The Clubsational Blog - Blogsational!

Clubsational Offer to Small Clubs In NSW

2010-03-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

I was recently listening to 2ST - the local Southern Highlands radio station. The topic of the morning was the struggling little Bowling Club in Bundanoon. They were asking callers to comment on the ailing Club along with any history or help that locals could offer. Bottom line was...not enough people were patronising the Club neither locals or visitors. Visitors didn't know it was there and because it was off the main street - with no signage (thanks to RTA regulations.

I called in and offered a free Clubsational page to assist the Club to promote their many up coming events that they were discussing all with a view to - getting people into the Club. Interesting that the radio host suggested that if people wanted to know what was on, they should call the Club. The reality is though, that we all live in such a busy society that people don't call these days...they look things up online. clubsational was designed with that in mind.....list everything you have to offer and give people a reason to visit.

We are offering any small Club whom would like to participate in what we have to offer with our Clubsational Membership to drop us an email with their details and we will assist them to promote their business on the web...no matter how small.

Optimise This, Optimise That, Online This, Link Into That......What does it all mean?

2009-09-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Website optimisation put very simply is all about the way your website is structured, its content and the use of keywords within the site to allow search engines like Google and Yahoo to accurately rank your website content compared to other websites with similar content and subject matter. The whole point of search engines is to allow people to pinpoint the information that they are looking for as quickly and accurately as possible. People find this information by using key words or phrases in the search fields within search engines (many people now say.......to google or loosely 'search').

If you want people to find your club so that there is then a chance that they will visit, you need to think very carefully about what content you need to have on your website and the type of keywords that people would search for. So for example, if you are in a tourist area like the Southern Highlands of NSW, your Club should promote events that are linked to tourism like 'Tulip Time' in its content as well as the physical region like, Southern Highlands. It would be useful have a page of information all about local events and tourism highlights because this kind of information is 'rich content' as far as search engines are concerned and therefore valuable to the people who are trying to find this information.

So, when you are considering the content in your website, think about not just what is happening in your club, but also what you can include in your website to assist search engines to put a high value on the content - search engines job is to connect people to information quickly and accurately.

Pictures are nice to look at and important - but always balance rich content with pictures - too many pictures will mean that search engines don't know what to do about listing the content within your website other than for the literal domain name. Why would this matter?

Here is a good example of why....generally if a person wishes to purchase new carpet, they won't search for say www.carpetsforsale.com.au (domain name), they will search for 'Discount Carpets', therefore, the websites who have setup their website with these keywords and content that reflects the same will be ranked in search results this way, allowing people to find them - people get the information quickly and it is what they are looking for.

In Clubsationals case - we have optimised our site for many keywords, one phrase is 'discount vouchers', another is 'whats on in Clubs' and 'jobs in clubs'. This means that anyone looking to go and visit a Club is presented with offers in Clubs around NSW and can then drill down to the Club level and visit the individual Club website, if they have one. Clubsational is therefore able to scoop up potential visitors to Clubs whom would otherwise not necessarily find that Club online.

The other important side to search engine optimisation is websites linking into your site - this flags to google that your content is important enough for other websites to link into - putting a higher value when listing your website.

Clubsational has been optimising its website over the course of the 2 years that we have been operating, this means that there is value for any Club to be a part of our website with their own content whether they have a website or not. If they do not have a website, it provides a web presence for them, if they do have a website, it is an additional and credible 'club' relating website linking into their own. If you investigate search engine optimisation - you will see that these programs usually cost from around $1,200+ per year.

Anyone who would like to understand more can contact us directly and we would be happy to assist.

Facebook - Does It Have a Place In Clubs?

2009-07-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

I like facebook.

I am speaking from a personal perspective now. It's a great way to share stories and feelings and photo's with friends and family that you may not otherwise have the time to catch up with as often as you like. And, you can share all this across the people whom you have 'invited' into your inner sactum. I love it because as a busy person, I can do all this on a large scale...once.....The downfall....is that it can be addictive and chew extraordinary amounts of time. It is probably an employers worst nightmare for say...office staff...communicating through facebook during the course of the day.

On a business front though, facebook can be a very powerful tool to 'share' your Clubs up coming promotions, shows, special events and generate a 'following'. I think at the core of all Clubs in NSW this is the absolute key. People want to feel that they 'belong' and have a place in their local community. This is where a Clubs brand becomes so important and the values that it extends to its target market. Whilst a sense of community is essential in Clubs, it is also critical that Clubs look outside out their core community at ways and means to build sub target markets to build upon and generate new means of income outside of the traditional ones. Online technology utilisation as a key component in your marketing strategy (like websites, emarketing and facebook) is a way of cost effectively marketing your club to a mass audience. It means that a Club can build its profile and brand to a much wider and deeper circle of potential members.

If you are going to use facebook in your Club, the most important key is to keep communication regular and meaningful to the people who are your friends. The content needs to keep building and it needs to stay friendly and relevant and if possible create a fun and interactive online environment that is an extension of the Clubs brand and personality.

Refresh Your Club & Staff

2009-05-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

I had some feedback recently from a person who had been using www.clubsational.com.au and left some feedback about their local Club. They did not name the Club, but it was obvious by the persons comments that it was one that was listed on our website. The comment was in terms of what could be done to improve Clubsational? The answer was:

'I feel that the Club has all the needs for every one and there is no need to change anything, you have the best food and the staff are so friendly and I have only been at your club a few times...'

This is great feedback to get....but what if the reality is a bit different? Are staff motivated to provide the best customer experience? Are they friendly? Do they enjoy their job? I think that the most spectacularly presented venue and state of the art facilities can be let down if the customer's experience is not a positive one.

Think about keeping your staff motivated and enjoying their job by refreshing them with a coat of paint!! Not literally of course.......When the walls of a building are starting to look a bit tired, we give them a coat of paint to refresh and invigorate and create a positive experience.

Sometimes a simple gesture to your staff can inspire and motivate them and provide them with a new lease on life and their job. What about for all the Mum's out there coming up to Mothers Day....could you provide an incentive for them and their family to enjoy your Clubs facilities or what about just a simple note with payslips saying Happy Mothers Day and thank you for your contribution at work.....that's free and easy to arrange.

We all get tied up working towards reaching our destination - when what is most important, is the journey, our experiences and the people that we meet along the way!

The smallest gesture to acknowledge the efforts of others can often mean the most - what could be more refreshing than that!

Happy Mothers Day 2009 for Sunday 10th May.

Don't Freak Out As The Economy Slows!

2009-02-01T03:02:00.000-08:00

I have had somewhat of a Blog dry spell....not because I ran out of things to write about, but because I was unable to access the account to make a new posting.

I'm over that little stumbling block and back on the blogsational case now and I must stay....very upbeat about this year.

One of the magazines that I enjoy reading is the Netregistry Nett Magazine. Its a great read with interesting articles about business in an online sense and is particularly useful, I think, for small and medium sized business. One of the articles in the January 2009 issue that caught my eye was a very simple common sense approach to the economy and business. It was written by a Sally Mills, CEO or the recruitment firm LaVolta - the articles headline was "Don't freak out as the economy slows". I think as a nation, Australia and Australian's are relatively positive. We are upbeat and despite obvious international influences, and usually a time lag in their effects, there are simple strategies that we can all do in our business, no matter what their size to help the economy and the people who are a part of it.

Unfortunately, the Classic DONT'S That MOST Do are things like:

1. cut on marketing;
2. cut on employment and
3. cut on training!

When a business cuts too much out of their marketing budget, or doesn't channel what they do have into areas that provide real value....they risk getting lost in the market place.

When a business cuts on employment, rather than trying to utilise current resources more efficiently, the pressures on a shrinking economy are increased.

When a business cuts on training, it can have a detrimental impact upon the customer experience.

Sometimes it may be all 3! The point being, downward spirals can be difficult to claw your way out of - so try not to go there in the beginning!

In the current economic climate, customers are looking for value in every opportunity. I believe that the biggest draw card in Clubs today is sensational food for a sensational price. This has always been the case, however, today, not only do Clubs have sensational food, but state of the art menus, chef's, dining experience, range from cafe/casual dining to sensational world class a la carte restaurants and function facilities.

Clubs are ALL about the Members. Of course! However, something to think about is the promotion of Club facilities to more than just Members....for their long term sustainability, Club dining facilities has to be about paying customers. Paying customers are members, visitors and guests to the Club. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WANT VALUE!

Remember......the key to value is in the way that it is delivered & promoted. To offer value doesn't mean reinventing the wheel, and giving away more than is currently offered, its about delivering value to entice a new customer to try your facilities, enjoy their time with you and potentially become a new member. That is, its all about telling people what your Club already offers and most importantly, inviting them to try it too!

Strategically, I would be looking at marketing campaigns which considered the following:

- delivering value to customers that improves their day to day life;
- improving your Clubs website and the customer's experience of it;
- review your clubs online marketing strategies;
- focus on internal training activities and employment;
- look to market your club more cost effectively.

www.clubsational.com.au can assist your Club in all of these areas.

Generation X and Y - Does Their Use of Technology Differ?

2009-02-01T02:36:00.000-08:00

Following on from the article in my October 2008 blog about Innovation and Technology and in my search for understanding Gen X & Y's - I came across an interesting article published online on July 21st 2008 by a Michael Dinan, the editor of TMCnet. The article talks about a large American research firm that launched the results of a new technology survey in July this year called "The State of Consumers and Technology: Benchmark 2008" and claims to be "the largest ongoing survey in the world to explore consumer attitudes, ownership and use of technology".

One of the questions which is frequently asked, yet difficult to differentiate from a technology perspective is the difference between the habits and dynamics of Generation X’s and Y’s (Remember Gen X is 24 - 29 year olds and Gen Y is 18 – 28 year olds). Of course there has to be a difference, even if all we do is look at the age demographics, we can make astute observations about broad spending habits, for example, like a bigger percentage of Gen X’ers would have mortgages. Interesting, the article says that the data in the above report claims that it clearly shows the distinction between Gen X and Gen Y:

- "Generation X’ers use technology when it supports a lifestyle need whereas;

- Generation Y’s use of technology is so embedded into everything Gen Y’s do that they are truely the first native online population. Gen Y spends more time online – for leisure or work – than watching TV".

When we put this into a practical sense, we then need to make sure that our online marketing strategies add value to the users experience. So, for example:

1. Generation X’s will search online for information, whats on, how to save money when they are planning to go out and would be comfortable printing out a discount voucher to redeem in a club however;

2. Generation Y’s have an iphone or similar and do their searching on their mobile phone as well as via PC/Laptop etc but want to be able to access offers on the run.

In other words, technology is embedded into everything they do including how they access & retrieve information. So in the marketing strategies, online advertising & promotional vehicles and your Club’s website, it is important to continually innovate how you use technology to ensure that your Club is maximizing its potential to communicate to the generations that will be delivering the growth to your business now and into the future. Clubs that are doing this, will be sowing the seeds for their future.

One of our key strategies for www.clubsational.com.au is to continually innovate through the development of our technology. When we launched Clubsational in July 2007, we launched with the online discount vouchers. Since that time, we have also launched Jobs and Stays (accommodation). Any business today needs to innovate, even if only incrementally. Watch this space for some new innovation shortly......

CLUBSATIONAL 2.0 ITS ABOUT EVOLUTION!!

2008-11-24T16:23:00.001-08:00

I like to try and add a meaningful post with a little something that someone may be able to take away and use in their own business. I think that knowledge sharing, and in particular, its dynamic nature by definition, is ONE of the ultimate rewards of the internet and online facilities available in Web 2.0.

This post is all about time being a little bit like an elastic band. You can pull it back with all the best of intentions of letting it go to a fixed target, and it can flick back and give you a nasty sting. A bit dramatic really, but true, in particular when we are talking about technology and it's implementation.

Our team has been working away diligently on our new software upgrade aka CS2.0 for nearly 6 months and we are looking forward to launching in December 08. There are significant technology features in our front and back end.

I think the lesson for us all though, when working with technology and/or developing a website for your own business - identify your budget and state this clearly, break the project down into stages if you can and worry less about the time. That is, make sure you get a fixed cost for the project so that you can factor this into your Marketing Budget - and be wary that, when dealing with technology, to get it right often requires a compromise on implementation time. Time to test and ensure that your features are working is imperative to ensure a positive user experience. Rarely does a user of your website come back if something doesn't work. If it is a large project - take small steps to get to the end point rather than taking on a large brief with a very long project time line. Of course, this can be done, but the number of resources need to be significantly increased - which is not always realistic.

This is one of the reasons why when we launched Clubsational, we did so with a simple online discount voucher. This was the first of many features we identified in our Business plan. It was only after we launched that we introduced the Jobs feature and then the Accommodation feature. Small steps mean that the ultimate destination may take longer, however, your customers and users are able to share the incremental improvements with you and embrace your product offer during the journey.

So.....if evolution is our aim......what would you expect from Clubsational 2.0?

I know one thing for sure...I am looking forward to sharing it with you!

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY GO HAND IN HAND TO SHAPE OUR WORLD & HOW WE DO BUSINESS

2008-10-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

I have been exploring the meaning of innovation and technology from a very broad and day to day living sense for some time now, and how this relates to the Club Industry and the way that we do business. When I think of innovation and technology, I think of the marketing groups referred to as the all important Generation X’ers and Y’s. They are of course the building blocks of today and where our future growth lies. Bear with me, whilst I explore some meanings and it will become clearer why later….

The Collins English Dictionary defines Innovation as "something newly introduced such as a new method or new device". Compare this to the Wikipedia definition (Wikipedia being the free open source online encyclopedia which anyone can edit if they feel that they can improve on what is there) which defines innovation as "a new way of doing something. It may refer to incremental, radical, and revolutionary changes in thinking, products, processes or organization".

The Collins English Dictionary defines Technology as "the application of practical or mechanical sciences to industry or commerce”. Wikipedia, on the other hand, defines Technology as “a broad concept that deals with a species’ usage and knowledge of tools and crafts and how it affects a species’ ability to control and adapt to its environment". Now that one, I really like!

In a practical sense, if you put the two together, in a sandwich, for your customers benefit, what could you get? My take, is that by utilizing technology (tools that assist us to reach our customers) we can improve our ability and extend our reach of targeting our existing & future customers. And one of the most important elements of both innovation and technology is that by definition, they are NOT constant. They are continually evolving, just like our environment, our customers, and consequently so must we!

For the Club Industry, this presents tremendous opportunities if we embrace it as an industry. In a Marketing sense, I see technology as a way of innovating the way that the Club Industry can market to the population and in particular to Generation X and Y’s. We have all heard these labels but who are they? In simple terms, Generation X’ers are the 18 – 28 year olds and Generation Y ‘s are the 29 – 42 year olds. I hear you say but my membership is mostly 55+. The issue is that these demographics are important because they are a key to our future growth. Although challenging to understand, important to do so.

We are currently developing a new look Clubsational which will incorporate many new features to incorporate what we have learn't about online technology, innovation and emerging trends particularly from the Generation X and Y population. Part 2 of this article next month will delve into Gen X and Y in more detail. In the mean time, check out Clubsational as a tool that your Club can utilize as a part of their Marketing Communication Strategy from only $12.00 per week. Email your enquiry to justine@clubsational.com.au (www.clubsational.com.au).

Beat Your Drum, Make Some Noise, Tell The Community How Great You Are!

2008-09-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

It’s interesting, every day we learn something new, consciously or subconsciously. Sometimes someone says something to you and it really sticks in your head. I had a university lecturer, who was a bit of a strange character, I always remember him because he used to sit on the desk in tutorials and wrap his white handkerchief around the end of his pencil and then proceed to clean the inside of his ear with it. Not the most pleasant site to see when you’re a 19 year old student. Anyway, one particular lecture he said to the class, no matter what you do in life or where life takes you…….’you must read widely and you must read well!’, I found it strange at the time, but he was right. The world, the economy, society, trends, fads, fashions…..our surroundings and the drivers of them are constantly changing. Unless we read widely and read well (take it in), how do we cope with these changes? How do we plan for the future? And how do we take advantage of the opportunities that are surrounding us each day? This thought process is one of the reasons that I try to read as widely as time permits, but as a minimum I am an avid fan and enjoy the BRW (Business Review Weekly) and the new NETT magazine (centred around business and online). We can learn so much from each other and that is what I believe adds value and meaning and purpose to our lives. Its one of the reasons that I discipline myself to send out a monthly newsletter to as many Clubs in NSW as possible with some tit bits of information either marketing or online that I think they can benefit from.
Clubsational is an online business that will continue to grow and I believe will continue to add more and more value to Clubs of all sizes in NSW. The great thing about online, and a big benefit to Clubs, is that having a hub for Clubs online can really take advantage of the most powerful form of marketing….word-of-mouth recommendations. I think this is something that Clubs could leverage really well within their individual communities. Go the word of mouth, create the ‘noise’ in your local market. Some Clubs are not getting the number of people into their Club that they would usually do……create some noise, some excitement and have an offer that is attractive and affordable. I think ClubsNSW does a good job of telling the state in general that ‘Clubs are Good and Do a Lot for the Community’ but does your Club tell your local community how good you are and what you do and offer the community??? Editorial in your local newspaper is a great way of doing this…and for goodness sake…..with the amount of money that most Clubs have spent in the past on local press…most papers should provide this opportunity. As Australians, I think we are relatively humble and don’t like to big note ourselves, but face facts, now is the time when you need to be beating your own drum and telling people….we are sensational, we need the communities support, we support the community, we have great facilities…..come and utilize our facilities and enjoy your next meal in our Club. Other Clubs are saying that people are still coming into clubs…but just not spending what they would in the past. Well if they are coming in, but not spending…….why wouldn’t you promote online discount vouchers such as Clubsational, a cleverly developed discount voucher offer may be exactly what they need!

Social Media Big Wigs......

2008-09-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

I attended an AIMIA (Australian Interactive Media Industry Association) forum on ‘Social Media & User Generated Content’ during the week.

AIMIA did a great job at getting some highly credible speakers including; Francisco Cordero, General Manager, Australian and NZ at Bebo Inc, Michela Ledwidge, Managing Director, MOD Films, Dominique Hind, General Manager, Mark. And Andrew Cordwell, Director of Sales, Fox Interactive Media, myspace.com.

The discussion included existing social media, trends of where social media & user generated content could go and the benefit to organisations from a marketing perspective.

Many of the companies utilizing these facilities well and linking to successful marketing campaigns are the multimedia FMCG companies, although there are many opportunities for smaller business too if executed well.

I think one of the things that stood out for me though, was the word ‘community’.

More and more, being online and creating a sense of belonging when promoting our businesses and the products or services that we have on offer, is all about creating a community where people can hold two way conversations. Which is interesting, because, essentially, the NSW Club Industry is already a ‘community’. The meaning of this community, though, would be different depending on whom you speak to. There is the community of ‘managers’, the community of ‘suppliers’, the community of ‘employees’, the community of ‘directors’, the community of ‘clubs’ themselves. Never has there been a better time to pull these already built tangible & physical ‘communities’ within the NSW Club Industry online than through Clubsational. And what I find personally very exciting, is the not too distant future possibilities in technology to provide real value to these communities! But more about that later....

Another interesting discussion, was the recent AC Nielsen Social Media Research Study (which I am going to try to get my hands on a copy of, if I succeed in this mission, I will post it here later…). Apparently, this shows that 50% of Australians are currently participating in social networking in some capacity with an online ‘profile’. And what’s more important, it is not ALL about the 16 -18 and 18 – 21 year olds. In fact, it is shifting very quickly, the Director of Sales of myspace.com, Andrew Cordwell, noted that there has been a recent significant movement towards a growth in the 40 -55 age bracket in myspace.com, which was previously skewed towards the youth market.

Not surprisingly…..in fact myspace.com and facebook.com started filtering into Australia, in the first instance, through the younger Australian generation travelling overseas and being able to communicate with emails, news streams, images, video etc back home to parents who, with a passion for their children and keeping abreast of what they were doing and their adventures, decided that technology was not THAT scary after all. Well, when you consider the rewards that were waiting at the end of the pilgrimage! Sort of like taking a nasty tasting spoon of medicine, you know it’s not going to taste nice, but you can’t wait to start feeling better – so you know its got to be done!

The one thing that all members of the panel agreed upon, was that online technology/software and applications was exploding, and over the next 10 years, say if defined in terms of how a 10 year old would be utilising technology as a 20 year old in the future, is difficult to predict (over and above the fact that it will all be 'mobile').....just look at what the last 10 years have delivered!

Facebook – do you Become a Friend or a Fan and what about a Group?

2008-09-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

I have had a few questions around facebook from a couple of Club Managers so I thought it worthwhile to provide a quick summary in lamens terms.

Facebook.com is all about ‘connecting’ people through a community environment – and is referred to as social media.

Anyone can search people’s names online, without having their own ‘profile’ and see a pic of the person (if they have loaded one). In fact, you can even search by organization name, school name etc and it’s a great way of tracking down good friends that maybe you travelled through Europe with, but have now lost contact with for whatever reason.

To utilize the power of facebook though, you need to ‘join’ so that you can setup your own online ‘profile’. You can spend as little or as much time doing this as you please – but take it from me – it can be addictive and 5 minutes can quickly transcend into an hour. So…..your asking how can it assist my business? Here’s a quick summary of the various ways you can participate in facebook:

1. Setup a ‘profile’ for yourself (the idea of a profile is that you are an actual person, as opposed to a product or a business) – you connect with ‘friends’ who may be actual; friends, family, business collegues. Once you accept friends, they can see all of the content on your profile and vice versa, the idea being its two way communication built on trust. I have my own profile ‘Justine Turner Day’;

2. Setup a ‘group’ for your interest – can be anything eg. Save the Environment, Best Bands, Clubsational. Anyone with a facebook profile can search for a group based on keywords and ‘join’ if the group interests them ie become a ‘member’ of the group. The ‘group’ has their own profile page and can send out invitations to events and post information relating to the group directly to members;

3. Setup a ‘business’ page ie www.clubsational.com.au – so you ask how is this different to the two above. Well, again, as in ‘2’, anyone can ‘join’ (ie it is not based on being ‘accepted’) but you become a ‘fan’ (as opposed to a ‘friend’ (1) or a ‘member’(2)). From this page, the business can also run content ads across the site, similar to Adwords through Google. Of course, because the content is quite personal, the message can be targeted at the micro level.

Like anything, the power in using facebook and any social media interaction, is based on addressing:

1. Absolute relevance – to the target audience;
2. Community – feeling of ‘belonging’;
3. Involvement – engaging the audience with content;
4. Creative – making sure it doesn’t look like an ad;
5. Measurement – power of ROI.

Destiny is a Reality - The Economists Say So!

2008-08-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

I went to a business womens breakfast last week in the Southern Highlands and they had arranged a sensational speaker a Dr Kim Houghton whos runs a business called Economic Solutions - www.economicsolutions.com.au.

Essentially, he puts a business slant on census data and economics, including individual area's demographics. I thought it particularly relevant to the NSW Club Industry as essentially, the Clubs are all about 'Membership' so a sound understanding of your Clubs individual demographics then, must surely be ESSENTIAL.

What is interesting, is that we all know we have an aging population, in fact, according to Dr Houghton, the age bracket of 50 - 59 is the fastest growing and is 13% of the total Australian population. There are also fewer traditional families - at only 45% of the total Australian population. Predictions as also that in a mere 10 years, there will be major shortages of people for the workforce as not as many people will be entering as there are leaving.

This is all important info for Clubs because the manner in which they brand their club, the facilities that they offer, right down to their entertainment and the nights that it is on can be critical to ensuring full Membership usage. Of course there are also regional implications that are overlaid, for example, inner city areas tend to have a much larger skew to the Gen X & Y, based on work location, universities etc.

I think, for example, that there are opportunities for Clubs to even foster 'educational' elements within their Club, for example, using the internet, starting with the Clubs own website and facilities and its Membership Rewards. Even the opportunity to have a 'business room' where Members can access the internet, as in some of the larger hotels. Clubs do have the opportunity to 'nurture' areas of their business that they would like to grow and develop.

It all starts with understanding Members and the potential for New Members and what is likely to attract those!

Strategic Economic Solutions has a website at www.economicsolutions.com.au

Importance of Balancing Media

2008-08-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

I find it interesting how media types always try to win out over each other with regards to which method provides the best exposure. My experience shows me that it really does depend on the product, the impact you require, the types of people you are targeting as well as the BIG one - how much you want to spend. What is certain, is that some types of media do give you a better bang for you buck!

There was an article in the Business Review Weekly (BRW June 26-Aug6 2008) that I really found interesting which talked about Mainstream verses New Media (referred to as upstarts). I think the article clearly could be read from both sides, depending on which side of the fence you sit, however, it coined 'lean forward' verses 'lean back' advertising. 'Lean Forward' relating to medium where people are searching to find specific pieces of information and don't want to be distracted by ads eg. websites, social networking, internet banner ads, YouTube etc, and 'Lean Back' media where people are relaxed when using them, like TV, magazins and radio.

From the study that was released in the US in June 08, it found that people are more receptive to ads when they are 'leaning back' (just under 60% said the ads made a positive impression) compared to 'leaning forward' (with 31% positive impressions for digital media ads).

It's interesting to see these results, when we set out to develop www.clubsational.com.au, one of the design elements that we did not want integrated was banner ads, or pop-ups and flashing elements. This was from our own experience of surfing the net and finding this type of digital media ads annoying!! Whilst from a 'business perspective' it means that advertising income is lost, I think that the user benefits and experience of the site are far, far more important. We believe that if people within the Club Industry want information about suppliers in the industry, they would be happy to click on the 'Suppliers' tab within our website, rather than sticking a flashing ad in front of their noses.

It also has implications for Clubs - that is - balancing your media mix inline with your target audience and specifically what your Club seeks to achieve eg. branding, new members, food & beverage patrons etc is critical.

It is also why it is so important that you spend energy optimising your website (SEO), because you want to make sure that when someone is searching onlin for information about Clubs, whats on, eating out, entertainment, discount vouchers or jobs in clubs - your Club is there - and open for online business!!

There is no doubt in my mind www.clubsational.com.au is the best destination for Clubs!

Generation X , Y and Beyond - Getting People Into Your Club!

2008-07-23T04:41:00.000-07:00

Its no secret that it's the younger generation that generally have the disposable income and seek out great places to catch up with friends over a few drinks on a Friday and Saturday night (or infact any night and why wouldn't you while you can!!). It is also no secret that Clubs need to constantly replenish their Membership base as a result of non renewals and, God bless their Souls, older members moving on (with all due respect).

Well, I have spoken a little bit of late on Social Media and Web 2.0, but even more basic than that is the need to get as many Club Members whom have an email address on Clubs Membership Database with these details, including Mobiles. If the penetration of the internet in Australia is now 90% of households have access to it, then of course email must be almost at the same level.

This is valuable marketing information, particularly for Generation X and Y who don't always plan a long time ahead and appreciate a quick SMS or email advising them of upcoming events, attractions, promotions etc. If your not collecting email information or actively pursing it - you should be. Email and SMS is a fraction of the price of Direct Mail and it is straight to the source with virtually no time delay and can be implemented on a regular basis.

It's interesting, I have had some Club Managers say to me, our demographics are skewed to the retired population. Don't take for granted that even if this is the case, that they therefore don't have email, because you'll find its just not the case. In many cases, age is not a barrier to how people embrace technology, particularly because we are talking about 'communication'.

One way that you can really measure SMS and E-Marketing Campaigns is to link a promotion or offer to the content. If your Club is a Clubsational Member, they can do this really easily by creating a link in the email to your Club Brochure page on www.clubsational.com.au and updating your Clubsational Discount Voucher offer accordingly! Not only can you measure your hits on the day of your E Marketing, but you can measure the voucher redemption rate from your Discount Voucher offer. And with Clubsational Membership, you can do this daily, weekly, monthly as often as you like with no restrictions.

In times like now, when revenue and the number of people in your Club is under pressure, why wouldn't you try any means you can to 'Get More People Into Your Club!'

The innovators in the Club Industry, will be the Winners!

Club Profits are Down and more People Need to Get Into Their Club!

2008-07-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt that Clubs across NSW are doing it tuff at the moment and this is expected to continue into the near future. ClubsNSW recently published some information about the Club Industry the point being to encourage people into Clubs NOW! Clubs don't talk or promote enough about what they actually do for the community. Registered Clubs support people, the community, youth, sport and the economy. They are not-for-profit organisations, which means any surplus income is reinvested into club facilities and donated to community, charity and sporting organisations.

People

- More than 2.7 million people are a member of at least one club in NSW
- Each day 400,000 people visit a club in NSW
- More than 52,000 people are employed in the NSW Club Industry
- Another 53,000 people volunteer more than 100 hours a year to their Club

Community

- Clubs donated more than $120 million to not-for-profit organisations, charities and sporting groups in 2007
- During the past decade clubs have donated more than $1 billion to community groups and junior sporting teams and organisations

Youth

- There are more than 350,000 club members between the ages of 18 - 24
- More than half of all people aged 18 - 24 are a member of a club
- 90% of 18 - 24 year olds have visited a club during the past year

Sport

- Clubs provide sporting facilities to the community worth more than $2 billion
- There are 345 sporting fields, 1,600 bowling greens, 150 gyms, 350 golf courses, 700 tennis courst and 70 swimming pools at clubs

Economy

- Clubs inject almost $5 billion annually into the NSW economy
- Clubs pay more than $1.5 billion in wages every year
- Clubs pay more than $1 billion annually in tax
- Clubs invest more than $800 million annually on new infrastructure

That should be enough reasons to Get Into Your Club Now! And if not - why not. Why wouldn't you print a great voucher from www.clubsational.com.au and have a sensational day?

Does you industry comparably contribute to the community, the economy, sport and the people?

There is a lot of controversy over pokies, smoking and the likes. The fact remains that Clubs contribute far, far more into the economy than they take out. They are an extension of the community that they serve to represent and provide affordable entertainment, food, leisure facilities and in some cases child care and aged care facilities.

Australian Interactive Media Industry Association

2008-07-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

The AIMIA is running what looks like a great course on 2nd September all about Social Media and Blogging and its effectiveness for business - thanks to Brendon Kop for highlighting the course to me through Facebook!! $115.00 for non members for the 2 hour seminar in Sydney TBA. Its a no brainer to attend if you are interested in online!! Have a look at it here and you can register online with a visa etc card.

A visual of Social Media is Better!

2008-07-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

A simple story that illustrates the forces shaping social media. What more do I need to say other than 'watch it!'

Social Media Video Here!

Now that You Are Reading a Blog, What is it?

2008-07-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

I thought it worthy of directing you to a little 2 minute video through YouTube which explain what a Blog actually is. Put very simple - it is someone's news.

This Blog in particular, is my news on and centred around Clubsational, the website!

I am utilising this Blog, to communicate to Club Managers, or indeed, people in general (or anyone in fact) interested in the Club Industry and Clubs in Australia.

I link the 'News Centre' on www.clubsational.com.au to this Blog as a means of delivering the latest news, on an ongoing basis to people who are interested and may be following this Blog.

Any Club could do this themselves (setup a Blog surrounding news in their Club) and then email the link to their membership base - thats a little simple marketing tip right there!

Anyway, here is the video Blogs in Plain English!

Blogs, Facebook & Club Managers of Registered Clubs in NSW

2008-07-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

For Club Managers reading my Blog and wondering what the Blog is all about compared to them joining Facebook and the 'Clubsational' group, the answer is that:

1. Blogs - anyone can comment on any of these blogs, in Clubland or otherwise. The idea of the Blog is to solicit communication on the said subject matter or air opinions. It may be useful, it may be positive, it may be negative but the fact that people are willing to comment makes it meaningful to the author. I originally started this blog as I was interested in providing an opportunity for people interested in Clubs in NSW to provide feedback on their facilities, entertainment value and progress. I am still interested in this! Of course www.clubsational.com.au is an ongoing development project of mine and I welcome feedback on the ways in which we can deliver more value for both users of the website and to Club Managers. Innovation is a part of our vision read it here.

2. Facebook - is a form of 'social media' in the sense that a user creates a profile of themselves and 'invites' friends, colleagues, family etc to share in their individual world. Over and above that, a person can also belong to and create individual 'groups' where experiences, news, ideas, invitations, comments etc can be collected that only the 'members' of those groups can be privy to. In that way, there is a level of comfort in the two way communication between the parties and I suppose a level of non confrontation.

Any questions or otherwise you may have, try the comment button. Look forward to hearing from you!

ClubsNSW July 08 Article

2008-07-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

Refer to my June Blog to see the full article!

Supporting Club Marketing Managers with Social Media Interaction

2008-07-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Marketing your Club online, websites, Web 2.0, Social Media - our world is constantly evolving. There are many challenges facing the NSW Club Industry today - social, economic and just plain life cycle evolution (amongst some) considerations that Club Marketing Managers are facing today.

I think it is fair to say, that through my experience with www.clubsational.com.au I have learn t a lot about many of these areas. And certainly, I am and will still continue to learn - through participation and sharing.

I am interested in being able to share this experience and continual process with Marketing Managers, in particular Club Marketing Managers, who can see the benefit in being online & utilising technology as an important method of communication, co-operation & community. Why not learn together - the old saying goes - 'united we conquer!'

I think it is important to understand that the generations embracing social media and two way conversations with their experiences, both positive and negative is a way forward and that there is NO going back. Conversations and media can no longer be 'controlled' or move in only one direction. But how do we embrace this revolution and move forward as an industry?

We have to be willing, and able participants and this includes listening, sharing and in some cases a little bit of guts, well 'no guts, no glory!'.

I have established a Facebook Group called Clubsational. Shortly I will be inviting Club Managers and Marketing Managers whom I have met or who have shown an interest in online, technology and Marketing to join this group to share in the learning experience, ideas and the future of the Club Industry. Watch out for your email invitation coming through - otherwise - you can find the group on Facebook under 'Fina a Group' and type in Clubsational and request that you become a Member.

Remember to read my article in the July issue of ClubsNSW magazine on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Getting To Use Facebook - Lordy Me!

2008-06-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

I now officially wish that I was 15 years younger than I am. Why? Its called Facebook!

Oh to still be living at home, with no responsibilities. How to turn 5 quick minutes into 5 short hours of social networking, exploring and simply getting lost..............amongst it all!!

I have copied the link that Facebook tells me to put in my Blog to link back to my Facebook. Facebook me!

Yes, those fancy free days were the ones that just never seemed to end. Exploration bliss! Can't wait to see if this link actually works.

Club Websites - Build It and They Will Come - Or Will They?

2008-06-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

This is an article that I have written for the ClubLife Magazine due to be published in the July 2008 issues. Fancy that, technology allowing you to read it before it hits printed copy - pretty awesome. Remember the heading?????...........

Everyone wants one…and most clubs do in some capacity but are they there for show or do they sit within an overall marketing communication strategy? We are of course talking about websites! I find it a fascinating and valuable topic, and one which must constantly evolve to take advantage of changes in technology, how we see the world, our way of life and most importantly the challenges faced by the club industry today and into the future. So, let me share some points that may be of interest to you, at least if you are serious about marketing your club online effectively.

The Home Coming…

A visitor will land on your home page through various means – directly, through a specific search keyword, an advertising link, or by moving from link to link. It’s critical that visitors are able to quickly understand what your club can offer them. Your brand should be clearly featured in a prominent position in the top half of the home page along with a strong buy line. For example, does your club’s website make the most of differentiating what it has on offer verses other entertainment venues? Does the home page draw a visitor in to explore the site or does boredom set in and they leave immediately? And, is the content up-to-date and does it add value?

Remember, first impressions are critical, and just like where a person may only have 10 seconds to make a good impression, a website has the same pressures!

Building Traffic Through Search Engine Optimisation

It’s all good and well having a website with information about your club, but is it getting satisfactory traffic to enable you to benefit from it in an online sense? Is your website intended purely for your members or would it be equally meaningful for a visiting non-member? Would a person who is travelling find your club and be likely to visit? Either way, the purpose of any website is to provide information and elicit some type of customer interaction either online or in venue. So, building traffic to your website over time is important. This is where the first part of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes in.

“SEO attempts to get the best result for the keywords that will drive the most traffic to your website,” explains Jonathan Crossfield of Netregistry, one of Australia’s largest and most prominent online service providers. “Just because you’re the top result for a search for your business name doesn’t mean you will receive traffic. If you sell carpets, it’s better to rank highly for a keyword phrase used often by carpet buyers (such as ‘cheap carpets, Sydney’) and not the name Carpets-R-Us.”

By researching keywords that are important for your club, and ensuring that they’re used throughout your website in a meaningful manner, particularly on your home page, then you have commenced the SEO process to improve your club’s organic results (that is, your club appearing in free search result, as opposed to Google Adwords paid advertising or similar).

The second part of Search Engine Optimisation is all about acquiring links. As it was once said that all roads lead to Rome, links work in exactly the same way. When a website has a number of ‘roads’ or links leading to the site, search engines calculate these links in determining the reputation and ranking of the website in their search results.

“Any business understands the importance of strong word-of-mouth recommendations in building reputation and customers,” continues Crossfield. “Links are valued in much the same way. An inbound link to your site (also known as a backlink) suggests to the reader that the website is worthy of a visit. This is why search engines take so much notice of them.”

But why would you link to someone else’s website? There are other benefits such as once the link is ‘seen’ by search engines, the inbound links website is usually categorised in search results for the website’s business name. This provides an incentive to the inbound link and potential traffic that they may not otherwise get.

Let’s Get Real About It!

Search Engine Optimisation for a website is critical because search engines rank websites by their relevance, which they do by assessing the number and prominence of matching keywords in the copy of the webpage, along with other considerations. Websites get more traffic the higher they appear, in for example Google, for the keywords and phrases their target audience are using and consequently, the higher they rank, the more likely it is that a person will explore that particular website.

But what about clubs? How can an internet surfer be lead to a club to explore their facilities and services on offer both online and in the club? Look no further than Clubsational which has been developed to address this very need. Clubsational takes into consideration the keys for SEO to maximise the chances of a first page ranking in related phrases.

So, why is this website so important for the club Industry? “The chances of an internet surfer coming across your website by chance are infinitesimally small. The chances are even smaller of those visitors being among your target customers,” reveals Crossfield. “Relying on chance isn’t a great marketing strategy. Ever since the term ‘search engine’ was coined in 1988, they’ve become the central traffic hub of the internet and this dominance has only increased since the huge phenomenon of Google launched in 1998. With the vast majority of web users regularly visiting a search engine for everything from homework to shopping, it makes sense to give your website maximum exposure where people gather.”

Now, if a website was built that allowed all clubs to showcase what they had to offer; that was being established as the online destination to find out more about a particular club, and give you a reason to visit, by virtue it would enhance your club’s existing online and in-house marketing efforts? This is where www.clubsational.com.au can become an invaluable site for your club. Clubsational was founded with the purpose of bringing together clubs in a single online destination in a way that makes it simple and interesting for users to search and explore clubs and provide an incentive for people to visit club facilities.

When Clubsational was launched 11 months ago, it had no Google or Yahoo ranking – the fact is, all websites launch with zero traffic by definition. However, with a strong marketing and SEO program, it now has more traffic than ever (with the number of unique visitors from December 2007 to May 2008 doubling in size). The challenge now is to spread the Clubsational news within the club industry so that as many clubs as possible can share in its online traffic. The more clubs showcased on Clubsational, the more regular visitors it will attract and the more traffic momentum it will create.

SEO has worked successfully for Clubsational, with initiatives including keyword development, link acquisitions, testimonials, news centre development and blogging obtaining first page rankings for searches such as club discount vouchers, what’s on in clubs, NSW RSL clubs, discount vouchers and even jobs in clubs.

Clubsational’s online traffic will not only benefit your club by assisting to drive new traffic to your website, but will also attract more people into your club. In short, Clubsational’s purpose is to act like a filter on the internet to collect and channel people to club websites and their venues, while providing an extremely cost effective means of marketing your club online. In the current environment where clubs have to think carefully about their marketing expenditure, Clubsational really is an obvious, affordable and easy decision!

The Best Destination for Clubs

2008-03-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

Since we launched www.clubsational.com.au in July 2007 we have had a lot of support from both the users and Club Managers who have looked at Clubsational. The Club Industry really does need this type of a facility and so do the general public – these are the people, after all - who are looking for where to spend their disposable income and how. Who wouldn't want a great night out for a discounted price at a venue with state of the art facilities?

It is important though, in times like the present, where interest rates are increasing and for some, disposable income is under pressure, oh, and don't forget petrol prices - the hidden inflation that we are ALL suffering from, that Clubs continue to market their facilities, promote their value proposition and build their brand.

Whether you are a local member of a club, on business travel, visiting from overseas, or doing a road trip on your own turf, www.clubsational.com.au offers great value as a Club Search facility, whats happening where and don’t forget the discount vouchers.

Clubs can be difficult to crack though; there is certainly the ‘wait and see’ mentality out there. Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but we’re building and adding constantly. Lets see, www.clubsational.com.au today is all about discount vouchers, jobs and tomorrow, accommodation too. If your favourite Club is not a Sensational Club on ‘The Best Destination for Clubs’ tell them they need to be! Even better – tell us – and we will go and see them!

You see, we can assist Clubs to get SEEN online in more places, we are constantly working on Search Engine Optimisation, so everyday, we have more and more on offer, more and more value for clubs, more and more reasons for people to visit www.clubsational.com.au and more and more reasons why we are The Best Destination for Clubs!

The pic at the top is the new, soon to be launched home page of www.clubsational.com.au. The pic below is of our trade stand at the last weeks Club Managers Association Australia Conference and Expo.

The Power of Online All The Time!

2008-02-21T03:52:00.000-08:00

It never ceases to amaze me - the internet that is. It is 2008 and technology and the world wide web has well and truely penetrated all walks of life, age groups and demographics. When I first set off creating and developing www.clubsational.com.au - essentially an online directory of Clubs around NSW, I said to Club Managers that it had the potential to capture the 'travelling' customer and their patronage. The questions raised were - yes but would they have the internet and how would they find out about you and would they use your website? Well unanimously yes and I can prove it. I had an email two days ago from a couple travelling in their motorhome, they had found out about clubsational.com.au through - yes - Google - alright, and their comments were;

"My wife and I are are travelling around in a motorhome. We always try to visit clubs for our lunches and dinners preferably where wireless internet access is available. We use it to keep in touch with families during our travels.".

This is key information - why? not only does it confirm that they are technology and internet savvy, but they are utilising Clubs facilities and spending money there on their travels. Bingo. A new market for those tourist destination Clubs to draw in the travellers. According to the Campervan & Motor Home Association of Australia there are over 30,000 people travelling in motorhomes at anyone particular point in time and more than 51,000 active members of the association. Now that is a valuable bit of market information that could be used to the benefit of the industry.

My Voucher Begins Here!

2007-11-24T03:08:00.000-08:00

I have spent a lot of time taking a good long hard look at Clubs in NSW, in particular Registered Clubs. I am referring to RSL Clubs, Leagues Clubs, Bowling Clubs, Catholic Clubs, Workers Clubs, Golf Clubs................. I realised that Clubs really needed to get a broader audience to consider their facility & entertainment offer. In particular, there is no real easy way to find out about what is happening in Clubs in NSW collectively, online or otherwise.

What do you think of when you hear the word Club? Do you think of smoke filled rooms, pool tables, bingo and cheap food?

If the answer is yes, then you had better take a closer look! Did you know that Clubs in NSW have invested over $422 million dollars just to prepare their facilities for the non-smoking regulations that came into force on 2nd July 2007. 97% of Clubs completed some form of rennovation in preparation for this new legislation and many Clubs continue to invest to provide better and more varied facilities for their Members and Guests.

Many Clubs in NSW offer state-of-the-art entertainment facilities incorporating first class a-la-carte restaurants, function centres, sporting & fitness facilities, theatres & auditoriums, hotels & accomodation and family friendly facilities. Take for example; Campbelltown Catholic Club, Canterbury Leagues Club, North Sydney Leagues Club, Panthers World of Entertainment, Club Marconi, Bankstown Sports Club, City Diggers Wollongong, Mittagong RSL, Club City Central and so the list goes on.......

This got me thinking, if Clubs have these fantastic - I call it - Sensational - facilities - why don't more people know about how much they have changed and what they offer? I think it gets back to crushing the old stereo type of how people perceive a club. We all know in marketing that....yes....perception is reality...and it can be a challenge to change - at least in the all important customers mind!

Well I am here to tell you about www.clubsational.com.au and the Sensational Clubs that are online today - with a growing number of clubs wanting to Join the Clubsational Revolution! But this is not meant to be a hard sell by me on why you should be using whats on offer at Clubsational. Although you should absolutely visit the website!!

It is more about a genuine desire to understand what you and other people like you think about Clubs in NSW. Do you enjoy going to a Registered Club? How often? Why do you go? If you have visited the Clubsational website, which Club appealed to you the most? Did you print off a Discount Voucher? Which Discount Voucher did you print? Did you use it? Why or Why not? Even more valuable - what kind of a Discount Voucher offer would get you to visit a Club? Drop me an email at myvoucher@clubsational.com.au and share your ideas with us. We will forward these ideas to the Sensational Clubs who are currently online at www.clubsational.com.au and then you can 'watch the clubsational space' to see if a Sensational Club shares your enthusiasm for your idea!

Lets Sensationalise Clubs together - and 'Have a Sensational Day!'