How to Excel in the World of Sports Marketing

The infinitely complex world of sport is home to some of the most passionate fans found anywhere on earth.

In many instances, the fans are indeed the beating heart of sport itself, as they help drive the industry’s success in a vast array of respects.

This makes the prospect of sports marketing an enticing one for those of you wishing to embark on a challenging yet rewarding journey through a consistently evolving landscape.

With so many details to consider, platforms to operate on, demographics to reach out to, and connections to make, expansion and professional growth can seem like a labyrinthian task to undertake.

If this position sounds familiar to you, here are some useful points that you may want to bear in mind should you wish to excel in the world of sports marketing.

All About the Fans

Any given sport generally has its own rituals, events of utmost importance, dos and don’ts, and of course, rivalries.

This is why dedicating your efforts to a specific fanbase can be essential, as it can inform your marketing campaign in a number of areas such as:

• Locational Demand – Local sports teams are a huge part of life in many societies. Moreover, they are often incredibly unique, specific to the region, and steeped in tradition, which can be important to bear in mind when putting together an advertising campaign and sourcing sports icons to promote brand awareness.
• Interests – When attempting to market a new product or create new content for your website and campaign, it is vital to respond to a particular fanbase’s specific needs. This can help you find success based on the interests of the customer and take your efforts in a new direction. For example, fans of MotoGP will likely be interested in motorbike parts and models, which can be useful to bear in mind when writing a blog and working on backlinking throughout your campaign.
• What Works for Some – The diverse nature of the sporting world makes honing in a particular niche crucial for any avid marketer, and it is worth bearing in mind that what works for some will undoubtedly fail to garner attention for others. The same can be said even within the same sport, as the difference in leagues and competitions can greatly influence where and when you decide to launch your campaign.

Working in the Off-Season

NFL mania may be rife in September, but one of the most challenging aspects of sports marketing is keeping interests high and making sales throughout the off-season.

This is just one of many areas where making use of online tools can work to your advantage. For example, greenfly.com/solutions/sports is a great tool to promote off-season fan engagement. By compiling your content across various channels and integrating it into a clear and succinct location, you can utilize this fantastic tool to organize your marketing efforts and allow for real-time collaboration.

Making sure to raise brand awareness is a key factor in maintaining your presence throughout the off-season. Writing a regular blog that covers team news and transfers can help retain the buzz in time for the start of a brand-new season. You may also wish to consider reaching out to the fans themselves and use team merchandise to your advantage; for example, starting a competition in which fans send in their photos can be a superb way of promoting clothing products while offering your demographic a chance to actively engage with your brand.

Utilize Social Media

Soccer fans rarely forget an iconic moment from champion’s league history, which is worth bearing in mind when working with social media. From Gareth Bale to Zinedine Zidane, posting historical footage of the world’s best goals on YouTube is a fantastic way to promote your brand through customer engagement while growing your social media presence.

Sports montages, moments, and interviews regularly rack up millions of views on YouTube, from touchdowns to photo finishes; turning to the video platform can be great for increasing brand awareness and customer engagement through an immensely popular medium.

By embedding a video player in your site, you can start to make regular video updates, capturing these iconic moments for fans visiting your page.

Optimizing Across All Platforms

One of the essential aspects of any marketing campaign is perhaps the concept of accessibility. The more customers who can successfully interact with your campaign through a multitude of mediums, the more likely you are to increase your reach and the effectiveness of your content.

Optimizing for mobile is crucial in this regard, as many sports fans take to their smartphone to access results, scores, team news and league standings. If more viewers decide to opt for the smartphone experience over traditional forms of media, it is certainly worth keeping an eye on whether or not your content is functioning to the best of its ability through this option.

Sourcing Talent

A great way to increase brand visibility is to promote your product with the help of top-tier talent.

In this regard, partnerships can be incredibly lucrative for all parties involved. Reaching out to local stars might be a good place to begin your search.