Paid, Owned and Earned Marketing

Jan 19, 2019 2 min read

When it comes to digital marketing, content is king, however it is not just a case of creating and sending out great content.

Marketing has evolved beyond print ads and radio to include social media, influencer marketing, articles and so much more. Video content used to be extremely expensive to produce and now it takes an iphone, some 4G to share on social media and a steady hand to create a basic video of your golf course, plus there are loads of apps which can help make your video more exciting.

There are essentially three types of marketing available to your golf club…

Paid Marketing: Includes pay per click, display ads, retargeting, paid influencers, paid content promotion via publications (Golf Empire, The Golf Guide), social media ads and more.
Earned Marketing: Includes shares, mentions, reposts, unpaid coverage, social media posts and reviews.
Owned Marketing: Includes websites, Google My Business listings, apps, booking engines, and social media platforms.

It is important to be aware that paid, earned and owned marketing all have relevance in your overall marketing strategy. How much relevance will depend on a number of factors including your location and business model. It is important to emphasise that maximising exposure with the help of paid advertising is undeniably essential, golfers are consumers in other industries and they are used to being influenced by the brands they like, after all thats why they like them. ‘Their’ golf club should be no different.

Each type of marketing is a necessary piece of the puzzle to creating a cohesive content strategy that effectively tells your golf clubs story. We must remind ourselves that in the golf industry we are not only competing against other golf courses but for the consumer/golfers time and therefore other activities. Maximising exposure with the help of paid media is undeniably essential even if you don’t think your competitors are, other activity providers will be! It is also important to be aware of the control your golf club has over each type of marketing. For example int he case of paid and owned media, the golf club is in the driver’s seat. Earned marketing on the other hand exists outside of your control, such as reviews, which you can of course respond to.

If you want to discuss your marketing strategy and online green fee business then feel free to get in touch with us.