The main role of any player on a sports team is to go out there and give it 110%. But there are other roles that teammates have, roles that happen off the court, field and ice that shape the success of the team.
One of those roles is promotion, helping to spread the word about the team. Here’s how to do it effectively.
First thing first: Why promotion?
Promotion is important on two different fronts: firstly, it helps get butts in seats at the games (which is arguably the main reason people play), and secondly in improves fundraising chances. With that in mind, this article will look at how a sports team can spread the word.
Spice up your logo design
A sports team is like any other organization; in order for it to be visible and marketable, it needs to have solid branding. In this case, branding pretty much specifically refers to logo design.
If you really want to increase your team’s popularity, it might be time to consider a logo update, either with the help of a professional graphic designer or have someone connected to the team learn adobe illustrator. Pick an image that’s fun, cool and representative of the team. After all, the endgame with logo-creation is to make it look so good that people will want to sport it on their clothing, which leads to our second point…
Quality merchandising matters!
In the world of sports, a team’s currency is pretty much directly related to merchandise, and 90% of the time that merchandise is apparel. Once you’ve created a compelling logo for the team (or decided that the existing logo looks just fine), find a company that offers good quality t shirt screen printing services and place an order.
The t-shirts will serve a dual purpose: on one hand, they can be sold as merchandise to help the team financially, and on the other hand they serve as free marketing, boosting people’s awareness of your team.
Speaking of fundraising…
Fundraisers are the linchpin of many smaller sports teams, as they not only provide a much needed source of revenue, but they also allow the team to engage with the community. Fundraising ideas can run the gamut from the conventional (bottle drives, bake sales and raffles) to the unconventional (date auctions, rent-an-athlete and social media drives).
As for the community involvement angle, you could also work in some kind of community service, like, for instance, a team clean up day, where everyone on the team helps pick up garbage around the community. This will not only catch people’s attention, but it will make fundraising easier.
Social media marketing is a must-do!
Finally, in the modern world, one of the easiest ways to get your name out there is through social media. Create a Facebook, Instagram and Twitter account for your team, and keep it filled with content, like game videos, upcoming info and even the odd funny meme. This can’t be the extent of your team promotion, but hopefully it will drive people to come watch your games and buy merchandise.
Conclusion
Whether you have a youth team or an adult team; whether you’re in the big city or a small town; and whether you have a large or small budget, it’s possible to spread the word about your club. Go team!
