J2 Golf Marketing periodic eNewsletter is designed to provide tips and ideas from our clients and their success - These ideas are yours to use - borrow them, change them or give us a call to discuss specifics.

Now, more than ever, Golf Industry Vendors must be smart about their marketing, presentation, communication and honestly . . . . Their marketing dollars. (Many might ask - "What Marketing Dollars?") Unless you want to go 'belly-up', the option of doing - "zero" - marketing in today's market does not exist. However, the option of doing controlled smart marketing is an absolute. So what is . . . Smart Marketing? In this issue I will give you some ideas and even better, highlight some actual Golf Vendors, who are doing some progressive communications and marketing practices to improve their business.

Smart Vendor Marketing Tools

• Printed Paper is Out . . . Cool Digital Brochures are In
• Direct Mail is Out . . . Targeted eMail is In
• Regular Communication on Professional eMail Templates with Reports
• Interactive Websites - Collect Information & Give Information
• SEO Friendly Sites - Get Ranked Higher on Google
• Publication Ads with New School Features - Better Tracking

We need to look better and clean up our professional image, many companies look like amateurs with homemade graphics. Today, we need to make great impressions the first time and every time. Our look is our brand and business is not a place to look and dress like a slob.

Product Highlight - Digital Brochure for J2 Golf Marketing

By now most vendors are familiar with the term PDF - a digital rendition of a brochure or spec sheet that you can use via eMail or post on your website for download. A very good move. Now let's just take that concept and give it the steroid treatment. How about an online brochure . . .

Client Highlight - Lucks Turf - Web - SEO - eMail

Nothing gets your attention like money. Lucks Turf took a gamble with a small marketing budget and turned it into one of the most eye-popping ROI numbers - well just about ever. Would you trade under $4,500 for a return of over $50,000 in less than 30 days - hmmm. Don't think too long on that one. This is a simple story of a professional website make-over, top search engine placement and a directed eMail campaign that netted an order from China, from a client that he never had previously all in less than 30 days . . .

Client Highlight - Lisa Langas - Web - Logo - Image Materials

If there was a Queen of good looks . . . then Lisa Langas must be the one in charge. When it comes to Pro Shop merchandising, training, procedures, buy programs and even secret shopping no one knows more about retail operations than Lisa Langas.

As we already know, money talks and here are some of Lisa's results . . . Lisa has partnered with clients to achieve increased retail sales by as much as $100,000, improved gross margin profits by up to 20%, and reduced over investment in inventories by up to $80,000. Accomplishing all of these results within the first year of working together! Let's look at what she has done for herself . . .

Client Highlight - Hole In One USA - Collateral - Partner eMail

Clearly one of the greatest moments in golf has to be the Hole-In-One and of course the ensuing party with the traditional pay-back! Our client Hole-In-One USA has softened the sting of a round of drinks for your buddies a little bit with their prize coverage packages - you name it, they can create it . . . Master's Tickets, play St. Andrew's, a New Boat or drive away in a Cadillac - anything is possible.

However, if he does not sell his services to tournament managers, golf professionals or business owners then there are no prizes to give away and there would be no Hole-In-One business. So how do they communicate? What does their collateral or offers look like? How does he brand HIO USA . . .

Client Highlight - Golf Safety - Publication Ad - Tradeshow Booth - Logo

How do you "show" safety? How do you "show" you belong in golf? . . . Well the second one is one of the first hurdles you must pass, because if you don't look like you belong in golf, your job of opening doors is certainly going to be much tougher in this industry. Todd Miller had been doing the graphics himself when he discovered he was much more talented in running his business than cut and pasting "art" to create homemade marketing materials - he needed professional help to establish a golf business image in all facets of his presentation. Logo, Ads, brochures, tradeshow booth and . . .

Client Highlight - Cal Olson / Ted Robinson - Multi-Language Brochures

While certain vendors are deeply rooted in the U S of A - many of our clients have gone global as golf, especially for golf architects, has moved overseas. One of the first lessons learned, while English is somewhat a universal language today, the language of the country it still the most important word. Good etiquette in business is to at least "try" to communicate at some level in the spoken tongue. However, for some clients, the entire concept of a golf course is foreign, so as the old adage says if, "A picture is worth a 1,000 words . . ." well at J2 Golf Marketing we have about 300,000 images, so "showing" a golf course is a snap for us . . . but how impressive can you be if you also hand out a brochure "Printed" in both English and their native language, now you are really talking . . .

Client Highlight - The BoardRoom Magazine - The Emerald Club Collateral

We all know the ranking systems; Five Star Hotels - Four Diamond Restaurants - AAA Rated or of course how can we get along without the Zagat Review. That is all well and good, but how does my Country Club rank and by whom? Great question and the best answer may just be the #1 rated Club publication, The BoardRoom Magazine. Who else would be in better position to understand the complexities of the Club world, but how should this new ranking program be positioned and what should this upscale brand look like . . . enter the Emerald Club, a third party review and standards organization to help clubs become recognized for excellence. Learn how this new organization put our designers to the test . . .

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Stay Safe - Be Courageous, J2 Golf Marketing - John R. Johnson.