2016 Golf Marketing Trends
As we wrap up 2015, our present to you is an inside peek at some of the hottest upcoming marketing trends for 2016. Happy Holidays from all of us here at Golf Pulp!
Content: In our Marketing Trends for 2015, we focused heavily on content and personalization. Well, not much has changed in that regard; and we’ll tell you again that understanding your audience, getting personal, and relevancy in your golf marketing efforts will always be hot trends EVERY year.
Responsive Design: Responsive design isn’t a new concept we’re pitching here at Golf Pulp, rather, as multi-platform (PC, tablet, mobile, smartwatch) use continues to rise, responsive sites create the best user—and brand—experience possible for every golfer, regardless of how they are finding you. The responsive website uses the same codebase and content, creating an environment where content can expand, contract, or be hidden based on screen size, and only needs to be updated once for all of your digital platforms. Best of all, you don’t have to keep track or create a new site for every device.
Mobile optimization: With more than 66 percent of email opens happening on a smart phone, mobile optimization of your email marketing campaigns is a must. Vertical design, concise content, clear call-to-actions are key to optimizing your email campaigns for mobile.
Wearable technology: Talk about email “at a glance”! With new technologies like the Apple iWatch, and other smartwatch technologies, we need to consider how emails are being read on these devices and craft messages accordingly. We’re talking one to two sentences, direct and to the point. But then again, so should all your marketing copy…
“Snapchat”-style content: Perhaps Snapchat could be a useful tool in your social marketing efforts (it’s a video messaging service where users can take a photo/video message and send it to a list of recipients), and it’s definitely growing—we’re talking 6 billion video views per day. But what we’re really interested in discussing here as a trend is the type/length of content users post on Snapchat and how you can utilize this style in your other golf communication channels. See, the beauty of Snapchat is that content is only posted for a limited time before it is deleted—we’re talking seconds to hours. This type of approach lends itself beautifully to mobile or social campaigns that require your audience to act quickly upon receipt of your email or post.
Influencer marketing: How is your golf company leveraging its most valuable influencers? Whether it’s the famous pro who uses your golf product and shows and tells about it publicly, or the twenty-something who’s active on social media about your golf product, take advantage of these “brand ambassadors” in your marketing efforts. A brand ambassador serves as an authentic voice for your golf company. (Need help discovering and identifying who’s talking about you? Talk to us!)
Show me…: Apps are evolving from being simply task-based—see products, make a purchase, play a game, etc.—to more experiential in nature. Now, consumers expect to see how your product will fit into their lifestyle—literally. Snap a photo, and virtually place your golf product in their bag, in their hand, on their body, on the course, or anywhere it may be of use. Think big paint company that can show you what your living room might look like in beige and dark blue, or orange and yellow. You get the idea.
Ready to start your 2016 off right? We can help. To learn more about these trends and to get them implemented into your golf marketing plans for 2016, send us an email or give us a call.
