Glasgow 2014 Club Marketing Toolkit

Transcription

1 Glasgow 2014 Club Marketing Toolkit A Guide For Clubs Recruiting & Retaining Members

2 Introduction The 2014 Commonwealth Games will provide a strong platform to grow your gymnastics club. This guide is designed to provide simple advice which is hoped will improve your clubs marketing to enable your club to recruit and retain members more effectively. But...what is marketing? And how will it benefit your club?

3 What Is Marketing? Understanding how you can better meet the needs and wants of your target audience In three steps Understanding what your consumers really want 2. Creating products / services which that satisfy these needs 3. Communicating to consumers that you have a solution to their problem But why should your gymnastics club use marketing?

4 Why Marketing? Marketing activity will make it easier for your gymnastics club to recruit and retain new members...

5 Grow Your Club: Recruitment The Commonwealth Games will provide enhanced interest in gymnastics from new audiences. The next section provides some simple new member recruitment ideas.

6 Recruiting Members Open Days Hold open days where your club can target prospective parents and members. Giving parents an insight into how the club and classes are run, and new children a chance to participate. Gym For Him Create a specific male related promotion to encourage more boys to the club and participating in gymnastics. A specific boys night may help encourage more boys to join. Family Recruitment Incentivise and encourage family members of existing members to come along to the club. Schools Recruitment Create school club links, provide coaches for school clubs and work with active schools to direct school gymnasts to your club. Club Displays Put on displays at shows and other events getting your club exposure to a wider audience within your local community.

7 Recruiting Members Member Incentives Create a programme / initiatives which reward current members for bringing new members to the club. The reward might be financial, a discount or gratis access to extra coaching time. Social Media Having a presence on social media is a pivotal method of targeting and recruiting new members. More information on using social media will be provided in a separate guide. Posters / Leaflets A relatively low cost method of promoting your club, creating posters and leaflets for distribution in the local area. Why not partner with a local business or two you will promote them if they promote your new club. Local Press / Media - Sending positive stories and successes to the local media could achieve essential free PR. Invite press along to competitions and displays for extra exposure and coverage.

8 Recruiting Members Best Friend Night - Allowing current members to bring their best friend allow for free will open up the club to a new audience and could encourage them to sign up. Free Taster Sessions - Offering free sessions to new audiences in your local area may help drive up club membership. Target new build housing estates for families new to your area. Identify New Opportunities Meeting the needs of non members by offering new products or classes will offer the chance to grow your club. Which disciplines does your club not currently offer? Identify new markets, Freestyle, Teamgym etc. Partnership Working - Working together for mutual benefit, working with sport development teams, local authorities, community centres, colleges, nurseries etc Charity Days - Holding a fundraising day for a local charity will provide your club benefits, the opportunity to capture new members and generate positive PR.

9 Grow Your Club: Retention Once you have attracted new members to your club, how do you keep them? Why do you want to retain members? 1. Loyal members are more profitable 2. Finding new members can be expensive and time consuming 3. Happy members become club advocates word of mouth = free advertising

10 Retaining Members Welcome Pack Providing a welcome pack to members will make them feel welcome from the start. New Club Buddies Partnering new members up with old existing members will allow the members a smoother transition to the club and make them feel welcomed. FAQ s Providing frequently asked questions can help new members settle in and is an essential document for new members with no previous knowledge of gymnastics. Welcome Night - Hold a welcome night for new members. This will provide them the chance to mix with other new and existing members, making the joining experience easier.

11 Retaining Members Family Friendly Club Welcoming family members of members. Keeping them engaged in the club will make them feel welcomed and more likely to stay. Be Innovative - Create new classes and products which will keep them in the sport, and active in your club. Member Satisfaction Surveys - Carry out annual membership surveys. Research will provide vital feedback on how to improve your members experience. Member Leaving /Exit surveys Carrying out members exit surveys will provide you vital feedback on the reasons members are choosing to leave your club. Learn and improve.

12 Retaining Members Fees and Payments Make fees and payments flexible offer direct debit or postal orders as well as cash payments to suit various members needs. Reward members Reward loyal members. This could be with free sessions or discounts off club clothing. Improving Communication Communicating regularly with parents and members will ensure that they constantly know what is going on within the club. Days Out Club days out will keep a social aspect of the club. Spending time together out with the club will help build relations and friendships and will help members feel part of the club.

13 Retaining Members Club Leaders Offering opportunities to take a more active role in the club for teenage members may help keep them involved in the club / sport. Coaching Opportunities Providing coaching opportunities for both young and experienced coaches will keep them inspired and more engaged with the sport. Regular Communication Communicating regularly with members and parents will keep them abreast of things happening within the club. Club newsletters, websites and social media are relatively low cost methods of communicating with current members. Reinforce Regularly reinforce and promote the benefits of being part of your club - Fun, healthy, activities, learn as well as the social aspect of being part of a club.

14 Recruitment & Retention Now it s your clubs turn... Why not use this guide to implement at least one of these recruitment and retention ideas before, during or after Glasgow 2014.

15 If your club requires help or advice on any information contained within this document you can contact Scottish Gymnastics marketing department on; Michael O Donnell Marketing Manager michael@scottishgymnastics.org Telephone: Recruiting & Retaining Members