6 years ago when I took on my mission to heighten the awareness of Golf’s virtues as an effective business tool I became exposed to what is now called Social Media. More specifically, Social Media for Golf is it is totally different for golf than the mainstream of the business community. Seeing where Golf has gone since the hay days of a bright economy and where it is now I focus on being concerned with where Golf will be in 6 years from now. How important will Social Media be for Golf in the future?
Fast forwarding to the last 6 months in the world Golf, and as it fits in the business world, one can truly become concerned with wondering if Golf will even survive. What Golf does not need right now is more controversy. Social Media today is being used by many in the golf media as their way of drawing attention to their endeavor to make a buck..not to helping golf remain a very viable resource for business people.
The future of golf will rest with Social Media. But, how will Golf use it?
The Questions Golf has to Deal With Now
What will it take to turn Golf around? What do golfers need to do to help golf survive? What changes do the icons of the golf industry need to make immediately to keep golf viable past next month?
All of these questions get asked and they get asked frequently. What are the answers? That is the question not many people can answer completely..I know I can’t.
However, there is one thing not being done by the golf industry as a whole and that is the effective use of Social Media. The use of Social Media in the golf industry over the past 6 years has been appalling, ineffective and non-existent in some of the niche areas of the golf economy. Christina Kim has done more on Twitter for golf with her incredible style of Social Media than the golf media and icon industry have done. Is this the future of social media for golf?
Geez, you would think with the money the large golf manufactures still have they would be able to hire someone who could really show them how to use social media. In hindsight, maybe they have.
Where Golf Has Gone Wrong with Social Media
Golf is still not understood by the mainstream marketing industry. Large PR firms who are wizards in producing slick ad campaigns and mainstream media commercials fall woefully short in understanding how to market to the mainstream everyday golfer.
Oh, yaw, if you drive a Cadillac, wear a Rolex, have an American Express Card, you own private jet and play golf with Tiger Phil, then they have the ad campaign for you. In their eyes..these people are only who play golf.
Even in the many cases where a golf personality has been brought in to mainstream a golf business’ efforts they usually only touch the golfers who, first, know who he or she is and, secondly, fall within the small market interested in what the personality is saying. Even when Tiger was around there was a pull back by the majority of Real golfers to feeling the golf industry was putting too much into one golfer as who represented golf.
It would seem the adage of, to reach a real golfer you have to be a real golfer, holds true. To take it a step further, if you want to reach the everyday golfer you need to talk to them, NOT at them..making social media efforts to golfers totally different than the non-golfing Marketing/PR/Ad Agency are capable of doing.
Overall, Golf has not grasped what Social Media really is or how to use it.
What is Social Media?
What many in the golf industry are missing is the lack of understanding how Social Media works in the golf industry. Those in the golf industry attempting to use social media miss that the basis of Social Media is Social. Having been in many marketing campaign brainstorm meetings in my past career I have seen the spastic cringe marketing directors make when anyone suggest anything to do with taking the campaign to the streets. This still is the reaction most marketing firms have to using Social Media for Golf. Believe me, anything that has to do with them shaking hands or meeting anyone in person is wiped away as having no ROI.
Social Media is just that..Social. It is based in the use of Social Networking, or what is now evolving into Business Networking. Over the past 10 years, consumers have been flocking to both the Internet and offline social networks to find information on what it is they are looking to buy. Business people are using the network to ‘face-to-face market’ their wares. Why has this happened?
Lack of trust in the business industry is mostly the reason consumers check out what is going on with a product or service they need. Business people who ‘get it’ have found that letting the social network pass the word and validate their business’ worthiness works to build trust better than a slick ad campaign.
The network, or the community as it is now being called, offers up reviews or opinions on the product or service. This information that comes in the form of a blog or Tweet validates or at least offers another view towards, what is being shouted at them by the mainstream media. Gaining information and connecting to the network to talk to someone face-to-face about an issue satisfies the basic human nature of trusting someone.
Social Media for Golf
The way social media today is being used in Golf stands in staunch contradiction of the very basis of what Golf is all about. From Golf’s beginnings, over 400 years ago, it has been a form of socializing. Currently, Golf is one of the only forms of socializing for many golf communities. This basic function of Golf is being overlooked in the marketing of Golf.
Golf has got to change its thinking in how it uses social media and needs to move quickly in getting behind the social part of the game so the promotion and marketing of Golf can fall within the mainstream of Golfers. Golf has got to get connected to the business golf network. Mainstream marketing firms need to reach out to the real golf community and instead of hiring a slick golf personality to put a face on their product look to becoming part of the business/social network that can spread the word about their products and services like wildfire.
Social Media for the Golf industry needs to change to using social media as it was intended to be used..for social marketing. The Golf industry has to stop being part of the ‘Shouting’ many marketing firms feel is Social Media and get back to what Golf is all about..being social.
Let me know how I can help.
