5 Ways to Win Sports Fans and Drive More Sales
Sports fans represent a huge portion of the U.S. population. According to a 2021 Statista survey, 25% of respondents said they were avid sports fans, 47% said they were casual fans, while 28% weren’t fans. These percentages represent the millions of sports fans in the U.S. who religiously follow sports such as the NFL, MLB, Formula 1, and professional basketball.
These figures show the importance of sports marketing. In 2020, $373B was spent advertising sporting & athletic goods in the U.S. Whatever your enterprise, you can take advantage of sporting events and target sports fans to drive more sales. Let’s look at five ways you can do that.
1. Sponsor the Games
The average number of TV viewers in a regular-season NFL game was 14.9 million in 2020. Brands that sponsor such games or advertise during live events become more visible to consumers.
People are more likely to remember a brand or a product if they see it during a game. You can also sponsor the teams in smaller local games and hold game-related events that engage the fans in the stadiums. If the fans have a great time courtesy of your brand, they are more likely to try your products in the future.
2. Support High School and Community College Teams
In most states, sports fans are very loyal to their local teams. Instead of focusing on pro teams, you can set aside an advertising budget for local school teams with a sizable following. By focusing on the students, you’ll attract the parents and make them feel compelled to buy from you.
3. Run Sports-Related Promotions and Contests
To direct more eyes to your brand, run promotions and contests online–on your website and social media pages. The contests should include sports questions to encourage people to participate. Sports fans will feel more connected to your brand if they are engaged.
4. Partner with Other Brands
Apart from advertising at sporting events, you can also partner with brands that target sports fans. Additionally, you can partner with star players with a huge following. Most sports fans consider these players trustworthy, and this will add credibility to your brand. Once a player endorses your product, sales will significantly increase.
5. Advertise on the Right Platforms
Sports fans pay attention to pre-match and post-match analysis on both radio and TV, so these are the best times to advertise. For the best results, advertise on both radio and TV–you’ll reach more customers. If you own a dealership, use quality car images in your TV ads.
It’s also important to advertise online, not just on traditional media. Sports teams and players now engage with fans in extraordinary ways. Digital sports marketing creates engaging and fun channels for audience engagement.
During game season, you can sponsor ads that are targeted at the people you want to reach. Find out how the best brands do it and customize your adverts accordingly. Once sports fans start engaging with your brand, they will become loyal customers and sales will go up.
