One of the most important pieces of advice we like to give to our tournament organizers is to... start your planning early!
Not only does starting early alleviate the time pressure of pinning down a location, getting sponsors and finishing everything on your to-do list – it also gives you the opportunity to reap the benefits of an early bird discount promotion.
Read on as we explain five reasons why doing an early bird special can help you attract more golfers, raise more funds, and ultimately make a bigger impact for the charity that means so much to you.
What is an early bird special?
Put simply, an early bird special is a strategy wherein a discounted price, discount code or special offer is given to those who commit to your tournament within a set period of time. (We would suggest promoting the discount 1-2 months after opening registrations to get the most out of your efforts).
Examples of early bird promotions
Here are some of our favorite early bird special ideas for charity golf tournament organizers:
- Make it traditional by doing a limited time offer for a certain % or dollar amount discount on early registrations (TIP: promote a discount code golfers can use until a certain cutoff date)
- Offer savings for multiple registrations; for example, a foursome for the price of three individual ones
- Give early participants a special bonus gift pack that includes goodies like a Mulligan, drink tickets and/or special items from your sponsors
- Early bird campaigns don’t have to be limited to your golfers! You can also offer increased value to sponsors who commit to you first
The benefits of an early bird discount for charity golf tournaments
1. It allows you to get ahead on the fully-stocked corporate budgets.
Did you know that many corporate budgets allow for a certain amount of charity events throughout the year for their execs and employees? An early bird discount helps you get on everyone’s list while they still have time and dollars to allocate through their workplace.
2. It gives you ample time for upsells.
The earlier you can get your registered golfers on your attendees communications list, the more time you have to promote “extras” on your tournament website such as items from your online store, contests, giveaways, food and drink tickets, etc.
3. It creates a buzz that boosts awareness and engagement.
Everyone loves a good deal! Promoting your early bird special on your website, social media, email and any other avenue is a great way to gain traction and get your tournament in front of more potential supporters.
TIP: Encourage your audience to forward the offer to a friend or tag someone in the social media comments to expand your reach even further! (Get more ideas for successfully promoting your tournament at any stage with our Ultimate 1-Year Charity Golf Tournament Content & Communications Calendar)
4. It creates a sense of urgency.
Offering early bird pricing instantly instills a sense of urgency for your prospects. Fear of missing out (FOMO) on a good deal is real!
5. It may help you make better quantity predictions.
The earlier you collect registrations, the more accurate you’ll be able to be in your attendee predictions. This will help you make important decisions for your event like quantities for food, gifts or swag.
Marketing templates for your early bird offer
Ready to get started with your early bird special? We created these flyer, social media and email banner assets ready to help you market your discount. If you’re using a discount code, don’t forget to include it in the flyer and your social media caption!
Click here to download them now
Starting your tournament early has so many benefits for you as a champion of your charity – and when you incorporate an early bird discount, you have the potential to raise more dollars and awareness for your cause.
If there’s anything we can do to help you get started with your tournament now so you can get the most out of your early bird promotion, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team of tournament specialists!