advertising at a local golf course

[huggytree]

i got a letter in the mail today that im interested in.

its a local golf course which is selling signs on the course...1 per hole

its a 9x26 sign for $250-300

only 1 from each type of business will be allowed..

first off its cheap.....2nd its my type of customers....3rd they are relaxing/not in a hurry and may be more likely to read the sign over & over

im probably going to go for it...$300 a year....why not...if i get 1 good job it will be more than worth it....

im considering what it should say to have max. impact...

since its local im planning on putting that im local on it...im not sure how much i want to say.....something memoriable....

otherthan miniture golf ive never played...is there a better hole than others? what should i look for...depending on placement is there a reason that one spot would take longer and give me a better shot of being read over & over?

is it a good idea?
any good / different advertising idea's?

[Steve B]

It's probably a good idea. Compared to other marketing - you'll probably be hitting a relatively small group of people. But, the are likely a good market for you. You might want to include your picture to really make it look personal and local.

Some golfers get drunk while they're playing. So, early might be better. They may not be able to read by the 17th hole. Some also will only play nine holes if they don't have much time, but they can usually start at either the 1st or 9th hole. I might go for the ninth hole if it were me.

[nealrm]

Let see - It's cheap, it hit your target market, has decent traffic and good viewing time/rate.

This sounds like a no brainer to me - Go for it.

[huggytree]

how about i get the #2 hole and my slogan is

'proud sponsor of the #2 hole" ?

too crude or funny ?

[nealrm]

It's never good to advertise in a manner that could offend someone. My general rule is all ads should be G rated. (unless your business is not G rated)

[Steve B]

That was worth throwing out there for our benefit, but I agree with nealrm.

I don't even thing you should have a message - it will make it too hard to read. Maybe just your Company, name logo, and phone number.

I did a similar banner that hangs in the gym of one of the local high schools. I kept it simple, but still wish it were even more simple. I included both the phone and the web address. Next year I may drop the phone number so the web address will be easier to read from a distance. It's hard to decide which one to drop, but if they can't read them one of them has to go.

FYI - it's been up all year and nobody has called me because of it. Don't expect any direct sales, but it will help with name recognition long term.

[huggytree]

i think my slogan is crude, but wont it make people remember me?

when i go to networking events i always use the tag line 'im #1 in #2' ...it gets everyone laughing and people always come up to me afterwards to joke about it...

its probably a few knotches down on the crude ladder i agree....i still think its border line being too crude....

the golf course probably wont accept it anyways.

they may only allow my name...i dont do it unless i get a phone number...i may choose my website address since its easier to remember.

[nealrm]

Face to face conversation is different than wording on a sign. When you are face to face you can adjust your presentation to meet the atmosphere. Examples: A conversation that is appropriate in a bar would not be appropriate at a church function. Jokes that are funny with the guys may not be funny when the children are around.

Also, it's not being remembered that's important. I can think of several ways that will guarantee you are remembered. Several of them are not good. The important things is to have you and your business remembered in a positive manner.

[Steve B]

I'm leaning toward keeping just the web address on mine since putting both phone and web requires both of them to be too small to be read from a distance. In my case, the distance is probably more of an issue than it is for you. They have to be able to read it from all the way across the gym.

Again, I agree with Nealrm - you can get away with things in person you can't get away with in writing.

[vangogh]

Given you'll be in front of your target customer and given the cost is only $300 it certainly seems worth trying. Whether it's effective or not I'm nor sure, but it won't cost much to find out. Even one customer from it is well worth the price.

As for where to have your sign, if it was me I'd want my sign to appear immediately after the easiest hole on the course. Golf can be a very frustrating game and the last place you want to be is right after the hardest hole on the course. You could end up being the sign people use to break their clubs over. Hard to know which is the easiest hole without playing the course, but if you can find out that's probably the best location. Have people be in a good mood when they see your sign.

Potential downside: The only negative I'm seeing is if people on the course have a negative reaction to the advertising in general. Most people don't like having advertising thrown in their faces and while the gold course is often a place where business gets discussed, it's still seen by most as a way to get away from things for a few hours. It's possible people will take a negative view toward them. If that happens they could end up associating negative thoughts with anyone who has a sign.

Otherwise it's hard to see why you wouldn't take up the golf course on their offer.