The Social 9 with - Ricky Potts

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.

Ricky Potts - Fountaingrove Club

Twitter: @rickyleepotts

Title: Membership Director

Ricky Potts of The Fountaingrove Club.

How did you get started in social media?

I've been using social media for ages, but professionally it started at Troon. After college we moved to Scottsdale, Arizona so I could play more golf. That led the way to me getting a job at Troon. I was hired as a Digital Communications Manager and handled all of Troon's social media accounts, blog, email marketing and supported hundreds of properties around the world for 3 years. I will never forget Kris Strauss asking me, "Do you use Instagram and do you think we should have an account?" That account now has 12.8k followers and continues to grow every day.

After spending 3 years in Scottsdale, I got a job at Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples. We packed our bags and headed to Florida! I was hired as the Director of Marketing and Communications and handled all of their social media accounts, email marketing and worked closely with the LPGA Tour and the PGA TOUR on a myriad of professional tour events. In this role I was tasked with not only promoting the property, but also driving rounds and revenue. In January of this year we implemented a Live Chat solution that was proven to be beneficial for members and guests as a way to communicate with the club, but also as a place to drive revenue. After spending nearly 3 years here I got a job at The Fountaingrove Club in Santa Rosa, California. We packed our bags and headed to wine country.

As the Membership Director, I am not managing the social media accounts at The Fountaingrove Club, but I am managing a Live Chat solution, similar to the one used at Tiburón Golf Club. Adina Flordes, director of communications, handles all of our social media here, but I do consult with her on a regular basis and am always available if she has questions about trends. We are planning to implement text message marketing to our members in 2020 and look forward to seeing how that impacts our communication strategy going forward.

Personally I use social media to stay in touch with friends, to network and to share my podcast. I also use it to share my blog, which is something I've been contributing to on a regular basis for over a decade. Needless to say, social media means a lot to me and is something I am passionate about. Just recently, while evacuating the Kincade Fire, and used the hashtag #KincadeFire to stay abreast of things happening at home and when it was safe to return to Santa Rosa. So not only can social media be powerful for a brand, it can also be a lifesaver during a natural disaster.

Do you have a favorite social media network right now?

I use Twitter more than anything. I am always looking at quality content, engaging as much as I can, and sharing things that interest me. I am interested in several things including golf, craft beer and electronic dance music. I follow a lot of different accounts, so my feed is always full of fun, relevant things for me to enjoy. I also try to post a lot on Instagram, but I get behind. Right now I am still posting photos from a trip I took last month! My friends joke about it, but to me, it keeps a timeline of my life in a social environment.

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

Not for me. When I was in the Troon corporate office, I would post content as a golfer. The brand voice remained consistent and I really enjoyed sharing photos and videos from some of the best golf properties worldwide with an audience that was waiting for the next post. You can't look at sharing content as work. The second it becomes work, you need to find someone else to share the content. Social media is fun, and if it feels like work, it will shift the quality and the timeliness of the content. You may not think so, but your audience will notice.

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

I share a lot of photos on social media. I also create a lot of custom graphics. With an iPhone in my pocket, there is no excuse to not be sharing photos and videos online. In addition to all of the popular social media channels I use, I also use Google Maps and Foursquare/Swarm to track my location. I try to share a photo of everywhere I go. Sometimes of the outside of the building, or somethings of a signature menu item. When I am drinking wine, I use Vivino to track and rate the wines I drink. I share a photo of the glass/bottle when doing that. I use Untappd to track the beers I drink, and while I don't share a photo of every beer, I try to share photos whenever I can for my followers to enjoy.

While I was in Hawaii I got the chance to play Princeville Makai Golf Club. There is a par 3 over water with the ocean on the right... Queen's Bath behind you. It is an iconic hole. My playing partners asked if I wanted them to snap a photo of me. I didn't want a photo... I wanted a video. I hit the green, too, so I uploaded the video to several social media sites for your enjoyment. I missed the putt. I digress...

Does your favorite outlet match up with golf demographics?

Of course. Look at the number of golf accounts on Twitter... Nearly every TOUR player is active. Nearly every OEM is active. Just search "golf" and you will find more content than you can possibly handle. Check out #GolfChat, too. Due to my work schedule I rarely participate during the discussion, but always try to go back and fill in my answers later. They've done a good job with that and the content is relevant. The #GolfChat GIF game is also strong!

With Twitter, or any other network, the people you follow and the accounts you engage with will fill your feed with content relevant to your likes. A big focus of my blog are band and DJ interviews. Last week I did a search for "deep house music" and found a DJ that has a podcast. I listened and really enjoyed his work. I reached out, we became quick friends and he agreed to an interview. That is the power of social media.

How has your role changed as social media has changed?

Professionally, I am spending less time on social media and more time with phone and email follow up. As the Membership Director, my goals are no longer based on the number of followers, but the number of new members. However, using social media is still relevant. We are working with The Private Club Agency right now on a Facebook campaign that is driving leads to us while we sleep. Those leads have led to several memberships and the ROI has this marketing strategy going into the budget for 2020. Similar to the Live Chat on our website, we use Facebook Messenger to answer question about our facility in real time.

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

A lot of people think we burned down in 2017. We did. But the golf course is open, is in great shape and membership is growing. I was at The Olympic Club recently for a CMAA Education & Lunch, and after lunch someone came up and asked when we were going to reopen. Oh, we are open! We do have a lot of temporary structures right now, but we are open and we are thriving.

For my personal content, I just hope that people like my content. When I started blogging, I said, "If 1 person reads 1 blog post, it was worth the effort." With over 2,500 blog posts and counting, I still feel that way today. The same with my podcast. I enjoy creating content, I enjoy sharing content, and I enjoy the conversation that comes from these efforts.

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

Community is important to us here at The Fountaingrove Club, and while we are Sonoma County's only member-owned club, in a time of need, we will open our doors to the community. That happened in 2017 when the Club burned down in the Tubbs Fire and again this year when we turned our Athletic Center into a Comfort Zone after the Kincade Fire. We offered a hot shower, complimentary WiFi, charging stations, coffee... Just trying to give our members a sense of normal. That voice is translated in the content we are sharing online. You will also see a lot of photos of people on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. While Adina is the one sharing the content, there are several other associates out there grabbing content. The leadership team meets weekly and we discuss the things we'd like to see shared going forward. Look for more videos coming soon! Imagine tips from the pro, or cooking classes from the Executive Chef. What about tennis lessons from the tennis pro or proper stretching techniques from a personal trainer? 2020 is going to be full of relevant content!

What's your typical work day look like?

Before I even get out of bed I've checked my email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram... I track my steps/sleep with a Fitbit, so I check that, too. When I get to work I check my email, make sure the calendar is dialed in for the day, and start responding to emails and potential leads. I was listening to a CMAA podcast a few weeks ago and the guest said in 24 years at his club, "he's never had the same day twice." The more time I spend in the field, the more I can relate to that. Sure, I spend a lot of time following up, sitting in meetings, giving tours... But last week I was making chicken burritos for our members while our semi-permanent dining facility was closed due to the Kincade Fire. A few weeks before that I was cleaning the pool because someone called in sick. Heck, I've been asked to drive members home before. It doesn't matter what is needed, I am here for the happiness of our members and guests. Today, who knows what will happen, but I can't wait to find out!

What's it like to work so closely with brand ambassadors and pros?

We don't do that much here at The Fountaingrove Club, but did that on a regular basis in Naples. I always enjoyed networking with these folks and showcasing the property. A lot of Troon facilities are in destination locations, and I am grateful to work at properties in places people from all over the world travel to visit. Who knows what happens or where I go next, but I am excited to find out and will keep my head down on focused on the success and happiness of my members and guests, wherever I land.