Marketing your lawn bowls club

Your prospective new members are outside the fence, so most programs should be community outreach focused.

Most bowlers join initially for the social and fun aspects, so make sure they get a warm social welcome too... they can always learn the finer points of bowls later.

Most people are shy around a new sport. So encourage them to try it with their friends and families.

Most bowlers are not good salespeople, so equip them with some basic marketing tools starting with a handout flyer.

The most consistently reported low-cost successful tactic is to to put a box of flyers on your club gates and make sure it is always stocked. Encourage people to help themselves. Make sure the flyer is in a fun, friendly tone and tells people what they can try, rather than all the things they can't do. Make sure it has proper phone and web contact information. A great idea is to put the basics of the game on the back of this flyer..since most people don't know the sport. (See download from Game page).

Somehow or other get yourself a simple club website. Even as you read this someone might be searching the web to find a club or new sport in your area.

Put the website address on your gate box in case you run out of flyers. Also on all your club booklets and newsletters.

Schedule some Open House weekends. Publicize them in local newspapers, parks and rec. depts, mayoral letters, inserts, etc. Then have volunteers on hand to let all and sundry try their hand at bowls for free. Cookies and lemonade are optional. Newport Harbor LBC has kindly documented in detail how to run a successful Open House. Download the PDF Open House Guide here.

Make yourself a big sign or two (like realtor Open House) signs, and put them out on tournament and open house and other days. They are amazingly effective, especially if they only have 3 or 4 words so people can read them as they drive by at 40 mph.

Invite your local city newspaper and photographer to come down to one of your regular social events.

Schedule a series of formal classes to learn lawn bowls. Some people prefer this more formal setting. Works best if done in conjunction with city parks and rec. dept or similar organization.

Remember, the next generation of bowlers have not yet retired, so schedule most recruiting events for non-working hours. You want to catch them before they lock-in on other retirement activities. This means you should also review your normal bowling hours... working people are not free 9 to 5 during the week, nor at 12noon on weekends (as that is when they are all used to eating lunch).

Rent (or take donations) for small groups to use your clubhouse and green for small parties and office off-site meetings, then have a few volunteers show them the very basics of lawn bowls. If you get them competing early, they will enjoy the fun and hopefully return later. In particular, show the ladies how they can finally compete against their male partners in a sport, and still enjoy a sociable time. Make sure everyone goes home with one of your flyers. Even if you don't get many takers initially, you will make some money that you can then use on a marketing campaign.

Have a special members dinner after an afternoon of bowls, where people can only sign up and stay for the dinner if they brought a new friend or contact to try lawn bowling. Didn't a friend invite you down once to play lawn bowls? Isn't that how you got into the sport?

Institute a regular social calendar (if you don't already have one) with at least one social party/dinner or similar event every quarter. Call to invite all members, as well as recent prospective members.