Your club boasts a state-of-the-art facility, talented staff, premier programming and a best-in-breed club management software.
Now, it’s time to grow your club with the right type of marketing, content marketing. Content marketing works because it’s helpful, relevant and conveniently placed where your ideal club member goes to find information. If you do content marketing correctly, it will increase leads, improve your website’s search ranking and build your authority online, all of which will grow your club.
IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
A crucial first step in launching a content marketing program is identifying your audience. Because all content is not the same, what you create depends on who you’re trying to reach. This is true both in terms of the message and the type of content you create.
Does your club need to build its tennis program? Or is your goal to reach families who will fill both your youth programs and your group fitness classes? Identifying your audience will help you understand their interests, needs and type of content they consume. From there, you can create content that is specific for your audience by being both helpful and relevant for them.
CREATE TAILORED CONTENT
Once you know who you want to reach, you can start to create strategic content. Content comes in many forms, from social media and blog posts to helpful videos, handouts, webinars and eBooks. There’s no limit on the type of content you can create, but it is essential to map out the content and tailor it to your buyer.
For instance, if you want to build your tennis program, short helpful videos highlighting footwork drills, serve techniques and the newest tennis gear would be appropriate. Or, if you’re trying to reach local families, a blog post highlighting family-friendly events in your area or a case study featuring a family member who uses multiple club services would be relevant and effective.
One best practice to note is that content marketing should not be overly promotional. Content marketing works because it’s helpful and relevant, which opens readers and followers to hearing more from you. Good content marketing builds relationships, which takes readers on the journey from mildly interested to wanting to join your club. Conversely, content that is too “salesy” turns readers off and causes businesses to lose followers. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the majority of the content you’re creating is either entertaining, informative or engaging.
STRATEGICALLY DISTRIBUTE YOUR CONTENT
Once you’ve created the right content for your target audience, you need to distribute it. While this might seem simple, it takes a bit of strategy and goes back to understanding your audience. For example, if you’re targeting millennials, social media posts, especially those that are promoted would be a good choice. Conversely, if you want to build your Silver Sneakers program, distributing your content at in-person events or through local partnerships with physicians and senior centers would be helpful.
COLLECT AND CONVERT YOUR LEADS
As you’d guess, creating and distributing your content isn’t enough. You have to make it easy for your audience to get more information, sign up for a club tour or jump right into a free trial. Content marketing best practices include pointing readers back to your website with links and using easy-to-see call-to-action buttons which capture lead contact information and integrate it with your club management software. From there, your sales team can reach out to your leads and help them join your club.
Content marketing is a highly-effective way to attract new leads and grow your club. Of course, content marketing works hand in hand with your website and paid content placement.
Schedule a demo today, and ask us about Club Automation’s digital marketing service.
