Growing your golf club is no easy feat. You probably do some sort of marketing, but are you tapping into your strongest marketing tool - your members?

Word-of-mouth marketing continues to be the strongest marketing tactic there is. And while a majority of that happens organically, it never hurts to encourage the process. If you don't already have a member referral program in place, here are four easy steps to get one started!

1. Identify who you’re trying to target

Before creating a member referral program, think about your club's goals, particularly as they relate to recruiting new members. Are you trying to recruit anyone and everyone? Or are you trying to recruit a more specific member type (young professionals, women, beginner golfers, tournament players, etc.)? If you're trying to recruit a specific type of member, you might want to create a referral program that speaks to that member type.  

Take some time to think about your over all goals before completing the rest of the steps.

 

2. Determine what your incentives will be

Once you know who you’re trying to target, spend some time thinking about what your incentives will be. Note: Incentives that reward the the person joining and the person who referred them tend to work best. 

As far as what the reward should be, that’s completely up to you and your club. If you can offer some kind of financial discount (on membership due, tournament entry fees, etc.), a free round of golf, a $5 Amazon gift card - the options are endless! Just remember that the better the incentive, the more effective your referral program is likely to be.

 

3. Set the program up

You can make your referral program as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. There are free referral marketing programs if you can use, but it can also be as simple as having a “Did someone refer you? If so, who?” section on your member application. Then, as those come in, you can reward the two members accordingly.

 

4. Promote

Once you have your referral program set up, promote it! Include it your club's newsletter, website and social media pages. Mention it to members when you see them in person - and don’t forget to hone in on those incentives! That’s what’s going to get people to take some kind of action.

 

Bonus Tip: Don't Forget To Say Thank You! 

When someone refers a new member to your club, be sure to reach out to them and say "Thank You!". Helping grow your club member is a big favor, so show your appreciation accordingly!