Sports fans are some of the most dedicated and enthusiastic fans in the world. Seriously, we’ve all seen it. The Canadiens in Boston. Yankee pride when the Red Sox come to NYC. The Bears fan who said something nice about the Packers. And we all know everyone hates Dallas (ouch). Sports fans show unwavering devotion, despite off-seasons, injuries, and even the occasional scandal, and they deserve a little love and appreciation in return. If you’re a sports marketing professional, using an advocacy marketing program might just be the way to show that appreciation.
As the first kickoff draws near, anxious fans are already chattering about your team. It’s time to open the SocialToaster playbook and call your fans up to the majors supers with these three ways teams can incorporate advocacy marketing, specifically through SocialToaster, into their current sports marketing strategy to drive fan engagement.
Starting Lineup
Preseason is prime time to capitalize on your fans’ excitement and hope for the upcoming season. Your record is as clean as newly fallen snow and your die-hard fans still have hope of playoff berths. Use SocialToaster to fire up your most vocal believers. Here are a few ideas to show them you’re ready to pulverize the competition this season:
- Release a Hype Video: Dedicate an entire video to your fans and unveil it before the start of the season. Just like athletes need a pregame warm to get pumped for a game, your fans need a preseason pump up.
- Team Swag: Host a sweepstakes or contest and allow fans to show their “sport support” by entering to win team merch. (P.S. Signed swag can go a long way).
Showing fan love and appreciation during preseason really sets the tone for your upcoming season. Nothing says teamwork and unity like knowing your fans have your back and them knowing you’re playing your hardest for them.
Get Your Head In The Game!
One of the most effective ways to reach out and engage with your team’s fans is through social media! From Instagram and Facebook, to Twitter and YouTube, SocialToaster allows you to connect with your fans across all platforms! Allow your fans to get to know the players and feel a deeper connection with them – other than just wearing their jersey. Here are some examples to build that relationship:
- Player Spotlights: Highlight a fan favorite and showcase their personality before, during and after the game with a fun Q&A or by voting for team superlatives.
- Bring on the Bloopers: Fans enjoy seeing their beloved players making fools of themselves and enjoying funny moments.
You can’t win games using the same plays as the other team, so don’t do what everyone else is doing when it comes to content. Make sure your content is specific to your team, city or fans. Create fun, energetic and engaging content; remember, if you’re having fun with it, your fans will too.
Big Sports Fans Do(n’t) Cry
Whether it’s a Hail Mary pass, a shot from half court, or a serve at game point, sports put fans on one helluvan emotional rollercoaster. Emotions are huge players in sports. Don’t act like you didn’t cry during Remember the Titans *sniffles.* Come on, most fans say they “love” their favorite team or player and are devastated at the loss of a big game or player.
Fans experience an array of emotions that create an allegiance to your team or players. Appeal to the positive emotions that Superfans already feel towards your team to create an even deeper attachment by developing goodwill content such as:
- Do good to feel good: You’ve seen the stories and videos about athletes giving back to their community and helping others make their rounds. Be the first to show your fans what your team is doing to work with the community with exclusive videos and photos.
- Charity event calendar: Yes, your game schedule is important but so is charity. Create and share a calendar of charity events with your fans so they can help do good and get involved too.
It’s all about fostering both your geographic community and your SocialToaster community and making them feel good. Sports promote unity so content should be heartwarming, motivational, and inspirational. Remember we want happy tears, not “OMG we just lost” tears.
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If your team, whether professional, minor, little, or other, needs a boost to your strategic sports marketing initiatives, SocialToaster can help you win; you just have to make the call. Request a free demo and find out how we can help you create an engaging sports advocacy campaign.
