Client Feature: Mohawk Lanes
How a bowling center knew marketing would help its business continue to thrive.
By Taylor Jones
After 44 years in business, Michelle Householder, Mohawk Lanes manager, knew it was time to incorporate marketing into her business. As a family owned business, Michelle has watched it grow and change over the years. With time, she knew that marketing services would need to be incorporated for the bowling center’s future success.
“We knew we had to do it,” said Michelle. “I guess as you get older, you get more resistant to change. It’s not that you’re resistant as much as you’re intimidated.”
Forty-four years ago, her father opened the business and solely managed it, a few years later a few other families became part of the deal. Ten years ago, Michelle’s family bought it back from the other owners, and she has been managing it ever since.
Michelle had no experience handling social media, and that’s when she finally made the leap and contacted our marketing team. She started working with us during the summer of 2017 and was fascinated by our presence — even in other states — but mostly that we are located out of Indiana, Pa.
“You’re everywhere.” she said. “And it’s really cool that your located here.”
In a small college town with little to do, one of her main goals was to attract college students and a younger demographic. She felt that through our marketing, advertising, and social media services she would be able to do so.
“Social media is beyond us,” said Michelle. “We need a younger generation behind us. Sarah was so relaxed and wonderful.”
We have been able to help Michelle by creating a new logo, postcards and other design materials over the course of working together. Through weekly consultations, we’ve also been able to help them with Facebook (posting and advertising), Instagram, auditing of their website, email marketing, and optimizing their Google business account.
When we first met with Mohawk Lanes, one of their biggest struggles was advertising and posting on social media. After seeing the results first hand, Michelle believes Facebook advertisements have really helped her reach her target audience.
“We do the Women Bowling With Wine,” she said. “The people who attend [now] usually have found out about it through Facebook.”
Not to mention, they’ve seen an immediate return on investment from Facebook ads. Each ticket to Women Bowling With Wine costs $15, so the profit has been easily returned even with a conservative ad budget. The ad has helped the bowling center increase awareness of their events and reach the demographic they were looking for.
Michelle mentioned the guidance and support is the best part of working with us. Once she started working with our agency, she realized that the bowling center needed a marketing upgrade more than she had originally thought.
“We realized we were so behind the times,” she said. “It really was like Sarah was so put together, and we are fly by the seat of one’s pants unorganized. We needed to be more organized.”
“I think, to a degree, it is sort of like having homework,” said Householder. “Sarah has us posting on Instagram, but it’s not always the easiest. We have a Facebook page, and she’s got us structured there because before it was an awful platform. I now know we need real pictures and real people.”
When asked what she wants the community to know about her business, Michelle responded passionately:
“We want people to know that this is a very inclusive game — all ages, all abilities.”
“There’s a group of girls that come every week for 80s night, and that’s kind of neat to me,” she added. “We do business with the physically challenged and also schools. It’s very community based.”
Her main goals are to stress the importance of getting kids to be more active.
“One of the offers we run that I think is really important is Kids Bowl Free.” said Michelle.
Kids Bowl Free is a national program that runs May 1- September 1 and offers two free games a day to children 15 and under who have registered.
Michelle hopes that the discount brings young people through the door.
“Hopefully it’s helping us build customers. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Their specials, tournaments and party rates are available on the Mohawk Lanes website.
We’ve really enjoyed working with Mohawk Lanes thus far and look forward to helping them with continued success. We can say first-hand that their love and dedication for the business is quite apparent, and we enjoy going there not just as a business we work with but also as customers.
Need help with your own marketing strategy? Schedule your first free consultation today.
