"What?  How can birthdays generate revenue for my facility?"

One benefit of email marketing is its ability to cost-effectively deliver information to targeted customers and prospects. Are you taking full advantage of it?

I am surprised how few companies send an email or letter to acknowledge birthdays; it seems like dentists are the only ones that consistently do it.  Sure they use a cheesy birthday-themed post card, and the thought of the dentist ruins any enjoyment I have eating a ton of birthday cake, but at least they take advantage of one more customer touch - the birthday.

Below are some ideas taken from The CourseTrends Ultimate Golf Marketing Solution to make your customers' birthdays a branding, loyalty and revenue-generating event.

What's in a Birthday?

Quick answer: lots. Knowing a customer's birthday is especially important if your product or service can be considered gift material, which golf and golf merchandise is.  Most companies in this space go all out when marketing for gift-giving holidays. A birthday is a personal gift-giving/-receiving holiday; and email is the perfect channel for targeted messages and to take advantage of the opportunity.

Don't Have It? Ask

Make providing a birth date voluntary. Tell customers what is in it for them (like a free round of golf or a sleeve of balls when they play during their birth month). Your best customers should have no problem giving you that information.

Before the Big Day

Send an email a few weeks before the customer's birthday. Remind them to view your eCommerce Module and forward gift ideas to people who are shopping for them.

Think about it.  If you get 100 customers to view your eCommerce Module and they send gift ideas to 10 of their friends, you will receive exposure up to 1000 new potential customers.  Now that's powerful.

Happy Birthday to You

Part two of your one-two birthday punch: On or around the big day, send a second email acknowledging the occasion. Email messages that perform the obligatory, "Happy Birthday from everyone here at [course name]" is a nice sentiment, but does it really address your bottom-line goals?

Offer gift-appropriate items (a golfing package including shirt, balls, and higher-end merchandise) or offer a free round of golf.  You will generate customer loyalty and appreciation.  Additionally, most golfers are not going to play by themselves.  They will bring friends and most likely will have food and drinks to celebrate the occasion.

Don't Skimp on Copy or Design

Use a professional email marketing tool.  Do not do this from your personal email account.  Your emails needn't be elaborate, but they do need to be engaging, like any other marketing email.

Rocket Science?