As many of the pilgrims who attended this year’s PGA Merchandise show can contest, Twitter and Facebook seemed to be how anyone found each other on the showroom floor.
Meanwhile, back here at the fort, I am getting emails, tweets, blips and text messages from everyone at the show telling me about everything from how many Olives are in their martinis they are having at the 19th Hole to what size golf shoe they wear in case I get a chance to ask Paul Creamer for a pair of her new golf shoes.
I would say if people in the golf industry have not got it yet then Social Media is going to roll out of town without them. There are many in the golf industry who are still toying around with Web 1.0 old styles of internet marketing and feel that is enough presence online. Wrong!
As the tech world expands everything has to move with it if they want to stay competitive. This includes GOLF!
I don’t blame the golf world in pacing itself in the expansion into technology and social media but for those who have just stopped with posting a web site and feel that is enough their going to be quickly losing traction on their market.
True, Golf is Golf..an activity that is played as a sport or form or relaxation. However, Golf is truly needed more than ever today in this stress filled business world. Golf is going to be left behind if more is not done to improve its image as a worthwhile endeavor for business.
How can golf improve it’s image?
Social Media is the answer. But, not using the old “Hey, Check This Out” method of communication online. No! More have to be done. More of the executives and owners of the golf business and golf courses have to put down the Wall Street Journal, slide on over to the computer monitor and start letting the golf world know who the heck they are. And, No! Telling people to check out my golf course is not using Social Media.
How Social Media is used in the golf business arena is different form how it is used in the traditional mainstream industries and markets. Golf has got to find its own way of bring attention to what golf Really has to offer outside of what most people see as a very expensive class driven monolith of society.
Sounds difficult but it is not. Social Media is more to the liken to the golf industry than most make it out to be. The problem most business have with Social Media is it is not a ‘Plug-n-Play’ method of promotions or marketing. No matter what anyone says out here in La-La-Land..there is no absolute measurements for how well Social Media is working to the bottomline. The proof to Social Media is in ‘The puddin’..just have to do it are be left behind.
OH, ya don’t know how to do that.. Well, let me know how I can help.
