Critical Customer Touch-Points in Sports Facility Marketing
When you think about marketing, do you envision reaching out to the public who has not yet been introduced to your facility? While that is undoubtedly an important element of marketing, keeping in touch with your existing clients is just as critical. Sports facilities are most successful when they build a culture of interactive involvement with their members. Finding ways to keep your clients involved in your facility will result in increased client retention.
In today’s high-tech business world, there is no shortage of avenues to keep in touch with your clients. You have Facebook, Twitter, websites, and good old-fashioned snail mail, to name a few. All it takes is a little work and some creativity, and you will create a culture for your sports facility that keeps clients engaged, informed, and coming back for more.
The following are a few of the customer touch-points that have proven successful in my experience with sports facility marketing:
Dynamic website – You most likely have a website for your facility, but is it working for you? In order to get the most out of your site, you need to keep it updated with current events. Include reminders of upcoming events, promotions, or even acknowledgments of some of your clients’ accomplishments. For example, in a soccer facility, you may have a player spotlight section and include congratulations to a client who has just made their high school team.
Social Media – Facebook and Twitter are not just for teenagers anymore. They are excellent resources to instantly notify people of happenings at your facility, and they are free! Facebook is a great place to announce upcoming events; such as an open house, or a camp. Twitter can help you convey minute-to-minute information. For example, in a baseball facility, you may have a batting cage that has not been rented; you can tweet that the next client to purchase a cage rental will receive a 10% discount.
Constant Contact – Constant Contact is affordable and allows you to do email marketing on a large scale. You can choose from a multitude of templates for promotions, newsletters, and more. It allows you to see who has viewed the emails, which email addresses are invalid, and to manage your contacts. Consider sending a monthly email that informs about what will be going on in your facility for the month. Then send weekly emails that function as reminders; such as sign-up deadlines or registration dates.
Post Cards – Obviously, standard mailings cost money; however, they are a very personal touch for certain types of situations. Consider sending post cards to acknowledge a client’s birthday or an accomplishment. Using mailings in this way, keeps costs down and makes clients feel like a valued part of your business.
Promotional T-shirts – Consider offering clients a free T-shirt with your logo on it when they purchase a membership to your facility. The client gets a free, nice looking T-shirt and you get multiple walking billboards!
If you would like to consult with Mike Meszaros about how to maximize profit in your sports facility, please call (513) 791-4940 or book a consultation.
