It’s no secret that boat clubs are on the rise in popularity. With more and more people looking to get out on the water, boat clubs provide a great way to do so without having to own your vessel.
With high demand, it’s crucial for boat club owners to capitalize. Here, we put together a few strategies to help you increase boat club memberships while the demand is still hot!
Update Your Website
It should go without saying that your website is a critical part of any marketing strategy. If you haven’t updated your website in the last 5-6 years, we strongly consider you do so.
Today’s customers are going to search for you online first, so make sure your website is:
- Easy to use
- Mobile-friendly (also known as responsive web design)
- Includes tons of photos
- Includes an easy call-to-action
There are several other items to be included on this list, but those are the 4 main things you need to worry about when redoing your website to increase boat club memberships.
Use Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool that boat clubs can use to reach a larger audience. Make sure to have a strong social presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to name a few.
Encourage your audience to “like” your page, comment/share/save your posts, or become members of your private group so you stay at the top of the mind of not only your members but audiences like them as well.
Make it Easy
It’s important to make it as easy as possible for people to join your boat club. The process should be simple and straightforward, and you should offer a variety of membership options to fit different budgets and schedules. You can also offer incentives for people to join, such as discounts on boat rentals or special events.
This is also related to the item noted above about including an easy call-to-action on your website. If you prefer your customers to call you, make sure your phone number is large and clickable from a mobile phone.
We usually recommend installing a form of some kind so that you can track those inquiries and have hard numbers to tie back to any marketing you might be doing. If you want to take it a step further than that, you can work with a digital agency to track leads through a CRM and help increase boat club memberships.
Local SEO
Local SEO is a great way to increase boat club memberships as long as you make sure your boat club’s website appears at the top of search engine results pages. By optimizing your website for local keywords, you can attract new members who are searching for boat clubs in your area. You can also use Google My Business to create a listing for your boat club that will appear when people search for boat clubs in your area.
Make sure to get reviews from your members, as the saying goes, “bad news travels fast. Good news takes the scenic route” by Doug Larson. So make sure to have a collection of good reviews.
Promote Exclusivity
Boat clubs often host special events and activities, such as boat races, fishing tournaments, or boat shows. Make these events exclusive for members only and they will be a great way to promote your boat club and attract new members.
Make sure to promote these events on all your social media channels to get the most exposure possible. Promoting an image of exclusive events for members only is a great way to encourage your potential and look alike audience to become a part of your club. Be it Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or any other social platform for that matter we highly recommend allocating a boosting budget and promoting your posts to increase boat club memberships.
Digital Marketing for Boat Clubs
If you’re looking for ways to increase boat club memberships, look no further! Boat Marketing Pros is a marine marketing agency that helps boat clubs, boat rentals, and other marine businesses with their websites and digital marketing efforts. Whether you’re looking to redo your website or implement a comprehensive digital strategy, we are happy to help!
Schedule a strategy session with our CEO, Harry Casimir, to get started.
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