Club Marketing Trends and Insights for 2022

MARKETING MASTERCLASS WEDNESDAY 12 JANUARY 2022

AGENDA Tonight s discussion Introductions Trends in 2022 How to create your club s marketing plan Recruitment tactics Retention tactics Questions 2

TRENDS 2022 3

INSIGHTS INTO AUSTRALIAN SPORT MARKETS MARKET TRENDS* COVID-19 The pandemic continues to impact every aspect of our lives including sport. Participants hold concerns regarding their safety, loss of connection and impacts on mental and physical health. Clubs should follow the health advice, understand members attitudes, communicate effectively, develop continency plans. Personalisation + experiences Participants, particularly younger ones, are looking for experiences of products. Clubs should review what the participants user experience is like. What s the process like for club members? Is it fun or a chore? Clubs should personalise communication and channels to connect with participants. Community + Lifestyle Participants want to be part of something that reflects positively on their identity. Clubs should find ways to create a welcoming environment for participants so they feel connected to the club and identify with it as a community. *Source: Sport Australia 4

Demographics MARKET TRENDS* The face of Australia has and will continue to change. This presents challenges and opportunities in equal measure. There has been considerable progress around diversity and inclusion and now more than ever there is support for a sport sector that better reflects our population. Clubs should ensure their environments, products and marketing are welcoming and inclusive. Convenience Convenience is a key trend across most industries and is unlikely to go away. Participants are time poor and expectation heavy. Clubs should consider how convenient and easy it is to participate e.g. how easy is it for parents to get kids to training or the game? Technology People are increasingly moving online to connect, deliver and access services, obtain information, perform transactions, work and deliver order to cluttered lives. Clubs should use digital technology to communicate and connect with participants. *Source: Sport Australia 5

INSIGHTS INTO CLUB MARKETING IN 2022 MARKETING TRENDS Content Short form video content Real time engagement Mobile first Social media Short form video content and new formats e.g. reels and stories. Personalisation people want to authentically engage with people, not faceless organisations. Go where your audiences are and don t over commit with too many channels. Direct marketing Personalised email/eDMs Give participants what they want Less is more Mobile first 6

YOUR CLUBS MARKETING PLAN 7

INSIGHT HOW TO INFORM YOUR DECISION MAKING Overview Review current marketing activities to see what's working and what needs to improve. Survey existing club members to gauge satisfaction, attitudes/opinions, barriers and behaviours. Research what successful community sport clubs are doing. Tools Clearinghouse for Sport - Market Segmentation for Sport Participation Sport Australia - Market Trends Website traffic - Google Analytics Facebook/Instagram performance - Audience Insights Bespoke surveys - Survey Monkey 8

GOALS + OBJECTIVES WHAT YOU RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE Overview First you must define what your club's goals are. Marketing and communications strategy goals must align to these. Ensure these goals are converted into SMART objectives. Tools How to write SMART goals SMART goals template in Word 9

AUDIENCES WHO YOU RE ENGAGING WITH Overview Key to modern approaches to marketing is audience centricity. Define who they are and what makes them tick in terms of demographics, attitudes, motivations and communications preferences. Tools How to create an audience profile 10

WHAT YOUVE GOT TO SAY BRAND+ MESSAGES Overview Your brand is defined by the values of your club. It connects emotionally with your club members and makes them want to return. It must be grounded in truth. Your brand is more than a logo, font or colour - it's what these visual elements signal. Ensure key messages are written with the audience in mind. Tools Branding is more than a logo 12 brand archetypes Brand v marketing messages Aligning content to audience needs/wants 11

WHAT YOURE DOING TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES TACTICS Overview Often this is where people start and this limits effectiveness. Choose tactics that match your resource capacity. Choose channels that your audiences use. Tactics should align to your goals and be a vehicle for your brand and messages. Tools Social media toolkit Email marketing/newsletter tools Website building tools Free SMS Media release templates + Media monitoring tools Ideas for fundraising events Content calendar templates Using ambassadors Attracting sponsors Best free design tools 12

MAKING YOUR PLAN RUN EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTATION Roles + Responsibilities Marketing plans fail when they aren't endorsed by internal stakeholders. Let key internal stakeholders know what you're doing and provide opportunities for feedback. Ensure internal stakeholders with implementation roles know what they need to do and the timeline. Best free project management tools Timeline This is project management lite. Map out your tactics across the year using a simple calendar or GANTT chart. Work backwards from your deadline and include dates for key deliverables. Best free project management tools Budget Most clubs run off modest or zero budgets. This doesn't mean your marketing activities won't work, but they have to work hard over time. If you do have a budget ensure it is used for the greatest impact towards goals e.g. increasing audience reach or driving conversions. Sports budget tools 13

MEASUREMENT THE IMPORTANT BUT OFTEN FORGOTTEN STAGE Overview Measuring performance is often overlooked. It's an opportunity to optimise and improve. Tools Reporting templates 14

USEFUL TOOLS TO SUPPORT YOUR PLANNING MORE TOOLS NNSWF Club HQ Marketing for clubs - NZ government Promoting your club - WA government Community organisation communication Club help 15

RECRUITMENT TACTICS 16

ATTRACTING NEW CLUB MEMBERS RECRUITMENT Registration + come try days Family friendly fun days where potential new participants can get a taste of what your club is about. Opportunity to sign people up, capture content and get media coverage. The experience is important so make it a positive one and registrations will increase. Club programs Deliver alternatives to traditional football experiences e.g. Walking Football, Kick On for Women or Summer Football. This broadens a club s member base and caters to the changing expectations and demographics of participants. Encourage word of mouth Empowering club members is a great way to encourage new members to your club. There is nothing more powerful in marketing than a recommendation from a friend. Incentivise existing players to support the health and growth of the club with referral programs. 17

Connections with schools RECRUITMENT Relationships with local schools are integral to the recruitment of new players, particularly MiniRoos. Visit and introduce your club to the relevant school departments. Invite schools to utilise facilities as required. Offer to run coaching sessions at local schools. Incentives Incentives can be used to encourage new members to join the club. A free piece of apparel that members must normally purchase to participate. Raffle tickets to win a prize donated by club sponsors. Early bird registration and family registration discounts. 18

RETENTION TACTICS 19

KEEPING YOUR CLUB MEMBERS RETENTION Organisation + communication Contact past players to re-join the club. Contact past players who are yet to register or return to pre-season training to encourage them to play again this season. Offer an early bird discount for returning members. Recognition + support Provide club members with value, respect and support and they will return. Support existing recognition programs offered by Northern NSW Football. Seek a sponsor to provide apparel to volunteers. Create a weekly in-season volunteer award. Present end of year club awards rewarding volunteer contributions. Reward volunteers with a token of appreciation from the club such as a club polo or ticket to presentation night. 20

Value for money RETENTION Cost of football is a red-hot topic. Transparency regarding costs that influence the annual registration fees will build confidence in players returning to the club. Be up front about any additional costs like socks, shorts and other kit. Make sure club executive have the right information to speak to members. Club offering Do club members know the value offered? Build a culture that supports participation and having fun. Constantly delivering this message to all participants including parents will result in a positive experience. Culture + environment Building a strong culture that encourages members to involve themselves in the club is a purposeful way of encouraging players to return. Members should be offered opportunities to grow their connectedness with the club. 21

Quality of coaching RETENTION It is strongly recommended that clubs appoint a Club Coach Coordinator (CCC) and/or a Technical Director (TD). Their role is to develop club coaches while leading the implementation of the coaching philosophy. Feedback Clubs should survey their members for feedback at the end of each season to gain an insight into their club experience. 22

QUESTIONS? Mike Collins GM Marketing and Communications mcollins@northernnswfootball.com.au 0415 809 347 23