By developing and implementing a strategic digital communications approach to the club’s marketing and communication, Cathy Zehms has created a content ecosystem at the Green Bay Country Club not seen in most private clubs. In her first 4-years membership increased more than 160%.

Crushing Club Marketing

Strategic Club Marketing Straight from School [Ep. 30]

What does it take to keep your private club membership thriving during a crisis? Engagement and innovation. That's what Dave Porter and his team at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, AL did when the pandemic swept the country in 2020. Listen to how he helped lead his staff and membership through this incredible time.

Private Club Marketing Driven by Innovation in a Pandemic [Ep. 29]

When Minnesota golf courses were forced to close at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Joel Livingood was already preparing for the next step. It's what he's done since taking over as GM at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, MN in 2017. With solid financial footing and a steady hand, Livingood led his team and membership through one of the most extraordinary years in U.S. history.

The Crisis This GM Faced Helped His Club Through the Pandemic [Ep. 28]

At the start of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, private clubs, like most businesses were cast into a future of uncertainty. One role that proved to be critical at Bethesda Country Club is that of the membership director. Kris Butterfield, Director of Membership Marketing and Communications expanded her responsibilities in ways she never would have expected and it paid off for her club and for her professionally. 

The Impact of the Coronavirus on the role of the Membership Director [Ep. 27]

If the goal of private club marketing is to influence thinking and behavior, then a basic understanding of the brain can increase the chances of success. In this episode, we speak with Laura Leszczynski, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy at Strategic Club Solutions.

What Club Marketers Should Know About Neuromarketing and New Members [Ep. 26]

Industry experts will tell you that clubs that have strategic plans in place are more inclined to have wait lists for prospective members. Coincidence? Not according to Ryan Doerr, CEO of Strategic Club Solutions.

Adding "Traction" and Structure for Private Club Management [Ep. 25]

Chris DeConna is a marketing coordinator and graphic designer at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster, Colorado – and he’s changing the game for club communications. Even though he’s spent about 4 years working in private clubs, Chris’s background is outside the industry. His most formative communications training coming while working in college athletics as a media relations specialist. By following and observing what athletic departments from the University of Michigan, the University of Texas, and Duke University were doing, Chris recognized they were on to something. 

Turning Your Club Communications into a Member Engagement Asset

Getting your club to buy into the idea of social media and starting a Facebook or Twitter account is challenging enough. Getting your staff to participate with meaningful and helpful content can be even more difficult. Yet, Chris Tritabaugh, Superintendent at Hazeltine National Golf Club is elevating his club's international prominence, engaging members and building his personal brand through his Twitter handle @CT_turf. Chris started his account in 2009, a time when Twitter was just stepping into the light as a communication platform. At the time it had already established itself for those "in the know" as a new social media tool, but for most people in the private club space, it was perceived as risky at best and reckless at worst. Still, Tritabaugh began setting fire to a community of avid golf fans and turf experts around the globe.

Talking Twitter with Hazeltine Superintendent [Ep. 23]

Proactive communication using social media and video kept the team at Pelican Isle Yacht Club ahead of the conversation when it came to a multi-million dollar remodeling project. It was also a key part in a record-setting membership drive that occurred once the renovation was complete.   We connected with Pelican Isle's Kathie Pedit, marketing sales and membership director, and Megan Somerville, membership coordinator, to learn their secrets to success.

How Overcommunication Helped This Club Grow Membership During Renovations

You want a younger membership yet you need to retain your existing legacy members, as well. But each demographic has different needs and interests. What’s more, each demographic values things like luxury, status, and relaxation differently. While some of your older members may go to the club to get away from work, your younger members may want a place to hunker down and treat the club as a second home or office. If you find that hard to believe, then you’ll want to check out this episode of Crushing Club Marketing. Our guest, Amy Lynch, CEO of Generational Edge, is a generational expert and breaks down all you need to know about marketing to different generations.

Club Marketing for Multiple Generations

Adapting to a changing industry is difficult no matter the business, and the private club industry is going through that today. The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, is one of the most historic country clubs in the industry, yet they’ve been able to stay on top of the latest marketing and communications trends. This club may ring a bell to some of our listeners who tuned into an earlier Crushing Club Marketing episode with guest Jackie Singleton, the director of communications and technology at The Country Club. In this week's episode, we take a look at how The Country Club has created a strong culture that begins with exceptional leadership. Assistant General Manager Kristen LaCount shares how clear vision and strong leadership have propelled the Country Club on a steady path of embracing and implementing change.

How Strong Leadership Can Propel Your Club Marketing Efforts

What if finding your ideal golf club was like online dating? You get matched with the club that’s right for you based on location, commonalities, and shared interests. It’s a concept the online service Golf Life Navigators is based on, and the site has revolutionized the way members are conducting their search. In this episode of Crushing Club Marketing, we talk with Golf Life Navigators Co-Founder and CEO Jason Becker, who shares valuable insight from the service's matching process and how it can help club marketers position themselves to potential members.

The Right Match: Online Process Connects Clubs and Prospective Members

 The sales cycle in the private club industry can be a long one. It might even take years from the time a prospective member expresses interest to the time they finally become a member. Because of this, it can be a challenge for club marketers to manage, organize, and engage with contacts — all of which are crucial if you want to increase and maintain membership. In today’s Crushing Club Marketing episode, we chat with John-Erik Pszenny, a customer relationship management (CRM) expert at HubSpot. He explains how marketers can use CRM tools to save and store both important relationship information and transcripts from conversations you’re having with everyone, from prospect to member.

Choosing a CRM that Works for Your Private Club

 Feeling like you're always one step behind in your marketing efforts? If you're a club marketer, you’re probably nodding your head. It’s a perpetual feeling on this side of the club world, as marketing trends continue to evolve at a much faster pace than most can keep up with. But before you feel overwhelmed by the thought of adding more hiccups to your current marketing plan, keep in mind that there's one thing that will always remain the same when it comes to marketing — the story behind your club. And there’s no better way to showcase your story than through video. The ways we consume video have changed tremendously over the past decade with the rise of hosting sites like YouTube, social media and other digital platforms, which means the power of video as a marketing tool has grown exponentially. This is a trend this week's Crushing Club Marketing guest Jason Hsaio predicted when he started the web-based video creation service Animoto roughly 10 years ago.

Making Video Accessible for Your Club

Connecting with your target audience is essentially the purpose of marketing. The challenge is, relating to an audience that continues to evolve. From baby boomers, millennials and rising Gen Z-ers, your marketing tactics need to continually embrace generation change to be successful in relating your message to the right crowd. This is a hot topic and the focus of our podcast conversation with Karen Hinds, the CEO and Founder of Workplace Success Group, a firm that focuses on the next generation of leaders. Though she doesn’t work in club marketing specifically, her expertise in engaging multi-generations is well-aligned with a very present challenge for private clubs — how to address an aging membership and appeal to the “younger” generation.

From Boomers to Millennials: Club Marketing Across Generations

Crushing Club Marketing is a podcast to help marketing and communications professionals in the private club industry drive more revenue and engage existing members in private club culture. Our focus is on innovative digital marketing strategies that will drive growth in an evolving market.

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Crushing Club Marketing

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