bocce@boccesport.com

In order to survive and grow in an increasingly competitive market, sports clubs must find ways of attracting new members while retaining existing ones.

Through marketing, you can achieve this, while it also helps you:

Recommended marketing tools

Keep it simple and utilize the full range of tools that are available, from using the media to running events. Select the tools that will best reach the people you want to encourage to join your club. When promoting the sport, it is important to use images that people can relate to, so they feel included from the start.

And finally, don’t forget to make the most of the technology that is available. Your website and email campaigns are effective, low- cost and immediate ways of communicating to existing and potential members.

Stationaries and publications

Business cards, letterhead, envelopes, postcards, brochures, booklets, and folders are all widely used communication tools that can help strengthen the visual identity of the university when used properly. All of these components provide the opportunity to convey a positive message each time they are used. Consistent use of these identity standards demonstrates that each college, school, department, or other unit respects and values its affiliation with the university.

The idea is to create consistency, maintain your brand reputation, and keep things simple because it is this constant repetition that will help your brand to resonate with everyone who sees it.

Direct Mail

Whether you are promoting an event or maintaining strong relationships with your existing members, direct mail is a great way to make a more personal approach.

Start by building and maintaining a database. This will enable you to use personalized mailings to let members know of new committee members, new equipment, events, and other important updates. You could also target “lapsed” or infrequent members to encourage them to return.

Media

Through the production of press releases, the media offers you a cost-effective method of promoting your club or an event you are running. If you have a story that is newsworthy and relevant to the local community, the media will allow you to promote this freely to a large audience.

Every press release you write should have a strong title. Focus on “firsts” e.g., one of your club members is the first to qualify for a national event. As always, avoid jargon.

First paragraph - Don’t waffle or try to set the scene, but get straight into your story.

Figure 118: TV media

Figure 119: Promotion flyers

Figure 120: Social media

Engage local community and local businesses

It is important that your club becomes the hub of your local community. What would be the effect of your club not existing? If there is no effect, then you need to make your club more relevant to locals.

The first step is to develop a community engagement program. Link your club to other parts of the community, such as medical centers, colleges, and housing estates. Make the most of your facilities and share them with your partners during quiet times.

Utilize the expertise in your community, such as legal and financial professionals. They will also benefit if there is a successful club in the local area.

Look at your club as a large network of people which local businesses can promote their products and services to. Sell your club and illustrate how a business can be more visible in the community by being linked to your club.

Embrace technology - create database

Building and updating a database will enable you to personally communicate important club information to your members. You could also target “lapsed” or infrequent members with special offers to encourage them to return.

Creating such a database is straightforward, using software such as Microsoft Access or Excel. If you create a database, think about the sort of information you’ll need to know over time. It will probably be a simple list of details such as members’ names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, children’s ages, type of activity/session required, and willingness to be contacted by you from time to time.

Website

Websites in recent years have become a lot more than just a method to electronically display information about your club.  An interactive website will allow the public to register for courses or pay their membership fees online, thus saving you time and money with administration. This also allows you to capture valuable information about the people who are visiting your site.

Websites are at the heart of the most successful marketing campaigns.  By promoting website addresses on marketing material, you are able to direct people to find out more information, while encouraging them to register for events or courses.

Social Media

Social media is ubiquitous. Today, almost everyone is a member of at least one platform.

Besides their wide reach, what’s great about social networks is that pretty much all of them are free to use. As a consequence, they present an inexpensive way for team promotion.

Social media platforms allow fans to have a direct connection to their favorite team, interact with players and club members as well as receive important news and updates.

Sound good? Then let’s go over some of the biggest networks and how you can use them for your sports team’s marketing.

Facebook

Facebook is by far the biggest social network out there. That means there are plenty of opportunities to create conversations around your club, promote events and publish news.

By establishing a dedicated Facebook club page, you give fans and followers a way of interacting with you. The platform also makes it easy for existing followers to like and share anything you post on your page, thereby increasing the reach of your content.

However, what can you share with your followers? Here are a few ideas: