I am super excited today, as I arrived at a major milestone with Golf Business Monitor, the world #1 B2B golf business blog (+ golf club marketing consultancy).
10 years ago on 13th August 2009, I launched my business-to-business (B2B) golf business blog.
When I meet with club managers in golf clubs and golf business events a frequently asked question is:
How the idea of launching a B2B golf business blog (Golf Business Monitor) popped out my head?
In such moments, I explain to them that in 2009 I used to work at Hungary’s largest digital marketing agency (Carnation Group; today part of Possible Worldwide, a WPP company).
We had a luxury product importer who wanted to create a news portal for luxury lifestyle and products. I was asked to sell the ad spaces of this news portal.
It brought me to the world of golf. In those days, I thought that there are many best practices in the hospitality and service industry that can be utilized in the golf club business as well.
During my work at Carnation Group, I started to list those best practices that I thought fit for the golf industry.
This is how the Golf Business Monitor began on 13th August 2009.
In the beginning, I only thought about sharing my thoughts about various golf club business challenges, how I would solve them.
My approach is NOT to copy-paste press releases instead to analyze golf business news by
- explaining what is positive or negative in a golf business news;
- providing trends and
- providing solution(s) to that specific business challenge mentioned in the post.
Needless, to say that I share with my readers and clients my 20 years of marketing experience and knowledge.
I believe this way, my readers (decision-makers in the golf industry) will benefit much more.
Thus, they could use Golf Business Monitor as a source of inspiration and tool at the same time.
Very soon I had to realize that golf club management companies, golf club leaders, and golf equipment manufacturers are open and receptive to my ideas.
Just like any other media company Golf Business Monitor started to receive plenty of press releases and invitations to FAM trips from
- Leading golf club management companies (e.g. Troon, ClubCorp, Billy Casper Golf, European Tour Properties, IMG, etc.);
- Major golf PR agencies (e.g. Performance54, Azalea Group, Landmark Media, Hill & Knowlton, Medi8, Professional Sports Group, etc.);
- Golf equipment manufacturers (Callaway Golf, Titleist, Wilson Staff, TaylorMade Golf, Nike Golf, Mizuno, Cleveland Golf, Srixon, XXIO, Honma Golf, etc.) and golf club supplier companies.
Golf Business Monitor – Milestones
- 2009 – the launch of Golf Business Monitor.
- 2015 – Golf Business Monitor becomes a professional (not a hobby one!!) B2B golf business blog. The start of providing golf club marketing consultancy and other services.
- 2015-2019 – became an official media partner of GCAE, CNIG, IAGTO, and the PGAs of Europe.
- 2016 – the beginning of the influencer marketing cooperation with Syngenta & the love.golf program.
- 2017 – the launch of Golf Business Monitor Monthly Newsletter. Today it has got over 500 subscribers. The average opening rate is 40%. The average click-to-blog rate is 10%.
- 2017 – I also launched a live chat service on my blog to facilitate more conversations with my readers.
- 2017 – Wrote an article about customer experience development in golf clubs for Golf Management Europe Magazine.
- 2017 – My client, the Hungarian Zala Springs Golf Resort won Hungary’s best golf course title at the World Golf Awards.
- 2018 – Keynote speaker invitations from CMAE, ADGF (see picture above), CNIG, and Share Algarve Digital Marketing Conference.
- 2018 – Wrote two articles for the Golf Inc. Magazine about yield management and employee experience.
- 2019 – my readership grew by 66% (vs. 2018). The Golf Business Monitor is attracting on monthly average 6000 unique visitors. With my social media network, I can reach over 30,000 people.
Golf Inc. Magazine said
“Miklós is one of the savviest consultants in Europe and runs a very popular golf business blog.”
Golf Business Monitor – Partners in creation
Last, but not least I would like to thank all my clients, business partners, and supporters the help and cooperation.
I hope this is just the beginning of something even bigger and better.