A Beginner’s Guide to Social Media – Emma Ballard

Social media is one of the most direct ways a golf professional can talk to their customers, build a reputation and grow a business – yet it is also one of the most commonly overlooked. In this session, Emma Ballard cuts through the noise and takes a practical, step-by-step approach to getting started: setting clear objectives, picking the right platforms for your audience, building a consistent brand presence, and creating content that actually reaches people. This is a beginner session – no prior experience needed.

💡 What You’ll Learn

• How to define your social media objectives before you post a single thing
• Which platforms suit different audiences and content types – and why less is more when you are starting out
• How to build a consistent brand profile across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn
• What types of content work well for PGA Professionals on each platform, with real examples
• How hashtags work, how to find the right ones, and how to use trending topics to increase your reach
• How to use organic reach tactics – including stories and posting to groups – to extend the life of your content
• How to use built-in platform insights to understand who your audience is and when they are online
• Why scheduling and planning tools like Buffer and Hootsuite can save time and improve consistency

👥 Who is This For?

• PGA Professionals new to social media or just getting started
• Golf coaches wanting to build a personal brand and attract new students
• Club professionals looking to promote events, lessons and their pro shop
• Any golf industry professional who wants to understand which platforms are worth their time

📂 Format & Structure

• 1 video Masterclass (approx. 49 minutes, including live Q&A)
• Estimated completion time: under 1 hour
• Watch at your own pace, on any device

🎤 About the Speaker

Emma Ballard is Senior Comms and Marketing Manager at the Women’s Sport Trust and a freelance sports journalist. She is a former Editor of Women in Golf Magazine and former Head of Digital at Medi8, the golf-specialist PR and marketing agency.

The CPG Masterclass Series embodies a range of talks and presentations for PGAs and PGA Professionals that cover a variety of subjects and topics, delivered by world-class, industry leading experts from their respective fields.