Sports marketing is an exciting field that’ll always keep you on your toes. There’s always something or the other that can be enhanced to increase engagement, sales, and visibility. Sports teams, therefore, are always strategizing during and after game season. Here are 5 marketing strategies they adopt to drive positive results.
1. Using social media
It seems nowadays almost the entire world is hooked on to social media. Everyone; from children to their grandparents; has at least one social media account which they log on to religiously. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are among the most popular channels through which people interact over the web. Sports teams are increasingly leveraging the power of these social media channels to engage with fans, share content, and provide updates about the team. By doing so, they are tapping into huge markets at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing.
2. Engaging female audiences
Sports has conventionally been viewed as a male-oriented sector, played by men and followed by men. But what sports marketers have come to realize is that there is a huge female fan base that watches and follows sports just as fervently. In fact, they represent a powerful demographic, both in terms of consumption and purchasing. If sports teams and marketers aren’t tapping into this demographic, they are missing out a significant market that can drive positive growth.
3. Post-game marketing
Marketing is an all-year-round effort. It doesn’t stop when the game does. It’s quite the opposite. Marketing becomes more intense after the season. Keeping the fans engaged after the game or season ensures their passion for the team or sport is still intact. This is done by offering promotions and perks that will keep fans eager for the next season.
4. Providing shareable content
Sports fans today are quite tech-savvy and spend most of their time online. They love to share what’s happening in their life, what food they ate, what games they watched, and so on. This is a great opportunity for sports teams to engage with them and provide content they can share with their friends. Sports marketers can also encourage fans to use their creativity to make content and share it with their friends and followers. Allowing fans to have conversations with the team and sharing that content across media channels is beneficial to both. It gives fans the feeling that teams care about them and sports teams can reach a wider audience when fans share their content online.
5. Building smart arenas
Including technology in the stadium can be extremely effective, both in terms of engagement and functionality. Connecting mobile applications to amenities such as concessions, parking, rest rooms, seat upgrades, coupons, game replays and highlights, etc. will revolutionize the sport industry in India. While these are yet to be practically realized, the potential for their use should be explored thoroughly. It could usher in a new era of sport and sport management and change the way sports is viewed in India.
The Sport Management program from MBA ESG teaches you how to plan and implement such strategies that drive audience engagement and keep fans coming back for more.
