Golf course managers are trying to figure out how to make the transition from the 50-80 something’s to the millennials. We talk about it at length — what do we need to do to appeal to the 20-30’s demographic? How do we get them interested in golf?
One suggestion has been shortening the game by 18 hole courses into six 3 hole courses that would allow more options for the number of holes to play.
But that doesn’t really solve the issue. In order to address that, we need to cater to what they are doing with their time and adjust. If we can start understanding what millennials are doing now with their increasingly shrinking free time, then we might be able to make those connections.
Marketing is about capturing people’s attention.
It’s much better to sell “I love NY” t-shirts in New York than on a deserted island.
Standard marketing does not apply to this group. If it is not DVR’d, on Netflix/Amazon/Hulu, on a mobile devices, or in a social setting they are not interested. It is a shifting socialite norm that people are becoming more active with their online presence than their actual presence.
Verbal conversations 30 years ago on Con-Air phones are now being “snapped” with a 10 second disappearing window.
Snapchat is the next big migration for the online landscape. Currently, more than 60% of U.S. 13 to 34 year old smartphone users are Snapchatters. The great thing that happened for marketers in the last several months was SnapChat made “My Story”, a 24 hour window into your public ‘snaps’ that anyone can see if you can get them there. It’s a billboard on a Millennial Platform! Utilizing “My Story” with content that can keep someone’s attention can help you connect on the platform that Millennials LIVE on. Strong 10 second clips, photos, or even doctored photos with the Snapchat editor can make connections that could turn into real interest in finding out about your course.
It’s pretty obvious that the reason why golf operators are missing the boat on the Millennials is because they are in the wrong boat. Online platforms are where this generation lives and to reach them you need to be able to connect with them…on their terms.
So take the time to learn about SnapChat, your business will be glad you did.