Your Own Sportscenter

If Sportscenter were just a listing of dates, times and locations of games, meetings and events, it wouldn't be very exciting or interesting. Teams would suffer because fans would be less educated, informed and engaged. Ticket sales would drop. Sponsors would leave. Licensing deals would lose value.

Instead, Sportscenter (and all of the other sources of news about a team) gives fans an inside look at the team, it's coaches, individuals and events. Fans get excited. They want more. They talk around the water cooler. They come to the game early. Buy gear (and concessions). They become the most important asset you have.

So... how are you educating and involving your fans?

You and Maslow

 

 Ever wonder what makes a fan a fan? I mean, why would someone support a team of people that, often times, does not even know that you the fan are there? Maslow's hierarchy of needs tells us all that we need to know. People need to belong and they need to have love and companionship. "Misery loves company," they say and that's true of happiness and every emotion in between. 

 So think of that when you are wondering how to grow your fan base (yes, businesses have fans too. Think Mac, Greatful Dead and VW), think about how you can serve your fans and give them what they want. No. Think about how you can give them what they need.

Host events. Give them insider information. Give them a "shout out". Show them you care. If you have to, do it one-by-one.

The Best Coaches Don't Coach

While presenting last weekend in New York, I had the opportunity to connect with Rob Koll, the head wrestling coach at #1 ranked Cornell University this past weekend. I am relatively well acquainted with his program through various people and avenues and have long heard how he runs his program as if he were the CEO rather than just a coach. During his talk, he stressed the importance of his marketing ("marketing, marketing, marketing" he said). More often than not, marketing will give you (my words, not his) the things that you need to move your organization forward. Community support, increased attendance, parental involvement, alumni engagement, student-body support, participation and, most importantly, money. Because without these things you will have a hard time fulfilling your mission... teaching life lessons, building character and winning titles all require facilities, gear, travel etc... and those cost money.
So step back, look at the big picture, dream a little... no, dream big... and figure out how you can get there.
There is a way.

Un-marketing

I discovered a new term (and an interesting person in the process) the other day. Un-marketing. I'm not sure if Scott Stratten coined it or not but the term sums up what you need to do. If you want to drive ticket sales, get more members, maximize fundraising or increase attendance then you have to stop marketing and start engaging. That is possible now more than ever with the new communication channels available today.

Be interesting.
Write something I want to read.
Make my life easier.
Do something cool.
Exist where I already am.
And... talk to me.

Then I might buy, sign-up, donate or show up.

When Nothing is Better Than Something

Remember when you got your website? You built it yourself or you had "a guy" who built it for you. It was gong to be great! You added pages for your roster, schedule, team info, fundraising, alumni, links, results, fun facts, contact us, about us, news, coaches, history, pics, video, rankings, JV, site map...
Unfortunately, you haven't updated most of this since last December so when visitors land on your site, they think it, and your organization, is dead. They never return. No website is better than a dead website.
All you really need, most likely, is a news blog to let me know whats going on. A one-page website with news posted chronologically from top to bottom. If you need more, create a Facebook Page. I can find your videos and pics there in addition to your news. Or better yet, they find me.
The real key is to get me then keep me. You do that by creating multiple avenues of communication through which you can "keep" someone. Facebook, Twitter, email newsletters, blog and RSS feeds (notice I didn't say website).
Keep it simple and build as your resources allow. Baby steps.

How to Start a Riot

I have been asked "why the hell would you name your company Riot?" Riot has a bad connotation of flipping over cars and burning buildings after your team loses the championship (or wins- never could figure this out). However, to start a riot, someone has to be passionate enough about something to stand up and take action. How do you start a riot through social media marketing? Well, it takes the right mix of quality content and engagement. 
What does your team's community want to read about? What will make them stop in their tracks on this busy day to read what you have written (or watch your video or otherwise pick up what you're puttin' down)? Then, when they react, will you engage with them? Or are you just a one-way pipeline of information like a newspaper (dying) rather than social media (thriving).

Social Media = Brochure?

I was talking with the director of a large national organization recently.  "We're doing the social media thing," he explained.  "The challenge is keeping it up-to-date."
I will be working with him on a paradigm shift before we even begin to talk about strategy. Social media is not something that you have to keep up-to-date like a website or brochure.  Social media is where you engage and where you offer value.  What do I mean? Here are some examples:

• Respond to questions posted on Facebook or Twitter: like a handshake or a handwritten note, these encounters go a long way
• Ask questions of your followers and fans by soliciting feedback and crowdsourcing ideas: show them that they are valued
• Post good content: respect their time
• Offer discounts or specials for those in your community
• Enjoy it.  I'm mean really enjoy your community. Like a smile over the phone, it comes through.

Social Media Overload: How to Simplify and Systematize to Maximize Revenue

Everyone is talking about the death of traditional media and the rise of social media. (Especially us consultants... I'm aware of the irony).  There are 100 ways to leverage social media but what is right for your team, department or organization?  Too many, and you spread yourself thin.  Not enough, and you are practically non-existent. 

Things to consider:

• Outcomes- what are the outcomes that you want?  Stronger donor relationships, better attendance, more media coverage, a closer knit community of supporters?  ("Who is Your Target Market")
• Budget- do you have someone who can dedicate themselves to this full-time? Part-time? Can you outsource this? Will this be something that you will be doing? If so, how often will you set aside time?
• Competition- what is your competition doing? Is this a way for you to get ahead or just catch up? What are they doing that is effective?  

Set aside time for strategic, high-level planning. Then attack!

You Want me to do What? A Top 10 List

I want you to start a blog. Forget about the preconceived notions that you have about a blog being for political junkies, small businesses or sports marketing consultants that provide an awesome service. Blogs are for everyone nowadays.  Granted, most are full of the kind of people who like to hear themselves talk.  The good ones are written by people with something to say.  And, if you have a vision for your sports team, club or athletics department, then you have something to say.  And we, your fans, alumni, community and prospective supporters, want to listen. What would you post?

1. Your mission- this cannot be done in one post
2. Interviews with athletes, coaches, administrators, alumni, parents and members
3. Links to organizations that are like-minded
4. Links to articles and resources that your followers would want to see
5. History of your team or club
6. Outcomes you expect
7. Video
   
8. Your schedule
9. Personal musings
   
10. Fund raising messages

See... it's not hard.  Brainstorm a bit here... what am I missing?

Jim Harshaw

Riot Marketing
More fans.  More media.  More money.  Less work.
www.riotsportsmarketing.com

(434) 409-0257

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Where's the ROI?

What is it with all of this social media buzz?  Where's the value? 

The problem is in the metrics, or lack thereof.  You can measure metrics such as Facebook fans (or "likes"), Twitter followers, retweets, blog comments and other such metrics but you want to know the bottom line. It's hard to measure the return on investment in time, energy and even money (time is money isn't it?) invested into social media so, unfortunately, all too often it gets ignored.  Unless you're tracking how many fans show up at your competitions because of your printed schedule cards or by having your event listed in the paper's "community calendar", then it's hard to measure the ROI on many of the marketing actions that we already know that we have to do. 
Consider this, coach. Practice 1,000 double-legs, shoot 1,000 free throws, run 100 miles... how many more "W's" will that bring?  As a coach, you trust in the cumulative effect of daily effort. You can't work hard today and expect the results tomorrow.  Sometimes you won't even see them this season!  But you will see incremental gains. 
How will marketing, more specifically social media marketing, help you? A few of the benefits that my clients see are:

• more people learning of your mission and vision
  
• increased attendance
• more successful fund raisers
• better attended optional workouts and off-season training
• higher participation rate
• more community involvement
• better parental involvement
• fewer communication breakdowns

 If you are not fully utilizing the tools available to you then you should re-evaluate your program.  Is it ok to operate at 90%?  80%?  70%?

Jim Harshaw

Riot Marketing
More fans.  More media.  More money.  Less work.
www.riotsportsmarketing.com

(434) 409-0257

Show Some Leg

I can get your schedule on your website.  I can read the results in the paper.  I can overhear that you made a new hire to your staff.  But you need to tell me more... if you want me to join you, that is. 
Marketing a sports team is more than just putting out some schedule cards and getting the tv station to cover your "meet the team" event. Pull back the curtain and let me inside. When I know your struggles and your fears and your aces and your strengths then I'm an insider.  When I'm an insider, I'm on your side. I'm pulling for you.  The article below talks about how professional sports teams are using social media marketing to drive revenue, connect with their fans and show their personalities.  A website is no longer enough.  A static website has very little value unless you are luring eyeballs to it.  There's no better way to do that than through Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, blogging and email marketing.
http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Sports-get-more-social-615598.php

Jim Harshaw

Riot Marketing
More fans.  More media.  More money.  Less work.
www.riotsportsmarketing.com

(434) 409-0257

Story vs Status

What's your story? 
You say that you are the underdog. Or maybe the veteran, the favorite or the new kid on the block.  That's your status.
Every team and organization has a story behind their status. If your supporters and prospective supporters know your status, big deal.  (By "supporters" I don't just mean your team and their parents).
Your story is everything that makes up your status. It is a story woven of the fabric of many, many stories within your program that happen over time.  If I know your story- or, I should say, stories - then you're more likely to get me to get up and take action.  Or show up at an event. Open my wallet.  Tell a neighbor. Call the paper.  Put a bumper sticker on my car. Wear a t-shirt. Talk to the guy in front of me in line who is wearing your hat.
You see, the story is much more than you can get from the newspaper.  It is more than what you can get from Sportscenter.  It is more than you can get from a 5 page spread in Sports Illustrated.  Your story is what you get to tell daily in digestible bites.
Social media has given you the power to tell your stories; to create a following.  That is why I say that social media is the great equalizer.
Spin me a tale and I may stand with you.


Jim Harshaw

Riot Marketing
More fans.  More media.  More money.  Less work.
www.riotsportsmarketing.com

(434) 409-0257

Where Are Your Fans?

How can you use location based social media for your team? 

Places Everyone!

I was planning to write a post about the importance of location-based social media apps for sports, primarily Foursquare, when Facebook jumped into the game last week.  So, with that, I think it's plain to see that, if Facebook is in the game, then it's likely to be big.  Location based social media is basically a way for users to "check-in" when they arrive at a location.  With Foursquare, maybe the most popular location based check-in social media, the person who has checked into a location the most is the "mayor". Some businesses offer special discounts for their mayor.  I suggest you get yourself a Foursquare account (free) and create a "place" where you compete for home competitions.  Tell your fans to "check-in" at home competitions. Your mayor can recieve preferential seating or other treatment. 
Just another way to engage your sports fans!  The professional teams are already doing it so, as I always say, social media is the great equalizer.  Be your own sport marketing agent!
Check out this short vid on location based social media