. Getting links from authoritative domains
2. Getting links from a volume of domains
3. Obtaining links to pages other than the home page (also known as “deep links”)
4. Local links for local rankings
5. Getting the anchor text needed to drive rankings.

Questions? Contact info@golfpulpmedia.com

Golf Social Media – How Sociable Are You?

2010-01-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Social Media is the latest buzz on the marketing front yet many business owners have no clue what it means and how it can impact their profitability. I recently connected with a golf media company who delivers top notch golf content for and works with big name golf brands. Our conversation led to social media and I asked “How are you growing your consumer base and subscriptions through Social Media?” There was dead air….

That’s not to say the business owner hadn’t heard of Facebook or Twitter. However, he never heard the term social media and had no clue as to how to grow greater market share by engaging consumers online. So what is social media and how does it relate to more business for your golf company?

Social Media Defined:

Social Media consist of a category of sites that are based on user participation and user-generated content. They include social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook (there are several big ones), social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us (there are hundreds), social news sites like Digg or Reddit (again there are hundreds), and other sites that are centered on user interaction. Other powerful sites include review sites, niche social networks, blogs and forums.

Does Social Media work for Golf Business?

YES! Assuming you have a plan. Simply having a Facebook or Twitter account is not going to generate business. In fact, most companies abandon Social Media efforts because they establish a few social accounts and expect leads to drop in like a 1 ft. putt. The biggest mistake we see in assisting companies with their Social Media presence is 1) They talk to much about themselves 2) They have no research, rhyme or reason to their involvement 3) They have no goal for conversations 4) They set no revenue goals or lead objectives for involvement.

So How Sociable Is Your Brand?

Here are a few sites that you can use to check out how “sociable” your brand is. Are people talking about you? If not you are missing out on business.

www.socialmention.com

www.howsociable.com

Trade Shows In?

2009-08-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Flashback to your last booth experience if you will, please. Let me know when you get there... Hear the buzz of the crowds, the "what's this thing do?" questions? Ok now pull out a calculator or grab the nearest napkin and pen and let's do a little math.

First we have the cost of booth space + marketing materials + the fancy banners + the over priced booth model+ airfare + hotel + the rental car + food + drinks + more drinks + maybe one more drink + now multiply the relevant figures by the number of people in your group. I am not going to even ask for you to tell me how much you just spent but I am going to say it's a considerable amount.

Now that we have the investment figured out I would invite you to complete the ROI puzzle and honestly assess how much money you actually made off of this ONE event. I had originally planned to walk you through the entire ROI formula but I really don't want to be blamed for your heartburn, high blood pressure, anxiety ...insert symptom here.

Before I start bashing the cubicle pitch palaces I thought I would offer some suggestions for those who have already budgeted in a handful of important trade shows for '09.

Customer Testimonials- If anything, a trade show is a great way for you to capture great customer testimonials. If you can wow the crowd you might get a few participants to plug your product. Remember - always be prepared to capture these moments with VIDEO. If you can't stomach paying out anymore money, you can get around professional production with something as simple as a Flip. Caution: please use the Flip for viral video testimonials ONLY. Using this device for all your video is a poor choice and your customers will pick up on it. Email me if you need advice on this.

Real Time Feedback - You think your product is gold and that's why you spent a small fortune to make it out to the show, right. Of course selling your brand is the whole goal of the event but don't be so eager to sell! Think about trade shows as a test market. Gather feedback on your product/services for the benefit of future sales. How can you make your product better? How does it compare to your competitors on the floor? Take some time to march through the aisles of hopefuls to gain ideas, you may even learn what not to do.

Capture Video - Yes, I did already say this but I want to drill it home again. In our current marketing landscape video is KEY to give your brand life. But make sure you do it right. ‘nough said.

You know what I think I'm all out of time on this one...we will get into the bashing of trade shows later.

I will leave one question behind for everyone to weigh in on -
Does the benefit of Trade Show marketing justify the cost?

ROI = Re-evaluate Online Investment

2009-07-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

I just want to start off by saying - If I see another blog, article...excuse about the economy I am going to lose it!!! I mean can't we just all accept the fact that it sucks - but it is our world for now so let's move on. Ok then...

Now that I have your attention, I want to focus on MONEY again, sorry. If you're like most of the industry, you're really starting to have those conversations with retailers and pro shops about order quantity, perhaps you are far beyond those heartaches. It goes without saying those orders just ain't what they used to be. Many new companies are fighting tooth and nail to break into retail and are just getting beat out the door and some times it's with the very club they are trying to sell.

After your bruises have time to heal you may want to start re-evaluating your e-commerce strategies. Retail means wholesale and wholesale means smaller margins and smaller margins make you want to write a blog, article...excuse about the economy, especially if wholesale orders are shrinking. This is no good! Solution: A strong run at e-commerce business is the way to supplement sluggish retail sales.

"BUT I ALREADY DO E-COMMERCE". Having a shopping cart website does not equate to e-commerce! True e-commerce is having a clear plan that communicates monthly sales objectives for your website, allowance for marketing/advertising to drive consumers to your site, and a true dedication. Web sales are not just icing on the cake, they can be the life blood of your revenue stream, especially as your retail deals dwindle or stall.

I am not much of a mathematician but I do know a thing about ROI; Return On Internet, it means that in order to get your product or service to sell online you must make an investment; time, money, resources. Some unsuspecting business owners let a web design firm tell them that their investment needed to be building the most incredible looking site to out-class the competition. Now you have a great looking site with no sales and less of a budget to do anything about it.

So I challenge business owners to consider another ROI formula - Re-Evaluate Online Investment. The internet is becoming the choice method of product and service acquisition, what are you doing to DRIVE people to your site? More importantly when they visit your site what are you doing to convert them to paying customers or clients?

The strategy for e-commerce is just slightly different for service oriented businesses in that your internet marketing efforts must be followed up on. Instead of direct buy, your visitors are leads that must be led through the appropriate qualifying steps to yield a sale. It's still going to take an e-commerce mission to get you there.

Here are some quick tips to make your business more e-commerce friendly:

1. Benefit Statements not Sales Pitches - Solve a problem, gain a customer.
2. Build Loyalty Programs - Repeat business is a sure fire way to build sales online
3. Create an Affiliate Program - You can sell more with the help of others.
4. Run Frequent Promotions - Play with the wholesale margin you would have lost in retail and apply it to online discounts and promotions.

Some tips for Service Oriented Businesses:

1. Create an E-Book - Capture more leads with a downloadable snippet of your services
2. Third Party Proofs - Back up your claims with some case studies
3. Do it for FREE- Throw out some free instruction
4. Blog - Get your ideas out there instead of hiding them in your desk where no one can see them, chances are you'll have more interest and more leads than if you keep your services a secret.

Ed Sanchez
ed@golfpulpmedia.com
www.golfpulpmedia.com

Leads, Follow Up or Get Out of the Way

2009-07-11T20:24:00.001-07:00

I have conversations daily with business owners from all sides of the industry and in most cases the conversation comes back to one question; "How can I get the most BANG for my buck?" A loaded question. I shoot back with an answer of "how hard are you willing to work?" Shrinking budgets are more common than colds these days and most business owners have simply become too grounded in old practices to remedy their own situation.

Many seasoned companies have more in the way of self help than they realize and the newer companies should take note of the following suggestions.

So, how can companies drive new revenue with the same old business? The first of many steps is to evaluate the hopefully, appropriately, logged database of leads. I say hopefully because I know there are some companies out there with 10 different spreadsheets with overlapping contacts. Going back to old leads can yield new life for your business. Here are some thoughts on how you can use old leads to DRIVE new business.

1) Reconnect - Many databases are filled with previous customers/clients that may or may not have done business with you. Fashion a creative message that positions your company in their life TODAY. This could be new products, new processes, new technology, or even new management. Whatever the "reason for reconnect" is you need to ping your list to let them know - "Hey were still doing business" or better yet "Hey were doing business BETTER"

2) Messaging - Lot's of companies are great at the product vomit. This is a horrendous spewing of product knowledge or sales messaging which turns even intrigued prospects into cold leads. Try changing your message to offer them some help. Here's a tough one, try not selling them anything at all. Think of this as a way of getting to know your target market again. Ask for feedback, take a poll, and start thinking of your customer/client as someone you need instead of the other way around.

3) Referral Incentives - Since you've probably had to let a few staff members go why not make your existing customers do some leg work for you. Be conscious of the fact you will have to incentivize them to make this work. For product companies this could be set up as a refer a friend drive; Drop 5 emails into this form for a chance to win a Driver, T-Shirt, Golf Balls - whatever you can part with. For service companies you should focus on some cost breaks. Like refer your friends to Golf Pulp and receive a 10% discount off your internet marketing solution! (C'mon I had to throw it in some time)

4) Up Sell - They have your product and hopefully they like it. Tell your leads how easy it is to step up to the next level. Once again, I would like to stress that you shouldn't blast your leads with a sales pitch but rather offer a solution. Be tactful, it will pay off in the end.

5) Patience - Not everyone is ready to purchase today! Some days NO ONE is ready to purchase. It is important to keep messaging consistent in order to form a "drip" campaign. This means you are doing enough to keep the leads from drying up but not drowning your leads with sales pitches. Your company should learn the best practices for frequency and customer touch programs. If you need advice on this contact me directly.

6) Lose Those Leads - Finally, evaluate the legitimacy of your leads. Do you have current contact information? Are you getting bounced email notifications? Have you reached a point where it is no longer a good use of your time to pursue a lead? Lose it. Get those contacts out of your list so you can make more efficient use of your time.

Remember your existing Leads. Follow Up or Get them Out of the Way if you think they will not convert to business.

Best of Luck

Ed Sanchez
ed@golfpulpmedia.com
www.golfpulpmedia.com

No One Cares About Your Golf Business!

2009-07-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up a great book (World Wide Rave) that stressed a great concept that sadly most business owners cannot come to terms with. "No One Cares About Your Business, except you." What a sad reality but it is the honest truth.

In this day and age your customers are simply fed up with advertising and marketing as you know it. It's time to recognize that your customer does not want to hear your pitch, does not need to hear your product dump, or even see your list of services.

Here is a target market analysis for everyone. Your target market is a SELFISH. They are looking for ways to 1) help themselves 2) acquire assistance without involving you...until they're ready.

As aggravating as this may be, it is the world we live in. So how then is Company XYZ supposed to reach customers?

With over 70% of buying decisions beginning online, your company really needs to look at the internet as the main method of connecting with your customer. Having a web site does not count as reaching your customers online, shoot -my grandma has a blog and my uncle Tim has a MySpace page. To really reach your customers you need to start talking online, you need to become part of the environment your customers are involved in. Where are they going for product reviews? Are they using Google to find the nearest Realtor, Dentist, Plumber? Are they telling their friends on Facebook that they are in need of (insert your product or service here)?

Here are some tips about marketing online and converting visitors to sales.

NO DUMPING. Once online and involved in communicating with the world like a real person, not a business owner, you need to give the world something. You can be engaged in internet marketing and still commit the same sins of traditional advertising that people hate. So, don't product dump. Try to help someone for a change without selling them a widget. Lend some advice, establish yourself as an expert in your field and perhaps then you will get customers wanting to do business with YOU not your business.

The problem with your website! You want to be certain that your website is doing two things 1) being found 2) converting visitors. Notice how "look really cool" was not listed. Cool looking websites are just that, your website should be focused on capturing traffic and converting those leads from your internet marketing to genuine sales leads. Find out if your website is doing a good job of converting traffic to potential clients by running some simple diagnostics, try out a website grader . A simple evaluation can also give you great insight into how you can optimize your site to get more traffic - some of these strategies are FREE and just require a little elbow grease.

DON'T STOP. Promoting what problems you can solve and why you are worth your customers attention requires an ongoing effort. This is not paying for a print ad and waiting by the phone. Go out and get involved weekly or daily. Do not stop because if you are not helping your customers with valuable information chances are they are going to find help elsewhere...It's a great big world out there...