Family Business Turns to Social Media

Austad's Golf has been owned and operated by the Austad family since 1963 when Oscar Austad and his family started the first Golf catalog in America from their home. In a little under fifty years, Austad's has grown to include 10 retail stores in the upper Midwest.

Austad's is continually looking to grow their company and build relationships with their customers. One strategy Austad's, like many businesses both big and small, has turned to is the use of Social Media. Austad's in the last year or so has taken advantage of using Facebook to create a specific page for Austad's Golf that people can like and then through Facebook be updated with different promotional efforts or just golf news from Austad's.

Currently, Austad's Facebook page has 2,464 likes, and continues to find ways to improve their Facebook page and gain more attention for this family business. Austad's current owner, Dave Austad, has enjoyed the challenge of using Facebook to connect with both old and new customers and is always looking for ways to enhance the customer relationships through the Facebook page he runs himself. Greg Paulson, a manager at the Austad's store on 41st in Sioux Falls has said the Facebook page has helped customers feel more attached with Austad's as a company and build a relationship outside of just coming in the store to buy golf equipment. Paulson has also mentioned that people seem much more likely to "like" the Austad's Facebook page then to give the company their email or other information.

Austad's continues to look for ways to expand their social media usage to not only build their business financially, but also relationship wise with their every growing customer base. Building strong relationships with the customer is key for Austad's Golf and any way to improve that relationship is an opportunity Dave Austad sees worth trying.