Do you use all 4 channels in your club management software to build awesome member connections?
By Srishti Singh
When your members feel that deep connection with your club, good things happen. They frequent the club more – creating more revenue-generating opportunities. They have a heightened sense of loyalty. And there is an increase in the potential of them sharing their positive feelings with prospective members.
That’s awesome. That is if your members feel that deep connection. It’s easy to think, “Well, why wouldn’t they?” After all, they’re part of the club. But just because they’re in the club doesn’t mean that they’re always feeling into the club.
Just like in any business, it takes less time, money, and effort to grow revenue with your existing base than it does to grow revenue by expanding the base. That doesn’t mean that new member efforts aren’t important. It simply means that we shouldn’t overlook the more lucrative opportunity associated with member engagement.
Communication is the key. That means taking advantage of the multiple channels available to you in order to create a coordinated effort. An effort that helps you build, rebuild, or fortify those deep connections that boost the success at your club.
Let’s look at four channels that you can leverage through club management software in order to construct a multi-channel communication effort.
Prioritize robust email capabilities
Email is one of the older communication technologies we have available to us. That gives it a stigma of being ‘old school’. But before you set it aside for newer, shinier technology, consider that email still outperforms the vast majority of marketing channels out there. It’s because email is embedded in our lives. Everyone knows how to use it. And it offers unique advantages. Unlike a text message or a notification, it doesn’t demand your immediate attention. You can choose to review your email when it works for you.
Leading club management software offers robust email campaign capabilities. For example, with the Northstar system you can:
- Access dozens of professional templates and easily build graphics-rich emails to engage your members
- Keep a library of your club’s graphics and images to quickly access as you build your emails
- Easily ensure your emails look great whether they are viewed on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone
There’s more. You can customize your sends to a specific group based on the parameters you choose. Maybe it’s by age or gender (or both). Maybe it’s by their membership type, interests and preferences, or spending habits. When all capabilities of your club management software operate on one database, these segmentation options become readily available in your email program. On top of it, you can pull a variety of reports. Track who opened the email. And who clicked on which link. This kind of insight helps you understand what’s important to your members. And helps you continually send better, more relevant communications that build more meaningful connections.
Add in the other ubiquitous communication technology - texting
It’s no great revelation that texting is widespread. It is especially true among your younger members. Texting is popular because it’s quick, taking just a few moments to send or answer a message. It’s convenient, utilizing a device that everyone carries. And it’s easy – it’s more like having a conversation as compared to email which feels more like composing a letter.
Moreover, it demands attention. When someone texts you, your phone chimes or buzzes. It’s the default setting for most. Sure, you can set up your phone to alert you when a new email hits your inbox, but way fewer people do this. So texting tends to feel a bit more urgent than other communication channels. This makes it ideal for sending messages about a timely subject - likely maybe a reminder of an event happening that evening at the club. Or reminding the member that a payment is due. Texting is also great for alerts – like letting members know when their Grab n Go order is ready.
Additionally, you can use texting to expand your marketing. If you’re sending out a marketing email, why not accompany it with a text that echoes the marketing message? Just like with your email, a premier system will allow you to segment your recipients so you are sending the texts only to those who would find the message relevant and helpful.
Taking advantage of texting has the unique ability to help your members feel up-to-date and in the know. That builds and reinforces that feeling of being connected and engaged.
Amplify your message with in-app messaging
The smart utility of a club app is enticing to members. They can quickly make reservations, book tee times, check their account, and more – all from the app. That drives adoption. And opens up another channel in your multi-channel communication effort.
Once members have your app, you can connect with them through in-app messaging. Like texting, it gives you the opportunity to send reminders, alerts, and breaking news at the club. Plus, you can extend your latest marketing effort with in-app messages that align with and reinforce your brand message or promotion.
The in-app messaging is unique in that it is only available to those who have the app. You can use this to your advantage by doing things like promoting specials only available through the app. This bit of exclusivity makes your members feel rewarded for being connected. All while giving you another channel to help strengthen the engagement.
Connect with your members in the newsfeed
Your app’s newsfeed gives you another great communication channel to incorporate. This Instagram-like feed is a fun way for members to see what’s going on around the club, get introduced to upcoming events, and more.
One of its strengths is its ability to incorporate photos and graphics, helping you build engaging posts for your marketing effort. The newsfeed is also unique in that it gives your members the ability to interact with the communication – liking posts and sharing with other members. This does a couple of things. First, it entices your members to engage. That helps build those deeper connections. Second, it allows you to quickly see what’s popular with the community, tracking likes and shares. This enables you to post more of the things that your community signals are most engaging to them.
Building deeper connections with your members is the most efficient way to have a bigger impact on the success of your club. And the most effective way to build those connections is to leverage these four channels in a multi-channel communication approach.
If you’d like to learn more, request a demo of the Northstar complete club management software solution. You’ll be able to see how you can easily put together campaigns that build awesome engagement with your members. Request a demo, today.