Tennis and Pickleball are amazing sports for all ages. You can pick it up early in your life and develop it into a lifelong hobby.
However, if new players aren’t members of a club or have a place to play, they won’t know what they are missing out on.
If you just can get new players in the door, it is likely they will be lifetime customers. As such, club owners should make recruiting members a major part of their business strategy.
Read on for some fun, effective recruitment ideas to help secure new members.
Guest Entry for Current Members
Word of mouth through current members is great free marketing. Allow your current members a certain number of guest passes per year. Members could use passes to bring in friends for unfettered access to all the club has to offer.
The current members will be acting as recruitment tools for you. They are paying customers for a reason. They will do their best to sell prospective players on why joining a club is worthwhile.
After all, how can people know what they are missing without a chance to experience it first hand?
Host Open Tournaments
One problem many unassociated tennis and pickleball players face is finding people to play with. Fortunately, this is what clubs are all about. Host open tournaments that are tiered for all skill levels and ages.
Potential members would have a chance to meet people and find worthy competition.
Furthermore, the quality of the court is a very important aspect for seasoned players. A tournament would give you a chance to show off your courts and facilities. Sometimes it’s as simple as giving players a chance test out the club to hook them.
Another benefit of registering new players for tournaments is getting their contact information. This information is invaluable for email marketing campaigns.
Special Events
Casual fans of tennis and pickleball think about the game the most when the pros are playing. Something about watching the likes of Federer and Djokovic cross rackets inspires people. For this reason, consider hosting special events on major tournaments dates.
For example, a Wimbledon day during the time of the event would make a huge splash. Make the even open to the friends and family of current members.
On Wimbledon day you could request all the attendees to wear white in the tradition of the tournament. This would create a classy, fun environment that would appeal to fans and players alike.
Everyone gets exercise playing tennis in the morning. As the afternoon rolls in, play the pro matches on the TVs. If the club has a bar, consider serving Pimm’s Cup, the official cocktail of Wimbledon.
An event like this would not only invite new faces to a great time but also show them that a club is so much more than just the courts.
Special events could be a quarterly occasion for increasing membership.
Have Some Fun Finding New Members
After reading these marketing ideas for recruiting new members, think about which ones may work for your club. You will be surprised at the success these can have.
If you enjoyed this article, check out the blog for more. You may also consider how a social media presence can help marketing.
