Marketing Your Club
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The marketing committee of Bowls USA has developed a Club Marketing Handbook based on proven practices of successful clubs across the country. Download your copy from the link at right.
Start your own club checklist. Don't wait for the president to do everything... if no one has made a marketing to do list yet, then maybe you need to step up and do your part to help save bowls.
Many of these items are small and a few volunteers can quickly implement them and start to raise the visibility of a single club.
At the same time, a national press release was sent to the media nationwide announcing this program. We are assisted in these efforts by a professional PR firm for the first time, but they will be focusing on big national efforts to help raise awareness of what is often an invisible sport, as our budget for them is very small. Clubs and Divisions need to still do their best at their own levels. Do you have a marketing board position? Committee?
Proven club marketing strategies and tactics
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Divisional Marketing Outreach
Get your region together and do some marketing programs. Don't wait for nationals... support is not the same in all parts of the country. You know the sport best. You know the local clubs and contacts!
The SW booth at a recent AARP Expo. See the website listed here on the edge of the indoor green: www.trylawnbowling.com
The SW had its own Bowls Day in May with coordinated promotions across the region. See SWLawnBowls.com.
Ads and Posters
The Bowls USA Membership Committee has worked with the Lake Hodges Club and their advertising agency to develop a set of new posters suitable for use anywhere and for any reason. Some of these were shown in the Spring 2004 issue of Bowls magazine. The headings are: "If you think pitchers throw good curve balls, you haven't tried lawn bowling," "Mind if we throw you a curve," "Lawn bowling. It just looks expensive," "Lawn bowling. It's not just for seniors anymore."
The posters can be had by contacting the Membership Committee. Be sure to include the message you wish to display on your posters. Suggestions would be the date of your open house, the name of the person to contact for lessons, the days your club is open for bowling and your location or street address.
Ads for your local newspaper can be prepared by contacting Larry Hirsch at www.hdesign.com Larry will include your message in the ad and forward it to your newspaper in the proper form for printing. This service costs very little and saves all sorts of time and aggravation.
Similarly, when working with kids, posters have been designed with titles like "If you think pitchers throw good curve balls, you haven't tried bowls," "Mind if we throw you a curve," "Bowls. It just looks expensive," "Bowls. It's not just for seniors anymore."
California Bowls Day a Big Success
The SW and PIMD Divisions joined forces to make a statewide effort all on one single day of recruiting. It is estimated that as many as 300+ (in SW) and 100+ (in PIMD) new members will result from this one single effort.
PIMD was a bit late on getting going, but it still worked wonders for most of their clubs. Now is the time for all divisions to start thinking how they will push together next year (or even late this year if that is when your season starts).
Recruiting is fast becoming the major imperative to stem the dramatic fall off in memberships we have been seeing these past few years. Let's keep bowls alive and competitive... and not just for the same old handful of tournament players.
Is your club growing?
If not, it is probably shrinking as people age out of the programs.
Don't wait for some committee or region to do something drastic when the emergency alarms sound. There are many simple low cost things you can do locally to grow your club and help promote the sport nationwide. Listed below are some items from clubs that have successfully grown their membership in the last few years, but the most important item is ATTITUDE.
Yes, we have found that when a few key members change their attitude towards welcoming newcomers, then the whole club's attitude changes. And instead of scaring off beginners that none of us "experts" want to play against, we find away to embrace and include them in the social games. After all, we all were beginners once. So don't bother with these marketing tactics unless this matter is addressed first, or you will get new members who don't stick around.
If you feed them they will come! A recent Aussie themed bowls/eve had the lawn full at Palo Alto and over 80 people enjoyed the dinner and music. A great chance to meet spouses, friends and new members.