Interesting ways to advertise?
June 13, 2010 9:22 PM Subscribe
What are some creative ways to spread the word about my business? I am a private golf instructor serving a VIP clientèle. Don't know how to reach the people who actually have money.
Give away golf balls as business cards at swanky get togethers - get your name, contact info printed right on them.
Give them away at the driving range - shake hands, give a free tip, give them the ball.
Hella!
A private VIP instructor needs some face time, before you're going to close the deal, I'm thinking.
Throw some of the balls around the 18 holes, for people to find (and keep)
posted by alex_skazat at 9:39 PM on June 13, 2010
Give them away at the driving range - shake hands, give a free tip, give them the ball.
Hella!
A private VIP instructor needs some face time, before you're going to close the deal, I'm thinking.
Throw some of the balls around the 18 holes, for people to find (and keep)
posted by alex_skazat at 9:39 PM on June 13, 2010
Free clinic at local country clubs. Not sure if the local pro will allow it and eat into his business, but you need to get in front of your potential clientèle. I would also give some sort of bonus (free lesson?) for referrals from current customers.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:15 PM on June 13, 2010
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:15 PM on June 13, 2010
Offer a corporate rate. Bit of a longshot, but depending on where you are located, if you have some major companies who have offices near you, you can offer a corporate discount to their employees.
posted by like_neon at 4:05 AM on June 14, 2010
posted by like_neon at 4:05 AM on June 14, 2010
Could you sponsor the 9th hole drink cart for a day? Even rich folks like free stuff. (There might be a better specific execution to this, but the kernel of the idea: target them while they're playing, giving them something free.)
posted by Alt F4 at 4:40 AM on June 14, 2010
posted by Alt F4 at 4:40 AM on June 14, 2010
Also, exclusivity is a powerful driving force. Even if you have a lot of openings in your schedule, you might frame it to potential clients as your schedule is almost totally full, but you have X slots open.
Actually, that's not so much exclusivity as it is social proofing. But I still think it'd work.
For exclusivity, you could have some arbitrary barrier they have to cross, as in "now taking on clients with a net worth greater than $100MM". Even if that barrier is overly high, it sets an anchor for the people seeing the ad / flyer / whatever, and they'll aspire to use your services.
posted by Alt F4 at 4:46 AM on June 14, 2010
Actually, that's not so much exclusivity as it is social proofing. But I still think it'd work.
For exclusivity, you could have some arbitrary barrier they have to cross, as in "now taking on clients with a net worth greater than $100MM". Even if that barrier is overly high, it sets an anchor for the people seeing the ad / flyer / whatever, and they'll aspire to use your services.
posted by Alt F4 at 4:46 AM on June 14, 2010
Throw some of the balls around the 18 holes, for people to find (and keep)
If I were a VIP golfer, and I found a bunch of balls printed with your business name flopping around the 18th hole, I'd think that your clients hadn't improved that much, and couldn't get the ball in the hole, and got frustrated, and left the course.
posted by Alt F4 at 4:49 AM on June 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
If I were a VIP golfer, and I found a bunch of balls printed with your business name flopping around the 18th hole, I'd think that your clients hadn't improved that much, and couldn't get the ball in the hole, and got frustrated, and left the course.
posted by Alt F4 at 4:49 AM on June 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
Get out to the local Chamber of Commerce mixers and other local events where CEO's and other business executives congregate. VIP clients don't search Google for help. They ask their friends and business associates. Golf ball business cards and other cutesy ideas don't hurt, but the CEO of a local company winning a charity golf event after 3 months of lessons with you will do way more for your incoming business.
posted by COD at 5:13 AM on June 14, 2010
posted by COD at 5:13 AM on June 14, 2010
Offer a corporate rate. Bit of a longshot, but depending on where you are located, if you have some major companies who have offices near you, you can offer a corporate discount to their employees.
Piggybacking off this, but companies might be interested in offering golf lessons to their clients as part of a wining-and-dining package. Maybe this is something golf instructors already do and is old hat, but I would imagine that approaching local BigCo's with a package tailored for their sales teams and their clients could be useful. Companies want to reward their employees, yes, but if your services can help the company close a sale, then they're going to be that much more excited about it.
posted by Alt F4 at 6:52 AM on June 14, 2010
Piggybacking off this, but companies might be interested in offering golf lessons to their clients as part of a wining-and-dining package. Maybe this is something golf instructors already do and is old hat, but I would imagine that approaching local BigCo's with a package tailored for their sales teams and their clients could be useful. Companies want to reward their employees, yes, but if your services can help the company close a sale, then they're going to be that much more excited about it.
posted by Alt F4 at 6:52 AM on June 14, 2010
Do you have video equipment for swing analysis? Maybe get Golfsmith or a local golf shop to let you give free 15 minute video analysis sessions?
Have you tried to get a job as a golf pro at a private club? I have no idea how competitive those jobs are, but it seems like that's how you'd build up a reputation and word of mouth.
posted by mullacc at 7:52 AM on June 14, 2010
Have you tried to get a job as a golf pro at a private club? I have no idea how competitive those jobs are, but it seems like that's how you'd build up a reputation and word of mouth.
posted by mullacc at 7:52 AM on June 14, 2010
Take an ad out in the local newspaper sports section or even the local business journal. Try to put together a workshop and send out PR notices to the local newspapers well in advance. If they think its newsworthy they tend to write an article about it and interview you which is free publicity.
posted by JJ86 at 8:40 AM on June 14, 2010
posted by JJ86 at 8:40 AM on June 14, 2010
If you have wealthy private schools in your area, you can go in and offer an inexpensive after school kids/teens golf program. From there, network with the parents at pick up. You can pitch a summer program to country clubs. Some schools also have charity auctions and you can offer golf lessons as an item.
posted by spec80 at 8:51 AM on June 14, 2010
posted by spec80 at 8:51 AM on June 14, 2010
I have not read it, but there's a book out called Marketing to the Affluent.
posted by yohko at 9:00 AM on June 14, 2010
posted by yohko at 9:00 AM on June 14, 2010
Your local cable company could probably help you put together a TV ad which plays only on the Golf Channel (and / or its cousins) and only in your local market. Absent production costs, this could be very affordable and intensely targeted.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 12:59 PM on June 14, 2010
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 12:59 PM on June 14, 2010
« Older English Sights for a Young Girl | Special snowflake has quarter-life crisis, seeks... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
There's a bit more to it then that, but that's the crux of it, I have a friend who's a bagpiper, he started an adword campaign and went from doing one or two weddings a year to three or four a month.
posted by furtive at 9:37 PM on June 13, 2010 [3 favorites]