Sport sponsorship and sports marketing are extremely efficient tools to improve your brand’s digital strategy and online engagement. Here are five reasons why you should use sports to boost your 2.0 presence.
In a world that’s increasingly digital-first, brands are struggling to find ways to stand out from the clutter. But while marketers are quickly lured by the immense power of social media and content marketing, few are aware of the challenges and competitions they will have to face once they’ve embarked for their bit-sized quest.
As per October 2020, there are 4.20 Billion social media users in the world, with the average internet user clocking in at almost 7 hours of internet usage per day. Facebook alone can count on a 2.18-billion total audience, with 61,4% of the users being between 13 and 34.
In this extremely competitive environment, while a few players get all the attention (Cristiano Ronaldo, Ariana Grande and Dwayne Johnson form a 665+ Million followers powerhouse), most users, brands and small companies are forced to lag behind. But then again, let’s face the hard truth: why would you follow the Instagram page for round-the-corner-average-Joe? They’ve got no big story to tell: their everyday is ordinary, they are not aspirational, fun or ambitious.
This, of course, is a sports marketing blog: at RTR Sports we help companies wishing to use sport as an efficient communication tool. So, while we are not discussing SEO, SEM or other digital marketing strategies, we will provide an outlook on how sport and sponsorship can be efficient at building an online content strategy that works.
So, without further ado, here are 5 benefits of sports sponsorship in the digital age.
Going through them you will clearly understand why sports sponsorship is effective.
Storytelling
People just love great content. They love it even more if it’s coming from something they are passionate about and they’re a fan of. But not all companies have exciting products or are launching rockets into space: so how do you get yourself a great story to tell? why are sponsorships important in sports
Sport sponsorship gives your brand the chance to use images, videos, interviews and insights from the sponsored property in your communication. So now you’ve got plenty of great content to share on your social media or to publish on your corporate blog to provide your followers and customers with exciting behind-the-scenes and exclusive material.
Need an example? Let’s say you are involved in Formula E sponsorship and you’re looking to build a strong social media presence. You can literally get exclusive images from the track and publish mouth-watering galleries and carousels for all the Formula E fans to see. Moreover, you can customise those pictures with your logo and your brand name, so when they share them, boom, you are there getting traction.
Contents, contents and contents: people and fans are looking for that. Tell them what you do, tell they why you are sponsoring a team of a championship or their favourite athlete, tell them why are sponsorships important in sports. They love the behind the scenes.
Amplification
Sports are popular. Clubs, athletes, events, series, championships and leagues have thousands and thousands of followers on social media and on their personal channels. Sponsorship deals with these properties mean that you can get these superstars feature your content on their page or, even better, repost your content.
It’s an easy but super effective way to get your account front and center in the timelines of thousands and thousands of followers. Of course you’ll want to carefully select and craft those high-visibility posts so they’ll spread your best message around
Activations, contests and raffles
If what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, then what happens on the web stays on the web, right? Wrong! More and more these days brands want to build online-offline engagement, to bring their online followers to do something in the real shop. Sponsors can rely on the sports properties to help them with such activations, throwing contests, raffles or just using that specific hashtag for an event or campaign.
Activations are a key moment for each and every sponsorship program and the internet can provide that extra step in your step if you’re looking to communicate with a global, transversal audience. That’s why a world-class team or athlete can be of help.
Digital B2B
We’ve said that before: B2B operations are becoming more and more important in each and every sports marketing activity. Partnering with a team or a Championship means entering a very special club of selected companies and businessmen with whom it’s easy to pen new deals.
That is true also online, where sport properties can use corporate newsletters, digital introduction, online classes and meetings to put around the table their sponsors and partners. That is especially useful in the case of international series and multinational enterprises that might struggle in meeting in person but are always keen to open their doors for new business.
Database building and enrichment
Data is the El Dorado of modern marketing, the Philosopher’s stone of this day and age sales process. A healthy, up-to-date and fresh database is the cornerstone of any company’s modern take to the market and one of the main assets in any business.
For the average company, building a database is hard and pricey as customers will be reluctant in giving away their data or won’t exactly flock to the corporate website in the thousands to fill a web form. On the opposite corner of the ring, however, we have the world’s top sport properties. These clubs, venues and events have rich, transversal, wide databases that keep growing and growing as the passion of their fans keeps building. More than that: while users will be unenthusiastic when their phone company asks for their information (‘ugh, not these people again’), they will cheerfully leave all their information on the field to get that signed picture of their hero or to see the highlight reel from the race.
Sponsors can rightfully take advantage of the sport properties’ database to enrich and broaden their CRM operations or to fatten that sales pipeline.
Final words
After a year-and-a-half of COVID pandemic, digital strategies are more than ever front and center in any business’ agenda. Not only the internet has allowed brands to stay in touch with their customers and clients and to do business as usual, but has also provided the opportunity to keep healthy relations with their employees, their partners, their suppliers and their network.
Sure, Instagram is a lot of fun and Facebook has cool emojis under their updates, but there’s more to the internet than just mere presence. Corporations and brands know that. They know how their storytelling must be compelling, cross-channel and robust to build engagement and drive sales. They know that traditional metrics, such as page views, likes and retweets are no longer effective and that holistic, rich online experiences are what really matter nowadays.
Sports can be the go-to-guy here, as sponsorship unlocks the chance to tell a great story that’s powerful and full of meaning.
If you want to know more, do not hesitate to get in touch today.
And if you’ve ever in the UK and want to talk over coffee, let’s catch up: we are a London sports marketing agency after all.
