Up until a few years ago any organization that ran a tournament had a reasonable expectation that they would attract a full field of golfers and sponsors. Not so today. Golfers are playing in fewer charity events and sponsors are increasingly selective regarding the causes that they choose to support. Effective pre-event promotion with a tournament website is one of your keys to success. Using the Internet is a simple and cost-effective approach to reach your target audience. While developing your budget, make sure to factor in online content as part of your marketing campaign. Think in terms of a detailed timeline of online releases starting well in advance of the tournament date. Ideally you should launch your website 60 days or more in advance.
Here’s why.
The well established events have already carved out a slot in the local Event Calendar. When you read about the “25th Annual” event you can bet that the golf committee picked out the dates for next year’s tournament literally months ahead. Some larger committees start planning immediately post-event, close to a year in advance. The Internet can be the great equalizer. Whether you use in-house capabilities or bring in outside resources, a dedicated tournament website will be a wise investment. Properly done, your website gives you a big time, professional look. For an example of a modern, interactive site go to www.ltsevent.com/boston/bruins11 Smaller events can have the same web presence as the major players for about the same money. Identify the specific “hot buttons” for your target audience, for example:
**Online event registration makes it easy for your audience to respond and minimizes financial risk waiting for payment the day of event. Consider a discount for early payment.
**Pre-event auction and raffle details will promote active bidding before the event, again minimizing risk.
**Link your website to key sponsor websites to drive traffic. Give your sponsors maximum exposure to make your event stand out.
**Thank all of your participants immediately after the tournament and put in a plug for next year.
Neil Policow is a Partner in LeaderBoard of Boston and a GTAA certified golf tournament consultant. Last year LeaderBoard supported events raised more than $3 million dollars. Email him at npolicow@ltsleaderboard.com
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