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Community Spotlight: Erin Horn - Valhalla Golf Club
Published about 1 year agoΒ β’Β 7 min read
Newsletter No. 6 | November 5, 2024
Building A Community
The Grow Golf community is growing, and that's in large part thanks to our loyal subscribers who share our emails with their teammates and colleagues in the industry. Thank you so much for your support.
When I started Grow Golf, my goal was to build an intimate community where those in the golf industry could come together to learn, share ideas, and connect. Today marks an important first step in that process as we launch our inaugural Community Spotlight, featuring an experienced veteran in the industry.
So, let's get to it - Let's Grow Golf.
In this week's newsletter:β β π¦ Community Spotlight: Erin Horn, Valhalla Golf Club β βοΈ Give Us Some Feedback β π This Week's Social Holidays β π ICYMI Download: Grow Golf Holiday Event Checklistβ
π¦ Community Spotlight - Erin Horn
This week, I'm excited to shine our spotlight on Erin Horn, the talented Marketing & Communications Coordinator at the prestigious Valhalla Golf Club.
I asked her a few questions to learn more about her background and experience, and then I've added some thoughts to some of her responses to showcase the importance of her answers. β If you want to connect and network with Erin, here's her Instagram to connect or reply to this email, I'd be happy to introduce you.
How did you get started in marketing and social media management, and what led you to work at Valhalla Golf Club?
"As an assistant golf professional at Polo Fields and Big Spring, I was often tasked with working on member newsletters, and (at Big Spring) Facebook for businesses was still a relatively new concept. Still, we shared photos of events with the members. I found the communication aspects of my job the most challenging and satisfying. When the Director of Marketing-Membership job at Golf House Kentucky opened up, I knew that was the path I wanted to take as a PGA Professional."
GG POV: Erin's background as an assistant golf professional gave her valuable insights into the needs and preferences of golf club members, which has informed her approach to marketing and communications. Her desire to focus on the "communication aspects" of the job demonstrates a keen understanding of the importance of engaging with the club's audience, both online and offline.
What other roles or industries have you worked in, and how have those experiences shaped your approach to marketing in golf?
Brief Work History: (2005) Assistant Professional - Polo Fields Golf & Country Club (2009) Assistant Professional - Big Spring Country Club (2012) Director, Marketing-Membership - Golf House Kentucky (2017) Director of Operations for Men's & Women's Golf - UofL (2020) Communication & Event Director - Fleur De Lis Clubs (2021) Marketing & Communications Coordinator - Valhalla Golf Club
What skills or knowledge have been most important for your success in social media management?
"Continuous learning is most important for success in social media management. It is crucial to learn and understand this ever-changing world through industry publications and by following clubs you aspire to be like."
GG POV: Erin's commitment to continuous learning and staying up-to-date with industry trends demonstrates her dedication to being a true marketing and communications professional. In the fast-paced world of social media, adapting to changes and adopting best practices is essential for success
How do you stay updated with trends and changes in the golf social media landscape?
"I get involved with any webinars and education opportunities available - from golf-specific offerings, to services called DottoTech, Private Clubs Online, and other online newsletters. You can always learn something! The communications world seems to change instantly, and there are always new and better ways of doing things - I'm here for all of it!"
How do you plan and schedule your social media content to keep it fresh and engaging? What mix of content works best (photos, videos, stories, etc.) for your audience?
"I have a content calendar that is vital to me. I keep track of events, their deadlines, when they need to be included in our weekly newsletter, when they need to be a standalone email, when they need to be posted to social media.
I also track when I need to begin work on the Quarterly Newsletter that our owners send out, when I target those to go out, employee birthdays, holidays, hashtag holidays, and major events (Masters, PGA Championship, Solheim Cup, etc.) and other important dates like Derby or Super Bowl.
I check in with my calendar at least once per week. At the end of each month, I track my social stats (how many followers have been gained for each handle). I also write out a monthly theme for the following month, three goals, action steps to achieving those, and content ideas. I also set a reminder to audit our reviews on Google and Facebook"
GG POV: Erin's strategic approach to content planning and scheduling demonstrates her commitment to maintaining a consistent, well-organized, and engaging presence across Valhalla Golf Club's social media channels. Her attention to detail, tracking of key metrics, and willingness to adapt based on audience engagement data show her understanding of effective social media marketing.
Which platforms are most important for your audience (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), and how do you tailor content for each?
"Valhalla has two different accounts on Instagram and Facebook for public and member-only information. With our private accounts - we are posting tournament information, member spotlights of people playing well in events, general communications, and all the everyday things you post from a golf course. With our public-facing handles, we are not posting very frequently and focused solely on the highlights of the club (golf course, facilities, and major championships)"
How do you promote tournaments, member events, and special offers? What type of content gets the most traction for event promotion?
"I think three things stand out to me as crucial for event promotion:
A. Crafting flyers and materials for the event like you would for someone who is a brand new member - explain every aspect of the event in as much detail as possible. You never know who may not have signed up for the event in the past simply because they didn't know what the event entailed.
B. Place your marketing materials in as many spaces as possible. People consume information in different ways: social media platforms, emails (standalone emails about the event and your newslettersβit needs to be in both), printed materials in the clubhouse, app promotion (if your club has an app), and having the employees hype the event through word of mouth. It's also a great idea to identify ambassadors or "influencers" at your club who can talk up events to their groups.
C. Be sure to post photos or create videos and share them after the event to create "FOMO" (fear of missing out) for those who didn't attend. They will likely see what they missed and not want to miss out again.
GG POV: Erin's multi-faceted approach to event promotion demonstrates a great understanding of how golfers consume information and the importance of reaching them through various channels. Her emphasis on providing detailed event information, utilizing both digital and physical marketing materials, and leveraging member "influencers" shows a thoughtful and strategic mindset. Additionally, her focus on post-event content to create FOMO is an effective tactic for driving future event attendance.
What marketing initiative, event, or social media campaign are you most proud of, and why? Marketing the PGA Championship?
"This might be a little different than the answer you're looking for, but I think the most proud I've been is writing the submission packet that won John Murphy the Byron Nelson Award while he played golf at the University of Louisville. I was so happy to use my skill set to highlight someone so deserving of the accolades he received."
GG POV: Erin's proudest accomplishment is not necessarily related to her work at Valhalla Golf Club, but rather her ability to use her marketing and communication skills to recognize and celebrate the achievements of others. This selfless approach to her craft is admirable and likely contributes to her success in engaging her audience.
β
Conclusion
β Erin's expertise and passion for golf course marketing and social media management are evident in her rise to Valhalla Golf Club. Her commitment to continuous learning and strategic content planning make her an invaluable asset to the club. As Valhalla continues to grow and evolve under new leadership, Erin's innovative thinking and dedication to engaging with both members and the broader golfing community will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the club's ongoing success.
As you get ready for your upcoming holiday event (or events!), we wanted to provide our subscribers with a FREE comprehensive checklist to help ease the stress of holiday event planning this year. β
Knowing these events often are months in the making, we created a phased checklist from 12 months out to post-event, for use today and for future years. If we missed any details, we'd love your feedback!
β π This Week's Social Holidays β
November
11 - Veterans Day
Highlight any veteran members or golf course staff
Offer a special discount or free/discounted round for veterans
15 - National Philanthropy Day
Highlight the club's charitable initiatives
Showcase member-led fundraising efforts
Give a percent kickback to a local charity for a night/weekend food & bev
That's A Wrap. β
That's it for Newsletter No. 6. If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Community Spotlight, send me a note. I'd love to connect and share your experience and POV.
Up Next - FRIDAY - 11/8: CONTENT of the WEEK. As always, if you see any standout golf course marketing content on your social feeds, go ahead and tag us, DM us, or shoot us a note at hello@growgolf.co
ICYMI
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