The Social 9 is an up-close look into the lives and careers of the golf industry’s social voices and influencers. Each week will feature a new guest answering nine (or more!) questions about their careers, brands, and personal lives.

These are the voices that drive the industry further every single day.

Sabrina Naccarato

Brand Twitter: @GOLFTEC

Title: Social Media & Content Manager

How did you get started in social media?

When I was in college, I ran my golf team's social media accounts. I was a freshman playing golf at MSU Denver, and my coach wasn't the most tech/social media savvy. So, whether it was a "freshman duty" or because I was very familiar with every social media channel there was at the time, the Roadrunner's Women's Golf team Twitter and Facebook accounts were run by yours truly.

Do you have a favorite social media outlet right now?

Instagram has to be my top favorite right now, but I might be a little biased. When I started at GOLFTEC over two years ago, our Instagram presence was zero. Today we have nearly 15K followers, and that's almost 100% organic. As most people know in today's age of social media, it's a pay to play game, and I'm so proud of how much our Instagram has grown organically.

Is there ever a struggle to put brand before self or vice versa?

I hardly ever struggle to put GOLFTEC before myself on social media. I've seen other Social Media Managers mention they're often worn out from dedicating so much energy to the brand's account, there's not much left for the personal one. And I can absolutely relate to that. And honestly, I'm much better at coming up with captions for a slow-mo golf swing than a picture of an adventurous weekend with my friends. I've got golf on my mind nearly 24/7.

How has your content evolved with so much being picture and video centric, rather than just words?

I think the evolution of a visual-centric social media has not only been great for GOLFTEC but golf in general. Golf can be a tough sport to explain to anyone, whether a seasoned weekend warrior or someone who's picking up the game for the first time. When we replace dogmatic words with videos and images, the less confusing the game becomes. In addition to that, our Marketing team includes a team of creative guys (a full video team as well) who are always nimble and if I need a new image or quick hitting video for social, they’re willing to jump in one of our bays at GOLFTEC Headquarters with some of our Teaching Quality guys to grab content.

Does your favorite outlet match up with golf demographics?

I think it depends on who you ask. Some people think golf is for the old guys (and the data still supports this) but seeing how fast our own Instagram has grown the past two years, golf's "typical" demographics are shifting. Instagram attracts a younger audience, and it's hard to ignore the connection, at least from my perspective.

How has your role changed as social media has changed?

My role continually changes as social media likes to shake things up every month or so, but most notably, my role is becoming more and more critical. A couple of years ago, it was nice to see a company Tweet with some frequency and to have a presence on Facebook, but today, if you're not on top of every social channel, organically and paid, you're falling behind.

What's the most important thing you want people to know about your brand?

The lessons and club fitting are actually legit. Being a former college golfer, I've been coached by almost every type of golf instructor, and I can say with 100 percent confidence that my swing is the best it's ever been. I might be drinking the Kool-Aid, and you can call me out on that, but nothing replicates seeing your swing on video. And to top that off, I've always played off-the-rack clubs, being a 5'2" female lefty, clubs off-the-rack always fit like a glove (NOT!). Going through a custom club fitting was life-changing.

Is there a style or a voice you shoot for with your brand's social content?

Authentic. There's nothing worse than seeing a brand that just spews corporate jargon on social media. We have to remember that social media is a place where people go to unwind, connect, and watch dog videos. I try to keep anything I put on any platform informative and fun, but we need to stay authentic, or we're going to lose our audience.

What's the biggest misconception about your brand you'd like to clarify?

GOLFTEC is for everyone. We have this preconceived notion that we're super intimidating and buttoned up, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. If you walk into one of our Centers, you'll see people who are recently retired and picking up the game for the first time in their life, you'll see a scratch player trying to win his Club Championship, and you'll see pretty much everything in between. And if you want to see how laid back and fun our lessons really are, tune into our Instagram Stories most Tuesday evenings to see myself and one of our Coaches work on my game, it's a hoot! (Slight plug there)