How Private Clubs Can Leverage Content Marketing in a COVID-19 World

Over the many months to come, private clubs are going to need to rely on adaptive digital strategies and embrace new ways to connect with prospective members. Content marketing is poised to be the shining star of a club’s marketing mix in the post-pandemic world. By all accounts, content creation (written and video) is one of the most cost effective forms of marketing because it can hit “two birds with one stone”.

Told effectively, great member stories can build bridges to connect with internal (like with newsletters and email) and external audiences (through social media, blogs, and email), offering both short-term and long-term benefits to your engagement and recruitment strategies.

According to the Content Marketing Institute’s (CMI) annual research, 84% of content marketing programs build loyalty – something private clubs need now more than ever.

What is Content Marketing?

Before we dive into the different ways clubs can leverage the power of content, it’s important to understand what content marketing is:

Content marketing is the strategic marketing approach of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

Content Marketing Institute

Instead of “pitching” the different membership options and amenities your club offers, content marketing works by capturing the attention of your target audience while answering their questions and building trust along the way. In order for you to build these types of trusting relationships, however, your content needs to be valuable, relevant and consistent. Here are just a few examples of ways clubs are leveraging content to give their membership marketing a boost.

Content to Inspire

Recognizing that prospects engage in a great deal of searching before they may be willing to visit (or even want to have a conversation), video is a great way to bring your club to your visitor from the comfort of their home. While the vast majority of online traffic even before the emergence of the Coronavirus was video, many clubs are now looking to video for new ways to build connections.

Content to Support Event Sales (see example)

Clubs that are looking to grow wedding and event revenue need to provide resources that can help couples navigate this big decision, especially while the wedding industry is in upheaval. Clubs that can lend a guiding hand to couples through captivating content will see a greater increase in closed wedding and event sales.

Content to Support Email Marketing (see example)

Having relevant content that educates, inspires, and provides an inside look at clubs culture can be the difference between a successful email campaign and one that doesn't engage.

Content to Create a First Impression (see example)

When a visitor lands on your website, you have less than a few seconds to make a connection. Having an overview video positioned above the fold (the part of the screen the visitor sees before scrolling) is an ideal way to help prospects get to know what you're all about.

Content to Creates Connections (see example)

Stories are foundational to all private clubs. Stories create connections, and they're the type of content that's most likely to be shared. There are stories among not only your members, but your staff as well. A staff profile makes a terrific blog post and an ideal addition to a monthly member newsletter.

Content for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Are you a club that relies on real estate to drive membership sales? The real estate agent can be a significant factor in the sale. This is an example of a geographically optimized blog post with a video designed to create connections with prospects considering buying real estate in a Western North Carolina Community. (This is also ideal content to engage prospects in an email database.)

For more content marketing resources, check out these articles:

• Why Blogging is a “must-do” for clubs
• Build Buyer Trust with Content Marketing for Golf Course Real Estate
• Storytelling for Clubs