For those in business you know to find someone to do business with you should go to where your target customers hang out. Same things goes for golf…kinda. If you golf you go to golf courses to find golfers to play golf, this part is true. So, with that said, logic would dictate if you are looking for people to market a golf service/product online you go to an online social network sites where golfers should be. This sounds simple enough, however, logical processing really does not completely work when it comes to the internet, Golf and marketing to golfers on Internet as a whole.
Marketing online to golfers is like playing Super Mario Galaxy with all the chasing around cyberspace trying to find bunnies and stars which in this case is finding someone who REALLY plays golf. Over the years of running around all the different Galaxies of the internet I have found that golfers are widely scattered and where they hang out online is… well…a mystery.
Internet Experts Opinions
Naturally when I reach out to the few Geek Golfers i have met to find out where in La-La-Land they feel would be the golfers’ hangout I am quickly told..FACEBOOK! OK, granted there are a good number of people on Facebook and I am sure a good portion of them are Real people, but how many are Real Golfers? The answer! Not many.
So, I go back to more experts and am told I am to hop another Star Transporter off to another Galaxy to see if I can find golfers online. This time I am told to jump over to LinkedIn since this group is based in a little more serious position in the social networking arena. Granted, I found the population of golfers in LI was denser than in Facebook, but still, overall, the number is far below what the marketing and PR firms are pumping out as how many golfers are online. So..where the heck are the business golfers?
What It Lead To
After trekking around the internet for five years and going to one social network after another I found there was a significant number of golfers out here in the wasteland of the internet. Actually, I have been able to make connection with a few hundred who tell me they too are looking for the the place where golfers hangout. Unfortunately, many of them who I talked to tell me they have regretfully have joined the few of the golf group sites left online only to find many, many members of these golf groups really don’t play golf and are only there to attempt to get into the deeper pockets of the golfer demographic. Thus, there still are many (estimates are over 50k) golfers online looking for a safe place to hangout with other golfers online.
It also seems the economy plays a huge part of what golfers are looking for online and where they are going to hangout. Sure, they are looking for the bargains and the deals, but more importantly, they are looking for a greater purpose to play golf…something they can do to pay for the golf hobby. This moves golfers to look at playing business golf since getting to better know customers, potential bosses or employees develops a higher level of trust. So where does one go to find other business golfers?
This issue move me to use my process management skills to analyze my findings to see if there was a solution to offer. The results confirm those interested in Golf online create a very small niche compared to the mega tech gadget arena the internet has evolved to become. Niche marketing is the only productive method of connecting with golfers online, but is only effective in a validated golf arena that is ALL golfers.
Action Taken
So, to take action I created an online community for golfers to hang out called the Business Golf Country Club. To protect everyone who joins the private community I require everyone to post a headshot photo and an URL to a site that has a profile of them in it. Yes, I check ever application. So far I have reviewed 3,254 applications of which ONLY 701 have proved to be a Real Person..confirming again, there are a lot of people-places-things wanting to get to the golfer demographic.
Currently, the BGCC is going through a ‘re-evaluation’ of the club’s direction. There is no doubt the economy has businesses wrapped around its axels with trying to figure out where to spend and where to cut costs. The BGCC is currently looking for (1)products and services to offer its membership that help them improve business along with improving their golf game and (2) help the golf industry survive through bringing those in the golf business up to date with the latest in how business is done today. Along the way, golf will be played..golf will be taught and business will be done.
Golfers prefer to hangout with other golfers. If all are in business the business networking is going to be a natural part of that gathering. The Business Golf Country Club brings golfers, business owners/executives as well as golf professionals all under one roof. The BGCC is the Galaxy golfers online should join since there is more than golf that is offered. Catch the next Star Transporter to the BGCC and I will see you there.
