Ed Heil
If I had a dollar for every time a General Manager said to me, "we have a great story. We just do a terrible job of telling it," I would be lounging on the beach sipping an umbrella drink instead of writing this blog. But yes, GM’s say this all the time, and they're usually right on both counts. In many cases they have wonderful stories to share, but they don’t have the resources, the time and/or the vision to identify and leverage these stories.
Even with the proliferation of online video, most clubs continue to rely on traditional marketing materials - unimaginative website copy, printed materials, and the occasional long-form video to carry that story. Those tools have their place, but let’s face it, our brains are lazy and when a prospective member lands on your club's website at 9 o’clock on a Sunday night, trying to figure out if your club is the right fit for their family, they want a lot of information without working too hard to get it. Beautifully written copy about your championship course and your award-winning dining program can only go so far. What they're really trying to determine is something hard to put into words: will I belong here?
Short-form video, 90 seconds or less, can answer that question in a way that very little else can.
Why Short-form Video Works
The power of a short testimonial video featuring one of your members has less to do with production value and everything to do with authenticity. When a prospective member watches a 60-second video of a current member talking about what surprised them most when they joined, something shifts. The viewer not only hears the words, they see the expressions, read the mannerisms and hear the sincerity in the member’s voice. All of a sudden, uncertainty starts to lift. A current member speaking honestly about how they found lifelong friends at the club carries far more weight with a prospective member than web copy describing it. People trust people, and a member who looks into the camera and says "I was nervous about whether I'd fit in here, and here's what happened" is doing more work for your membership team than a page of well-crafted club copy.
The same principle applies to staff videos. As I often say, your staff are often the first friends a new member has at the club. They are the people who give a new member their first real sense of belonging at your club, not the membership director or the GM. It's the assistant golf pro who remembers their name on the third visit. It's the dining manager who asks about their kids. A short introductory video can start building a connection before someone ever sets foot on the property. The club starts to feel familiar before it should.
Videos Worth Making
A few categories of short-form video tend to do the most work for clubs.
Member testimonials are the highest-value place to start, especially in golf communities. The most effective stories address the questions prospective members are already thinking about. What was your hesitation before joining? What surprised you? What does a typical Saturday look like for your family? These are not scripted talking points. They're real conversations, and the best testimonial videos feel exactly like that. When your membership director is fielding an inquiry from someone on the fence, being able to say "let me send you a few short videos from members who felt the same way" can be a powerful tool.
Staff introduction videos serve a different but equally important function. A 60-second video of your staff sharing their perspective helps the member in the decision making process. Whether it’s the head golf professional talking about their teaching style, or your catering director walking through how they approach member events, video communicates something a staff bio page never could. These videos help prospective members understand your culture - do staff members seem overly formal? Too casual? Or perfectly approachable? These are the people members rely on to deliver the experience they crave and if the staff doesn’t seem approachable, that tells a prospect something about your club.
Culture moment videos are a third category clubs often overlook. Think of these videos as short stories that give a prospective member a window into what membership actually looks like. For example, a brief, well-edited clip featuring a junior golf clinic, members at a wine dinner, or a tennis lesson can provide valuable insight. The viewer sees what membership actually looks like day to day. Not a glossy version with stock photography or faceless images, but real people enjoying the club.
Where These Videos Live
Short-form video works in more than one place, which you need to consider when you're thinking about the time investment involved in producing them.
On your website, a member testimonial embedded near your membership inquiry page can tip a prospective member from exploring to booking a tour. Your website is often a prospective member's first interaction with your club, and a 90-second video of a real member talking about why they joined can do more in that moment than almost anything else on the page.
On social media, these videos are an awareness play. They extend your reach to people who aren't actively searching for a club but might be exactly the right fit, some day. A short clip of a member family talking about their summer at the club on Instagram or Facebook, can be an introduction that becomes a referral conversation months later. And because the format is native to these platforms, short-form video tends to perform better than static posts in terms of engagement and reach. Remember,a single well-made video can live in multiple places. Your website, your social channels, a follow-up email from your membership director. One good conversation on camera becomes a tool that works across your entire marketing operation.
Getting Started
There are typically two barriers to starting to produce video for a club. Time and uncertainty. Everyone is strapped for time, especially in peak season. And in most cases, people on your staff don’t think of themselves as video producers. Both barriers are understandable and both are worth pushing through.
Start with one video. Identify a member who is enthusiastic about the club and genuinely articulate about why they joined. Sit down with them for fifteen minutes, ask a few open-ended questions, and let them talk. You'll have more usable material than you expect. You don’t need a Hollywood budget or a big video production crew. You just need a conversationalist to share their experience and make sure they are well-lit with good audio. A conversation with a genuine person will outperform a polished production that feels coached every time. Prospective members have good instincts. They smell bologna a mile away!
From there, build the library slowly. One member testimonial. One staff introduction. One culture clip from an event you're already hosting. Over time, each video adds another layer to the story you're telling, and each new face on your website or social feed gives a prospective member one more reason to feel like they could see themselves there. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Identify your best stories and take the first step. If you find yourself in trouble or need a little help, give us a call. We’ll point you in the right direction.
