“When you break down all the fluff, there are 2 ways to promote and market your business: dumber, slower, and expensive OR smarter, faster and cheaper,” said David Siteman Garland, host of “The Rise to the Top.”
So what are smart, efficient businesses doing to promote their company? They’re looking at the golf community. Why? The following golfer demographic information shows why golfers can be important to your business
- There are 29 million golfers in the country, which is 9.6 percent of the population.
- 50 percent are white-collar workers.
- Golfers wield an average household income of $95,000.
- 68 percent of golfers are married.
- 77.5 percent are male.
If any of the above statistics match your target market, then your target market exists within the golf consumer group. We have used the auto industry, realty, travel industry, and the finance industry as examples to outline why your business should resolve to understand and target golfers.
Auto Industry
The golfing consumer group can be an asset to the auto industry. Let’s take a look at statistics that illustrate that:
- 56 percent spent $30,000 or more on their last automobile
- Almost 30 percent of golfers spent $40,000+ on their last vehicle.
- 32 percent possess at least three cars.
So the numbers tell the story, people within the golfing community tend to own multiple cars, which is an opportunity for auto dealers to influence their buying decisions. We know that advertising is the most persuasive when it identifies a need and fills it. Getting in front of this consumer measurably increases the likelihood that your auto dealership is right for their next vehicle purchase.
Realty
According to Franklin D. Roosevelt, “real estate is about the safest investment in the world.” No wonder these statistics show golfers are active real estate consumers:
- 68 percent own at least one home.
- 18 percent of golfers own two or three homes.
- 20 percent research real estate information online.
If your target market has multiple homes or is interested in buying/selling a home, look no further than golfers.
Also, as shown above, 20 percent of golfers research realty online, which means they will most likely look up the name of the realtor they see advertised at the golf course on their smartphones. Talk about driving business right to you.
Travel Industry
Remember the last time you traveled and you were scrambling to find airline tickets, rental cars and hotels? We as consumers want to find the right hotel, airline or rental car quickly. People within the golfing community enjoy traveling regularly so they must come across that situation often. You can use these statistics to persuade them to choose your travel industry business for their upcoming travel plans:
- 84 percent of golfers plan to travel at least once this year.
- 80 percent took a business trip in the past year.
- 63 percent of golfers rent a car while on vacation or out-of-town for business.
- Around 58 percent of golfers search for and book travel plans online.
Why not make it easier for those golfers? Using the top-of-mind strategy, you can plant the seed of your travel business’ name into the thoughts of golfers via targeted outdoor advertising at golf courses. Expedia, Cheaptickets.com, Kayak.com and more would sit top of mind for golfers if golf courses featured their ads.
Finance Industry
Did you know that most financial planners like to golf? Of course, you did, but have you discovered that the golf consumer group meets the criteria for your target market? If you haven’t, here are some statistics that cement why golfers are your prospects:
- 59 percent of golfers spend on banking services.
- 40 percent spend on financial planners.
- 56 percent conduct banking online.
- 41 percent research financial services.
Financial planners and bankers have aptly realized that the golf course is a meeting ground for golfers. Word-of-mouth can spread quickly about your business if you advertise outside a golf course. As Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, said, “Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend.”
These are just a few of the examples that illustrate why this demographic should be targeted in marketing plans. Utilizing direct marketing strategies to target the golf consumer is what every intelligent business should do.
Location-based marketing is a strategy that involves finding places where you can have good visibility and influence potential customers. The best way to execute location-based marketing is to pinpoint where your consumer congregates regularly.
Frequency of exposure and location are the keys to successfully targeting consumers with your advertising. Effective frequency can ensure that your business’ name will stay “top of mind”.
Businesses that are able to stay top of mind do so with location-based ads placed precisely where the potential customer can be found.
So I spent this entire piece telling you why I believe the golfing community can be an essential component of a successful marketing strategy, but how do you get your message to this consumer group? You can do this in several ways, but one way I think has a lot of merit for its marketing value is outdoor advertising. Why?
Well, outdoor advertising grants you the opportunity to use both location-based marketing and frequency by placing signs with your company’s name in front of golf courses.
Highway Sponsorship will provide sign locations that directly target this critical consumer group.
Call Bill Elliott, our National Sales Director at 800-358-0231 ext. 302 or email him and let him guide you through the process of finding that perfect Adopt A Highway sign location for your business. Adopt A Highway Maintenance Corp. can start driving your sales up with a strategically placed sign today!