Lockdown has had a fierce hit to a lot of industries. However, none have had more of a resounding effect than for sports clubs. With fans not able to attend the stands for a majority of the season and sporadic returns to lockdown, garnering engagement through traditional means has proved impossible. However, as with any situation, the way in which sports clubs have reacted characterised how it is a highly agile industry. As fans have not been able to attend matches, a lot more fans are used to seeing their team through a screen. It is no wonder that more teams as a result are using the power of sports video to engage their fans while they are still locked down.
Reaching existing fans and keeping them warm to the club has been at the forefront of many clubs’ minds. Through providing fans with updates to how the club has adapted to COVID as well as behind the scenes footage has seen a large boost in fan engagement. At the end of the day, clubs owe their legacy to fans and serving them with content has been a goal for many clubs, regardless of their level within their sport.
Attracting new fans has also been a major objective of sports teams. Although, this is not an easy thing to achieve when the club experience is not there due to lockdown. YouTube video content has provided a good buffer for these prospective fans who might want to do more research into a club. Producing sports video content that has a broader appeal can help encourage fan engagement from avenues that might be unexplored and draw in potential fans.
Engagement is a good indicator of how well your fans are staying connected with the club. However, activating this audience has proven just as important as arousing their interest. As fans have not been properly able to attend games, sponsor revenue has become of greater importance and keeping these sponsors engaged is now a priority. Video has massively helped this effort as there are many opportunities to promote these sponsor brands through many engaging forms of content.
Video, therefore, provides massive opportunities for sports clubs to drive engagement, which has proven useful in the current climate. How have you used video to drive engagement for your brand or club?