by Justin Kraft, PGA & Dan Bubany, PGA Coach
As the Director of Instruction at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata, Minnesota, I love giving golf lessons. I also love giving lessons online! The internet has brought the world closer together, and social media has given me the opportunity to coach players from as far away as Australia and New Zealand to India and Finland.
Since my lesson voiceovers for new students tend to be between six and 12 minutes long, too long for social media, I like to use those channels to give potential prospects a taste of what online lessons look and feel like. For example, here's a video I posted that got over 900,000 views on Instagram, which is pretty rare for anything longer than about 10-15 seconds:
Why Do You Think This Video Was So Successful?
I think this video got a lot of views because it starts with a shot tracer (people love that) as is followed by neon green lines all over the golfer's body. Humans are so funny. I would bet if I would've used a dull color like gray, this video would've gotten less views. The lines tell the viewer more information and detail is coming, so they stick around and don't swipe away.
In this video, I tried to highlight two things the audience could visually see happening in Hideki's swing. Generally speaking, golfers fight three things: poor low point, no speed, and slicing. If I can talk about one or two of those three things, the video typically does pretty well.
What Would You Recommend to Coaches Looking to Start Doing the Same Thing?
If this is something you're interested in doing for the players you coach, my biggest recommendation is to start posting something at least 4x per week, even if you feel like it's not the best quality. Post drill videos, student swings, and success stories. As you post more and more frequently, you'll learn what works and what doesn't.
If you're looking to start giving online lessons, start cheap and start local. I gave a ton of free swing analysis/lessons through my online platforms to get more comfortable speaking to a phone instead of a person. And get comfortable using swing analysis tools.
I'd also recommend starting with players you see regularly and testing it out with them. Simply have them send a check-in video between lessons. It's an easy way to start getting comfortable with online coaching. Ask if they have any friends who might want some help, and start out charging very little for your service. More people will do it, you'll feel less pressure to provide a magic fix for them over a video, and you'll get better at it with every lesson you give.
How Do You Use Social Media to Boost Your Online Lesson Brand?
I think this is where highlighting student swing changes or success stories is important. Golfers see those transformations on your social media page and want in on the action.
Additionally, once you feel comfortable, use your online lessons as content for social media.
You can easily post a voiceover analysis of a swing, or a clip of yourself from an online lesson you've completed. That's free and easy content, because you already created it! If you're having trouble keeping your video to under 90 seconds, do a quick voiceover highlighting what issues you identified in a player's swing and why it's important they work on it. For bonus points, add in a drill you gave them. If the viewer has similar issues, they'll appreciate the drill you provided and likely follow your page.
You can follow Justin Kraft on Instagram @kraftygolf.