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If you work in Professional Sports or College Athletics and your primary goal is to sell more tickets to your games... this podcast is for you.
Each week Sports Marketing expert Jeremy Neisser will deliver practical marketing tips rooted in 21 years of professional and college digital marketing experience so that you can immediately apply to improve your marketing and SELL MORE TICKETS to your sporting event.
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the effectiveness of email marketing in the sports industry. He emphasizes that email marketing is not dead and can provide a high return on investment. He shares statistics on open rates and click-through rates for sports teams' emails and highlights the importance of increasing these metrics to sell more tickets.
Neisser also encourages sports teams to understand their average order value and track their email marketing performance. He concludes by offering support and suggesting the next topic of segmentation in email marketing.
Takeaways
Email marketing is still a valuable tool for sports teams and can provide a high return on investment.
Understanding and improving open rates and click-through rates can lead to increased ticket sales.
Sports teams should track and analyze their email marketing metrics, including average order value.
Working with ticketing companies to implement tracking links can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of email campaigns.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Email Marketing
01:12 - Email Metrics and ROI
04:05 - Understanding Your Numbers
05:01 - Tracking and Reporting
06:00 - Increasing Open and Click-Through Rates
06:27 - Next Steps and Conclusion
Email marketing has been the most used platform for sports marketers to sell tickets for many years. Within the last 15 years, social media and other forms of communication have increased in popularity which has driven down the effectiveness of email marketing.
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of email segmentation in sports marketing. Email segmentation involves categorizing your email list based on where your buyers are in the purchase journey, allowing for personalized and relevant communication. The benefits of email segmentation include higher open rates, click-through rates, and deliverability, as well as reduced unsubscribes. Segmenting your email list also leads to improved ROI and better engagement with ticket buyers. Jeremy provides three takeaways: segment your email list into different buckets, plan relevant content for each segment, and analyze metrics to measure success.
Takeaways
Segmenting your email list allows for personalized and relevant communication with ticket buyers.
Email segmentation leads to higher open rates, click-through rates, and deliverability.
Segmenting your email list reduces unsubscribes and improves engagement with ticket buyers.
Analyzing metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions is crucial for measuring the success of email marketing efforts.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:41 - Email Segmentation and Personalization
01:37 - Benefits of Email Segmentation
03:52 - Segmentation for Ticket Buyers
04:48 - Takeaway 1: Segmenting Your Email List
05:45 - Takeaway 2: Planning Relevant Content
07:14 - Takeaway 3: Analyzing Metrics
08:41 - Conclusion
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses how to improve email subject lines to increase open rates, click-through rates, and sales. The conversation covers the importance of segmenting email lists, A/B testing subject lines, using scarcity and numbers, and incorporating emojis and personalization. The host emphasizes the need to avoid overusing certain tactics, such as scarcity and emojis, to maintain fans' attention. The episode concludes with three takeaways: not every subject line should feel like a sales pitch, A/B test subject lines to find what works best, and experiment with personalization, emojis, and numbers.
Takeaways
Not every email subject line should feel like a sales pitch.
A/B test subject lines to find what works best for different situations.
Experiment with personalization, emojis, and numbers in subject lines, but avoid overusing them.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Segmenting Email Lists
01:11 - A/B Testing Subject Lines
04:35 - Using Emojis and Personalization
07:27 - Takeaways
A/B testing is the fastest way to understand which emails resonate with your fans. Listen in to learn the 3 different tips on what to include inside your email subject line that will improve open rates.
In this episode, the Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of the preview text in email marketing for sports teams. The preview text is the small text below or next to an email's subject line in the inbox, providing additional insight or context. The host emphasizes the value of updating the preview text to increase the chances of fans opening the email.
Guidelines for the length of the preview text are provided, and examples are given on how to connect the subject line and preview text to engage fans. The main takeaways include utilizing the preview text, optimizing the length, and connecting the subject line and preview text.
Takeaways
Make use of the preview text in email marketing.
The optimal length for preview text is between 35 and 90 characters, with 60 to 70 characters being a good rule of thumb.
Connect the subject line and preview text to engage fans and increase open rates.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:41 - The Importance of Email in Sports Marketing
01:39 - Understanding Preview Text
03:04 - The Value of Updating Preview Text
04:04 - Connecting Subject Line and Preview Text
06:01 - Takeaway 1: Utilize Preview Text
06:28 - Takeaway 2: Optimal Length for Preview Text
06:57 - Takeaway 3: Connect Subject Line and Preview Text
Listen in to learn a few ways how you can use the preview text to your advantage to get more fans to open the email and buy more tickets.
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses six marketing opportunities or adjustments that can be made to increase ticket sales through email optimization. The topics covered include the timing of email sending, making emails skimmable, matching email copy with landing pages, limiting links and having multiple calls to action, incorporating social media content, and regularly updating email lists. The key takeaways from the conversation are to keep emails short and punchy, send emails on optimal days and times, and regularly update email lists for better targeting and engagement.
Takeaways
Keep emails short and punchy, with multiple calls to action.
Send emails on optimal days and times (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 8 p.m.) for higher open rates.
Regularly update email lists to ensure better targeting and engagement.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:42 - The Importance of Relevant Content
03:04 - Tip 2: Make Emails Skimmable
04:03 - Tip 3: Match Email Copy with Landing Page
05:01 - Tip 4: Limit Links and Have Multiple Calls to Action
06:21 - Tip 5: Incorporate Social Media Content
07:18 - Tip 6: Regularly Update Email Lists
11:09 - Takeaway 1: Keep Emails Short and Punchy
11:39 - Takeaway 2: Optimal Days and Times to Send Emails
12:03 - Takeaway 3: Keep Email Lists Updated
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of email marketing in sports and provides tips on how to engage season ticket holders and single game buyers through email communication. He emphasizes the need to set the stage for communication with season ticket holders from day one and over communicate changes to keep them informed.
For single game buyers, he suggests sending 'know before you go' emails and post-game emails with special offers. Additionally, he recommends sharing highlights on social media to engage fans without directly asking them to buy tickets.
Takeaways
Set the stage for communication with season ticket holders from day one
Over communicate changes to keep season ticket holders informed
Send 'know before you go' emails and post-game emails to single game buyers
Engage fans through sharing highlights on social media
Sound Bites
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Recap 01:06 - Importance of Email Marketing 06:23 - Chapter 4: Three Emails for Single Game Buyers 13:45 - Takeaways
Season ticket holders are creatures of habit. Over-communicating changes and keeping them "in-the-know" makes them feel special and exclusive. Single-game buyers are looking for a fun, enjoyable game day experience. Preparing them for what to expect helps build trust and begins the process of building strong engagement with the team.
Listen in to learn these six no-so-common emails that will help you build a strong fans base and sell more tickets.
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy discusses the importance of growing your email database during the off-season. While the in-season is a prime time for email list growth, teams often neglect the off-season, leading to burnout and decreased engagement from single game buyers.
Jeremy emphasizes the value of a large and convertible email list, as well as the opportunities for growth during the off-season. He provides tips on best practices for email capturing and suggests leveraging contests, events, and merchandise sales to grow the database. Jeremy concludes by encouraging teams to set goals for off-season database growth.
Often times teams ONLY focus on growing during the season through ticket sales opportunities and merchandise sales. Often times single-game buyer lists are burned out as they receive a ton of "upcoming promotions or buy tickets now" emails.
Takeaways
Having a consistent strategy to grow your email list in the off-season introduces more fans to your marketing, which leads to more ticket sales.
Set a process for collecting email addresses and ensure clean data by using QR codes and online forms.
Explore different opportunities during the off-season, such as contests, events, and merchandise sales, to grow your email database.
Set a goal for off-season database growth to make selling more tickets during the season easier.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:40 - Growing Email Database During the Season
01:38 - Challenges of In-Season Email Marketing
03:04 - Benefits of a Large and Convertible Email List
04:03 - Best Practices for Email Capturing
04:58 - Opportunities for Off-Season Database Growth
06:24 - Setting Goals for Off-Season Database Growth
The majority of the offseason is ticket plan selling, promotions/marketing planning, budgeting, and sponsorship renewal. I encourage teams to make a plan to grow your database during the offseason so that selling during the season is easier.
Listen in to learn a few tactics to grow the list during the offseason so that you can sell more tickets during the season.
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of growing your email database during the off-season and provides two unique ideas for growing it during the season. He emphasizes the need to increase the opportunity to collect email addresses to turn single game buyers into fans who attend multiple games.
Jeremy explains the current email database and attendance numbers and highlights the desired email collection rate. He suggests doubling the email database during the season by implementing a process to collect additional email addresses. Jeremy then presents two ideas: in-game giveaways and website pop-up discounts. He concludes with three takeaways and the benefits of growing the email database during the season.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Importance of Growing Email Database During Off-Season
00:43 - Introduction to Growing Email Database During Season
02:39 - Desired Email Collection Rate
03:09 - Doubling Email Database During Season
04:07 - Idea 1: In-Game Giveaway
05:32 - Idea 2: Website Pop-up Discount
06:56 - Takeaway 1: Focus on Growing Email List During Games
07:25 - Takeaway 2: In-Game Contest for Email Collection
07:51 - Takeaway 3: Set Goals for Adding Email Addresses
08:19 - Benefits of Growing Email Database During Season
In-season is the best time to collect as many email addresses as possible as it helps you sell more tickets to games and creates lead lists for your inside or ticket sales team or your group sales team.
Listen in to learn these two tactics that dramatically increase your database and help you sell more tickets.
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, the host discusses ways to grow your email database using social media. While social media is a great avenue to build awareness for your games, email marketing has a higher conversion rate and better return on investment. The host provides four ideas to use social media to grow your email database: running enter to win contests, using a call to action in your link in bio, asking fans for feedback, and going live on Instagram.
The episode concludes with three takeaways: using contests to engage fans and collect email addresses, using surveys to gather feedback and collect email addresses, and incorporating opportunities for fans to sign up for your email list through Instagram's link in bio.
Sports teams across the country are pumping out a ton of content related to their team - from highlights to promotions, events, and game day graphics while encouraging fans to buy tickets to an upcoming game. Social Media is a great tool to build awareness AND a great way to build your email database.
Takeaways
Use contests on social media to engage fans and collect email addresses.
Surveys are a great way to gather feedback and collect email addresses from fans.
Incorporate opportunities for fans to sign up for your email list through Instagram's link in bio.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Recap
00:43 - Using Social Media to Grow Email Database
02:11 - Idea 1: Run Enter to Win Contests
03:07 - Idea 2: Use a Call to Action in Your Link in Bio
04:06 - Idea 3: Ask Fans for Feedback
04:32 - Idea 4: Go Live on Instagram
05:01 - Takeaways
05:58 - Conclusion
Listen in to learn these four tactics to grow your email database using social media.
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of a social media shot list for capturing photos and videos during a game. He emphasizes the need to craft the shot list based on the story you want to tell and the intended audience. Jeremy also suggests expanding the shot list to include other opportunities for promoting the team or organization. He provides six essential shots that should be included in the game day shot list. The episode concludes with three takeaways for creating an effective shot list.
Takeaways
Craft your social media shot list based on the story you want to tell and the intended audience.
Consider additional opportunities beyond game action to promote the team or organization.
Capture moments of energy and excitement in your photos and videos.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Previous Episode Recap
00:43 - What is a Social Media Shot List?
01:13 - Crafting the Shot List: Storytelling and Audience
03:11 - Capturing Unique Moments
03:39 - Six Shots for the Game Day Shot List
05:08 - Takeaways
Listen in to learn the shots you should absolutely be capturing during the games.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of creating videos for social media and the impact they can have on a sports organization's fan base.
Jeremy highlights three reasons why more video content should be created: improved reach and discoverability, higher conversion rates, and better storytelling.
The conversation then shifts to how to create video content efficiently and affordably, with the recommendation of three video editing software options. The host concludes by providing three takeaways: testing video editing software, organizing and scheduling video content, and increasing video publishing frequency.
Takeaways
Test video editing software to create videos quicker
Organize and schedule video content to promote games
Set a goal to publish more videos each week
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Call to Action
00:42 - The Importance of Video Content
03:07 - Effective Storytelling through Videos
04:05 - Creating Video Content Efficiently
05:31 - Recommended Video Editing Software
06:29 - Takeaway 1: Test Video Editing Software
06:59 - Takeaway 2: Organize and Schedule Video Content
07:29 - Takeaway 3: Increase Video Publishing Frequency
07:56 - Conclusion and Call to Action
Recommended tool: https://predis.ai/pricing/
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses four marketing terms related to digital marketing activities in sports. He explains Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Lifetime Value (LTV), Conversion Rate, and Average Order Value (AOV). Jeremy emphasizes the importance of understanding these terms and provides insights into their significance for sports organizations. He also shares four key takeaways for selling sports tickets.
Takeaways
Take time to understand the importance of Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Lifetime Value (LTV), Conversion Rate, and Average Order Value (AOV).
Aim for a customer acquisition cost of at least 4:1, meaning for every $1 spent on marketing, aim to generate $4 in ticket sales.
Calculate the lifetime value of your customers to make informed decisions about retention strategies and resource allocation.
Website conversion rates for sports teams typically average less than 1%, so focus on improving this metric.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:39 - Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
02:59 - Conversion Rate
03:29 - Average Order Value (AOV)
06:04 - Importance of Customer Acquisition Cost
07:00 - Importance of Lifetime Value
07:30 - Importance of Conversion Rate
08:25 - Importance of Average Order Value
09:22 - Takeaways
Subscribe today and learn how to grow your fan base and sell more tickets more efficiently.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) tells you how much money you spend to acquire a customer.
Lifetime Value (LTV) is the total amount of money you expect to make from a customer over their "lifetime" as your customer.
Conversion Rate is the percentage of potential customers who become actual customers.
Average Order Value (AOV) is the average amount of money a customer spends each time they make a purchase.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses five important social media metrics that sports marketers should pay attention to. These metrics include sales, conversion rate, reach, click-through rate, and engagement rate.
Jeremy emphasizes the importance of tracking ticket sales through social media and knowing the conversion rate to understand the effectiveness of social media in driving sales. Additionally, the host highlights the significance of reach in assessing social media visibility and brand awareness. The episode concludes with three takeaways for sports marketers: track ticket sales, know conversion rate, and focus on reach.
Takeaways
Track total number of ticket sales through social media.
Knowing your conversion rate is important as it tells you how easy it is for fans to purchase tickets or buy merchandise.
Focus on increasing reach to expand social media visibility and brand awareness.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the difference between views and viewers on social media and why they matter. He explains that views refer to the number of times a video appears on a screen, while viewers are the actual people who watch the video.
The importance of views lies in increasing brand awareness and reaching a wider audience, while viewers are crucial for long-term growth and ticket sales. The episode concludes with three takeaways: understanding the distinction between views and viewers, considering the type of content when analyzing metrics, and seeking assistance to optimize social media strategies.
Takeaways
Views are the number of times a video appears on a screen, while viewers are the actual people who watch the video.
Focusing on views is important for increasing brand awareness and reaching a wider audience.
Having a large, engaged viewership is vital for long-term growth and ticket sales.
Consider the type of content when analyzing metrics and determining the importance of views or viewers.
Seek assistance to optimize social media strategies and achieve desired outcomes.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Call to Action
01:10 - Difference Between Views and Viewers
03:07 - Importance of Viewers for Long-Term Growth
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Alan Sanchez from the People's Media Relations to discuss how sports teams can get free television coverage. Alan shares his background in TV and explains the importance of packaging ideas for the media. He emphasizes the need to offer unique and engaging content to capture the attention of reporters.
Alan also provides tips on building relationships with reporters and tailoring pitches to fit their preferences. He advises teams to focus on creating experiences that are family-friendly, safe, and fun. Overall, Alan encourages teams to be proactive in reaching out to the media and offers his services to help them navigate the process.
Takeaways
Offer unique and engaging content to capture the attention of reporters
Build relationships with reporters and tailor pitches to fit their preferences
Focus on creating family-friendly, safe, and fun experiences
Be proactive in reaching out to the media and pitching ideas
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:10 - Alan's Background in TV
03:28 - Filtering Ideas for Media Coverage
08:13 - The Process of Pitching to Media
12:03 - Creating Unique Hooks for Media Coverage
31:19 - Recap of Tips
33:08 - Contacting Alan Sanchez
Alan Sanchez has spent over 10 years as a television reporter and has transitioned to help organizations obtain television coverage for their events. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepeoplesmediarelations/ Contact info: TeamAlan@gmail.com or (209) 222-0170
In this episode, the host discusses how often sports teams should be posting on social media. He challenges the recommendation of posting 11 times a day on various channels and highlights the differences between businesses and sports teams.
The host suggests creating a social media shot list that reflects the team's story and using analytics to determine the most effective posting frequency. He emphasizes the importance of videos in social media and aligning the advertising strategy with content creation. Lastly, he advises tracking ticket sales from social media to understand what types of content drive sales.
Takeaways
Create a social media shot list that reflects the team's story and objectives.
Use analytics to determine the most effective posting frequency for each social media channel.
Prioritize videos in social media as they are more engaging and effective in telling the team's story.
Align the advertising strategy with content creation to support ticket sales and fan growth.
Track ticket sales from social media to understand the impact of different types of content.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Call to Action
00:40 - The Recommended Posting Frequency
03:23 - Alternative Approach to Social Media Posting
05:48 - Using Analytics to Determine Posting Frequency
07:14 - The Power of Videos in Social Media
08:35 - Aligning Advertising Strategy with Content Creation
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Tariq Ahmed, an expert on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) for college athletes.
We dive into: 1. What is NIL & some of the rules related to it 2. What is the best way to connect with local athletes 3. How to craft a pitch that is a win-win for both parties 4. Why social media is the biggest driver for NIL deals with local athletes.
You can connect with Tariq on the following : Website: https://sportscourt.info/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sportscourt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_sportscourt TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sports.court
They discuss the rules and regulations of NIL, the importance of personal branding, and the value of local NIL deals. They also cover the negotiation process for brands and athletes, the role of social media in NIL, and the difference between NIL deals and influencer marketing. The episode concludes with key takeaways and contact information for Tariq Ahmed.
Takeaways
Understand the rules and regulations of NIL for college athletes
Develop a strong personal brand to attract brands and negotiate better deals
Local NIL deals can provide significant value for both brands and athletes
Negotiate NIL deals based on the value provided by both parties
Social media plays a crucial role in NIL deals and influencer marketing
In this episode, John Wilson from Ballgame Consulting shares insights on what GMs are looking for from their marketing directors.
The conversation covers topics such as the importance of planning and execution in marketing, utilizing all platforms for marketing, tracking ticket sales, supporting sales and sponsorship teams, using social media to generate sales leads, promotion stacking for increased attendance, sales training and support, finding group sales and sponsorship leads in uncommon places, building relationships through face-to-face appointments, and how to contact John Wilson for sales training.
Takeaways
Develop an overall plan and calendar to strategically promote the team.
Utilize all available platforms for marketing, including social media.
Track ticket sales and gather data to understand the source of sales.
Support sales and sponsorship teams by providing marketing materials and information.
Use LinkedIn and other platforms to find group sales and sponsorship leads.
Stack promotions to create sellout nights and increase attendance.
Build relationships with clients through face-to-face appointments.
Contact John Wilson at Ballgame Consulting for sales training and support.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Background
01:09 - The Role of Marketing Directors in Sports Organizations
04:26 - Utilizing All Platforms for Marketing
05:24 - The Value of Tracking Ticket Sales
06:24 - Supporting Sales and Sponsorship Teams
07:46 - Using Social Media to Generate Sales Leads
08:39 - Promotion Stacking for Increased Attendance
12:00 - Sales Training and Support
20:34 - Promotion Stacking for Sellout Nights
28:30 - Building Relationships and Face-to-Face Appointments
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Chad Collins of Legacy Search, a talent acquisition firm specializing in helping sports teams find high-level executives. Chad shares his background in sports and his journey from working in various roles to starting his own company.
He discusses the importance of culture, work-life balance, and transparency in job postings.
Chad also provides insights into the changes in recruiting due to COVID-19 and offers tips for teams looking to hire the right candidates. Overall, the conversation highlights the key factors that candidates consider when applying for sports industry roles.
Takeaways
Culture and work-life balance are important factors for candidates when considering job opportunities in the sports industry.
Transparency in job postings, including salary ranges and benefits, helps attract qualified candidates.
Teams should consider looking within their organization for potential candidates before searching externally.
Refreshing job descriptions and collaborating with HR and marketing teams can help make job postings more appealing.
Building trust and credibility with candidates is crucial in the recruiting process.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Chad Collins and Legacy Search
02:05 - Diving into Recruiting
03:08 - Chad's Background in Sports
05:14 - Career Journey and Move to Legacy Search
08:09 - Starting Legacy Search
10:39 - Importance of Culture and Work-Life Balance
11:09 - Impact of COVID-19 on Recruiting
12:18 - Changes in Job Postings and Descriptions
13:11 - Importance of Transparency and Benefits
14:07 - Considerations Before Posting Job Opportunities
16:35 - Looking Within the Organization for Candidates
24:52Building Trust and Credibility
27:22 - Qualities to Look for in Candidates
31:14 - Getting in Touch with Chad Collins
Chad has a long history of working in professional sports and Collegiate Athletics and made the switch in 2015 to an executive recruiting company. He has worked with more than 400 executives and has the connections to successfully recruit the right candidates for the right positions.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses marketing tactics for building audiences within a meta business suite. He focuses on three key audiences: website visitors, single-game buyers, and video viewers. By retargeting website visitors, teams can stay top of mind and increase the chances of conversion. Uploading single-game buyer data allows for targeting and converting them into multiple-game ticket buyers. Creating video view audiences helps to engage fans who have consumed a large percentage of videos, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
The main takeaways include ensuring the correct installation of the Pixel, building audiences of website visitors, single-game buyers, and video viewers, and utilizing the lookalike audience feature within Meta.
Takeaways
Ensure the correct installation of the Pixel and use the Meta Pixel Helper to verify
Build audiences of website visitors, single-game buyers, and video viewers
Utilize the lookalike audience feature within Meta to target similar individuals
Engage fans who have consumed a large percentage of videos for higher conversion rates
Sound Bites
"Here are the three audiences you should have built within your business suite."
"Typically, sport team websites convert at 2% or less."
"Uploading your ticket buyer data also allows you to utilize the lookalike audience feature within Meta."
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:11 - Shifting to Marketing Tactics
03:07 - Retargeting Website Visitors for Increased Conversion
04:05 - Converting Single-Game Buyers into Multiple-Game Ticket Buyers
05:33 - Engaging Video Viewers for Higher Conversion Rates
In this podcast episode, I dig into BlipBillboards.com and how teams can buy deeply discounted digital billboards in their community to promote their games. I also share how digital billboards allow you to be promotion-specific rather than be locked into a long-term deal where you don't have the flexibility to change content frequently.
Digital billboards offer several benefits compared to traditional static billboards:
Dynamic Content: Digital billboards allow for the display of dynamic and interactive content, including videos, animations, and live updates. This versatility enables advertisers to create eye-catching and engaging messages that capture viewers' attention.
Targeted Messaging: Digital billboards provide the flexibility to schedule different ads at specific times of the day or week, allowing advertisers to target specific audiences during peak traffic periods or relevant events. This targeting capability increases the relevance and effectiveness of the advertising campaign.
Real-Time Updates: With digital billboards, advertisers can make real-time changes to their messaging. They can update ads instantly, ensuring that their content remains fresh, relevant, and aligned with current events, promotions, or market trends.
Cost-Effectiveness: Digital billboards eliminate the need for printing and installation costs associated with traditional billboards. Advertisers can update content remotely, reducing ongoing production expenses. Additionally, multiple ads can be displayed on a single digital billboard, allowing different advertisers to share the cost and reach a broader audience.
Increased Visibility: Digital billboards often feature vibrant colors, high-resolution displays, and LED lighting, making them more noticeable and visible to passing audiences. The dynamic nature of the content and the ability to incorporate motion and animations further enhance their visibility and attract attention.
Environmental Friendliness: Compared to traditional printed billboards, digital billboards are more environmentally friendly. They eliminate the need for printing materials, reducing paper waste and the associated carbon footprint. Additionally, digital billboards can be powered by renewable energy sources, further reducing their environmental impact.
Enhanced Analytics: Digital billboards offer the potential for advanced analytics and data collection. Advertisers can track impressions, engagement rates, and other metrics to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns accurately. These insights enable advertisers to optimize their messaging and make data-driven decisions for future advertising efforts.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the power of LinkedIn for sports teams and how it can be used to grow a fan base and sell more tickets. LinkedIn has 900 million users worldwide, with 310 million being monthly active users. Unlike other social networking sites, LinkedIn is designed specifically for business networking. It allows teams to target an audience by their job, making it a great platform for reaching people who make buying decisions.
On LinkedIn a CEO might see something that you are doing in the community and want to sponsor it or an Office Manager sees a post about hospitality outings and reaches out or finally responds to a sales rep. These are higher-order values.
Jeremy provides tips on building a company page on LinkedIn and the types of content that should be posted, such as announcements, community involvement, job opportunities, and infographics. The episode concludes with a plan of action for implementing these strategies.
Takeaways
LinkedIn has a large user base and is a valuable platform for sports teams to grow their fan base and sell more tickets.
Teams can target an audience by their job on LinkedIn, allowing them to reach people who make buying decisions.
Building a company page on LinkedIn and posting relevant content, such as announcements, community involvement, job opportunities, and infographics, can help teams engage with their audience and attract sponsors.
It is important to avoid posting game day graphics and focus on more business-oriented content on LinkedIn.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of having a complete LinkedIn page for sports teams or athletics departments. He provides three strategies to grow your LinkedIn page and reach more decision makers: tagging or mentioning companies, inviting employees to follow the page, and posting video content. Jeremy Neisser emphasizes the benefits of these strategies and provides actionable takeaways for the listeners.
Takeaways
Ensure your LinkedIn page is fully filled out with a complete profile.
Tag or mention companies, employees, or community members in your posts to increase visibility.
Invite current employees and alumni to follow your LinkedIn page to expand your reach.
Post video content as it is favored by the algorithm and can have a significant impact on buying decisions.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Recap
01:09 - Importance of a Complete LinkedIn Page
03:03 - Strategy 2: Invite Employees to Follow
04:01 - Strategy 3: Post Video Content
05:24 - Key Takeaways
Did you know that Company Pages with complete profiles receive up to 2X more visitors than those with incomplete page profiles?
Make sure your page has the following seven items completely filled out:
– Logo – Company description – Website URL – Company size – Industry – Company type – Location
In this episode, Jeremy discusses how the Barbie movie generated hype and sales through partnerships with various brands. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging other people's email lists and social media followings to grow your own fanbase. Jeremy provides examples of how sports teams can form marketing partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits, and youth sports programs. He also suggests offering incentives, such as complimentary tickets, in exchange for promotional support. The episode concludes with actionable takeaways and an invitation to schedule a call for further support.
Takeaways
Think about partnerships with companies or organizations that have large email lists or social media followings.
Offer incentives, such as complimentary tickets, to partners in exchange for promotional support.
Consider creating value for partners by piggybacking on their existing marketing efforts.
Leverage other people's email lists and social media channels to grow your own email list.
In this episode, the host discusses three important strategies to boost ticket sales: growing your email list, social media engagement, and using data. These strategies are crucial for sports teams and organizations during the off-season to prepare for the upcoming year. The host emphasizes the value of email marketing, the importance of video content on social media, and the use of data to make informed marketing decisions.
Takeaways
Capture email addresses during the off-season to have a running start on ticket sales.
Utilize video content on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to engage a larger audience.
Use data to track ticket sales and make informed marketing decisions.
Set goals and prioritize email capture, social media engagement, and data analysis in your marketing planning.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:08 - Chapter 1: Grow Your Email List
05:22 - Chapter 3: Data
07:15 - Takeaways
During the podcast, I dig into three key pillars: social media, email marketing, and data. I break down the power of utilizing these channels effectively to reach and engage your audience, ultimately driving ticket sales through the roof.
But that's not all. I also discuss common mistakes made by event organizers when it comes to off-season marketing, and most importantly, how to avoid them. Learn from the missteps of others and ensure that your marketing campaigns are flawless.
So, if you're ready to take your ticket sales to new heights, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in as we uncover tried-and-tested off-season marketing tactics that you simply can't afford to miss.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of looking beyond impressions as a key metric in sports marketing. He highlights three other metrics that provide deeper insights into campaign performance: ticket sales, conversion rate, and website traffic. By tracking these metrics, sports marketers can better understand the effectiveness of their campaigns and allocate resources accordingly.
Jeremy Neisser also provides takeaways for implementing these metrics and emphasizes the need for monthly tracking.
Takeaways
Impressions should not be the sole focus in sports marketing.
Tracking ticket sales provides insights into the success of converting impressions into actual buyers.
Conversion rate measures the percentage of people who complete a desired action.
Tracking website traffic helps assess the effectiveness of campaigns in attracting potential buyers.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Importance of Impressions
01:43 - Ticket Sales as a Key Metric
03:09 - Conversion Rate and its Significance
04:03 - Tracking Website Traffic
05:25 - Takeaways and Conclusion
Tracking marketing metrics allows sports teams to iterate and improve their marketing strategies over time. By analyzing the performance of different campaigns, testing various messaging and creative elements, and monitoring metrics, teams can identify what works best for their audience and refine their marketing approach accordingly. This iterative process enables teams to continuously optimize their marketing efforts and stay ahead of the competition.
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Casey Sawyer from the Hillsboro Hops shares how they have used Awarity to achieve a 4 to 5 to 1 return on ad spend. They have been working with Awarity since the 2021 season and have found it to be a highly effective digital advertising platform. They upload creative assets, mainly still banner ads, and have a high level of customization in terms of ad placement and audience targeting. They track conversions and data to measure the success of their ads.
Casey discusses their strategies, including targeting specific promotions and using time-bound ads to create a sense of urgency. He also shares their budgeting approach and the importance of retargeting website visitors. Overall, Awarity has been a profitable tool for the Hillsboro Hops, with a return on ad spend ranging from 4 to 5 to 1 in previous years and 2.7 to 1 in the current season.
If you are interested in learning more about Awarity please email Andy to get a demo and learn how other teams are using the platform to sell more tickets. Andy can be reached: andy@awarity.com Be sure to mention that you heard it from Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine.
Takeaways
Awarity has helped the Hillsboro Hops achieve a 4 to 5 to 1 return on ad spend
The platform allows for customization in terms of ad placement and audience targeting
Tracking conversions and data is crucial for measuring the success of ads
Strategies include targeting specific promotions and using time-bound ads to create urgency
Budgeting approach involves allocating 20-25% of the overall digital advertising budget to Awarity
Retargeting website visitors has been highly successful
Awarity provides valuable data and insights to inform decision-making
Sound Bites
"Historically with the Awarity, we have been in that four to five to one range in 2021 and 2022."
"We will always update our creative every two weeks that say, you know, hey, the hops are home August 1st to the 6th. So then that way they know like, okay, I've got these six days or five days to get to the ballpark."
"For us, that's anywhere in the 20 to $30,000 range annually. And like I said, if we're historically seeing a four or five to one return on that, that's 80 to $110,000 in revenue."
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Casey Sawyer and the Hillsboro Hops
04:48 - Overview of Awarity and Its Effectiveness
06:11 - Tracking Conversions and Data with Awarity
08:58 - Strategies for Success: Promotions and Time-Bound Ads
11:16 - Optimizing Budgets: Allocating Resources to Awarity
13:25 - The Power of Retargeting: Reaching Interested Website Visitors
16:18 - Data-Driven Decision Making with Awarity
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In this episode, Jeremy Neisser explains the differences between accounts reached and impressions on Instagram. He emphasizes the importance of understanding these metrics and how they can be used to improve social media marketing strategies.
Takeaways
Accounts reached refers to the number of unique accounts that have seen your content, while impressions refer to the total number of times your content was displayed.
Analyzing different types of content can help determine which ones generate higher impressions and accounts reached.
Identifying engagement times based on higher impressions and accounts reached can optimize posting schedules.
Using analytics tools like Instagram Insights or Hootsuite can provide valuable data for making data-driven decisions.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:06 - Accounts Reached vs Impressions
04:30 - Main Takeaways
04:57 - Call to Action
Accounts Reached: The number of unique accounts that have seen your content on screen at least once, This also includes demographic information on the accounts you’ve reached, including top countries, top cities, top age ranges, and gender breakdown.
Impressions: The number of times a post or story was on screen. Another way to think about it. The number of times your content, whether a post or a story, was shown to users
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In this episode, Jeremy Neisser shares three email marketing optimization tips to help sports teams sell more tickets. He emphasizes the high ROI of email marketing and identifies areas of improvement, specifically open rates and click-through rates. While sports teams generally have higher open rates, their click-through rates can be low.
Jeremy provides strategies to increase click-through rates, such as having clear calls to action, writing punchy emails, and optimizing image sizes. The episode concludes with a summary of the main takeaways and a call to action for listeners to seek further assistance.
Takeaways
Email marketing has a high ROI for sports teams.
Sports teams often have higher open rates than brick and mortar businesses.
Increasing click-through rates can lead to more ticket sales.
Tips for improving click-through rates include clear calls to action, punchy writing, and optimizing image sizes.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:43 - The Power of Email Marketing
01:11 - Areas of Improvement: Open Rates and Click-Through Rates
03:04 - Increasing Click-Through Rates
04:25 - Tips for Writing Effective Emails
05:21 - Optimizing Image Sizes
06:18 - Summary and Takeaways
07:16 - Call to Action
There are typically four main stats with email marketing:
List size
Open rates
Click-thru rates
Ticket Sales
Using data from open rates and click-thru rates provides you with tremendous insight into how you are doing selling tickets with your emails
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the concept of Average Order Value (AOV) and how it can be used to determine the worth of a ticket buyer. He introduces an AOV calculator on his website and explains how to use it. Jeremy then explores the impact of AOV on budget planning, marketing effectiveness, promotions, and personalized fan experiences. He concludes by providing a plan of action for implementing AOV calculations and hints at using AOV for marketing planning in the next episode.
Takeaways
Average Order Value (AOV) is a metric that determines the worth of a ticket buyer.
Using an AOV calculator can help with budget planning and understanding the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
AOV can also be used to assess the impact of promotions and personalize the fan experience.
Implementing AOV calculations can lead to data-driven marketing decisions and improved ticket sales.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses how to use Average Order Value (AOV) to plan marketing strategies for sports teams. AOV helps determine the value of each ticket buyer and optimize marketing efforts. Neisser explains how to set revenue goals and track ticket sales by sources. He also emphasizes the importance of analyzing email revenue and comparing the effectiveness of different social media platforms. By understanding AOV, teams can make data-driven decisions and maximize ticket sales.
Takeaways
Work with your ticketing software to track ticket sales from different sources. Use an AOV calculator to determine the value of each ticket buyer and optimize marketing strategies. Understand the impact of email marketing and calculate the revenue per email. Compare the average order values of different social media platforms to allocate marketing budgets effectively.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction 00:42 Understanding Average Order Value (AOV) 02:39 Tracking Ticket Sales by Sources 03:08 Impact of AOV on Marketing Platforms 04:33 Analyzing Email Revenue 05:50 Comparing Social Media Platforms 06:49 Optimizing Marketing Strategies 07:39 Key Takeaways
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser shares a simple hack that can provide a group sales team with hundreds of leads in just five minutes. The hack involves creating a list of single game buyers, organizing the list by email addresses, and providing the leads to the group sales team.
By targeting individuals who have already attended games, the group sales team can send personalized emails to potential group outing organizers. The episode concludes with three main takeaways for implementing this hack.
Takeaways
Create a list of single game buyers from the most recent season. Organize the list by email addresses, removing personal email addresses. Provide the list of business email addresses to the group sales team. Target individuals who have attended games for potential group outings.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Promotion 01:09 Creating a List of Single Game Buyers 03:15 Providing Leads to the Group Sales Team 04:12 Expanding the Lead List for Group Sales 05:09 Summary and Takeaways
Katie Woods from the Wichita Sports Commission joins Jeremy Neisser to discuss the marketing strategies for the NBC World Series. They talk about the history of the tournament, the importance of understanding the audience, and the use of influencers and local partnerships to promote the event.
They also discuss the challenges of marketing multiple games in a short period of time and the need to create a unique experience for each game. Overall, the marketing efforts were successful in reintroducing the tournament and attracting new audiences.
Takeaways -Understanding the history and traditions of an event is crucial for effective marketing -Tailoring marketing efforts to specific audiences and utilizing influencers can lead to success -Creating a unique experience for each game can attract new audiences -Collaborating with local partners can help reach a wider audience -Data is important, but understanding the audience and what makes the event special is equally valuable
Sound Bites "If you're a new marketing director, take time to understand the history and traditions of the event before running ads." "Understanding your community and audience is crucial for effective marketing." "Taking promotions and different things for different audiences and bringing it to the NBC World Series."
Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 05:33 Understanding the History and Traditions of the NBC World Series 11:12 Marketing Strategies: Utilizing Influencers and Local Partnerships 27:11 The Value of Understanding the Event's History and Traditions
Katie and I dig into: 1. Insights into leveraging your brand, and how to share what makes you special 2. How they used visual marketing to increase their awareness 3. How learning to listen helped craft a marketing plan that celebrated 89 years of history
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser shares three cost-effective and actionable marketing strategies to sell more tickets. He emphasizes the importance of targeted marketing rather than spraying and praying. The strategies discussed include retargeting website visitors, using Awarity for digital marketing, capturing more emails on the website, and running meta ads on Facebook and Instagram. These strategies aim to increase ticket sales and provide a high return on investment. The episode concludes with a summary of the main takeaways.
Takeaways
Focus on targeted marketing strategies rather than broad approaches. Retarget website visitors using platforms like Awarity to increase ticket sales. Capture more emails on the website to expand the email list and improve marketing efforts. Run meta ads on Facebook and Instagram to reach a larger audience and drive traffic to the website.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Overview 01:08 Assumptions 04:17 Using Awarity for Digital Marketing 06:05 Capturing More Emails on the Website 08:46 Running Meta Ads on Facebook and Instagram 11:34 Summary and Takeaways
Assumptions:
You have an email software and an existing list.
You've secured trade deals with local media or organizations.
Your budget is $5000 for driving ticket sales.
You have a website for selling tickets online.
Strategy 1: Retargeting Your Website Visitors
With significant website traffic, retargeting can be a game-changer.
Use "Awarity" to create targeted ads for website visitors, even on a small budget starting at $300.
Awarity also tracks ticket sales, ensuring you know your ROI.
Implement email capture tools to gather visitor information without requiring email input, costing an average of 7 cents per email.
Strategy 2: Run Meta Ads on Facebook and Instagram
Facebook and Instagram offer excellent platforms for targeting your audience.
Leverage the large following and consider Instagram's reels as advertising.
Target viewers who engage significantly with videos or website visitors who didn't convert.
Budget Breakdown:
Month 0 (Before the Season Starts): Awarity ($300), Email Capture ($200), Total Spend ($500), Expected ROI (3-1), Net Revenue ($1500).
Months 1 to 5: Awarity ($400 per month), Email Capture ($100 to $200 per month), Meta Ads ($300 per month), Total Spend ($900 per month).
By the end of the year, you could have collected over 10,000 new email subscribers and achieved a close-to-4-to-1 return on your ad spend, all while driving more traffic to your website.
Don't forget to share this valuable content with others in the sports industry looking to grow their fan base and sell more tickets.
Action Steps:
Explore Awarity for effective retargeting.
Utilize Email Capture for cost-effective email list expansion.
Run Meta Ads on Facebook and Instagram to engage with your audience.
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In this episode, host Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of proof of performance (POP) for marketing directors in sports. He highlights three metrics that should be included in POPs to increase the value of sponsorships: views and impressions, social media impressions, and fan data. By including these metrics, marketing directors can demonstrate the reach and impact of sponsorships, leading to potential renewals and increased value for sponsors.
Takeaways
Include views and impressions from streaming or live broadcasts, as well as social media posts with prominently displayed logos.
Include relevant fan information based on the partnership, such as target areas or community involvement.
Be thorough in including metrics to show the value and impact of the sponsorship.
Seek assistance and guidance in marketing planning and understanding marketing data.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:41 - The Importance of Proof of Performance
04:15 - Metric 2: Social Media Impressions
06:06 - Metric 3: Fan Data
08:31 - Takeaways
Here's a sneak peek of what you'll discover:
1. Metrics Magic: Uncover the secret sauce behind using metrics related to views and impressions to unlock the full potential of your sponsorship deals. Learn how to leverage streaming numbers, television broadcasts, and social media to impress your corporate partners.
2. Impressions that Matter: Find out how to use impressions to your advantage. Jeremy will guide you on making those sponsor logos shine in your social media posts and prove to your partners that their exposure goes way beyond the arena or ballpark.
3. Know Your Fans: Explore the often-overlooked goldmine of fan data. Discover how understanding your fan base can help tailor your partnership strategies to meet the unique needs and interests of your sponsors.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of warm audiences and cold audiences in sports marketing. He explains that marketing campaigns should be designed for different types of audiences, including cold audiences, warm audiences, and ticket buyers.
Cold audiences are individuals who have little to no prior interaction or familiarity with the brand or team, while warm audiences are somewhat familiar and have interacted with the content.
Cold audiences offer a larger pool of potential ticket buyers if you can effectively pique their interest.
On the other hand, A warm audience is a group of people who are somewhat familiar with your team. They have interacted with your content, visited your website, are on your email list, followed you on social media, saw one of your videos on social media, or are on your text list. They may have been to a game in the past but have not purchased this year. They have demonstrated some level of interest in your brand.
The marketing actions that you take (paid and unpaid) fall into one of these two, reaching these audiences. The ultimate goal is to sell more tickets and grow your fan base. Understanding the differences of these audiences helps you organize and allocate your marketing budget, know where your ticket sales are coming from, and optimize your efforts. Neisser emphasizes the progression of ticket buyers from single game buyers to mini plan buyers and season ticket holders. He also provides actionable strategies for targeting both cold and warm audiences.
Takeaways
Marketing campaigns should be designed for different types of audiences: cold audiences, warm audiences, and ticket buyers.
Cold audiences have little to no prior interaction or familiarity with the brand or team.
Warm audiences are somewhat familiar and have interacted with the content.
The goal is to turn warm audiences into ticket buyers through targeted marketing strategies.
Case Study: In full disclosure, the Stockton Ports are a client of mine. I started working with Chris Zavaglia in May of 2023.
The WINS from the season:
15% increase in total attendance
3 sell-outs most since 2019
$12K increase in online ticket sales
Chris and I dig into the following topics: 1. Immediate takeaways from what we started working on in May 2. The benefits of tracking ticket sales sources 3. Metrics and data that helped guide your decisions 4. Off-season planning
Chris Zavaglia, the Director of Baseball Communications for the Stockton Ports, shares insights on how they were able to increase attendance by 15%, achieve three sellouts, and increase online ticket sales by $12,000. They discuss the importance of understanding metrics and data to make informed marketing decisions.
They emphasize the use of video content to engage fans and increase brand awareness. They also highlight the significance of tracking ticket sales from different sources to determine the most effective marketing platforms. The conversation concludes with a discussion on using data to plan for the off-season and continue growing revenue.
Takeaways
Understanding metrics and data is crucial for making informed marketing decisions.
Video content is an effective tool for engaging fans and increasing brand awareness.
Tracking ticket sales from different sources helps determine the most effective marketing platforms.
Using data to plan for the off-season can lead to continued revenue growth.
Sound Bites
"We ended up seeing a 15% increase in attendance for the 2023 season."
"We ended up selling out three times this season."
The Summer Ball Summit highlighted the importance of constantly improving the fan experience in sports marketing. Teams are shifting their focus from solely making money to creating an unforgettable experience for fans. This shift involves enhancing in-game entertainment, social media engagement, and overall brand growth. The ultimate goal is to provide fans with an experience that exceeds their expectations and keeps them coming back. It is crucial for sports organizations to prioritize the fan experience and constantly reinvent and adjust their strategies to stay relevant and competitive.
Takeaways
Teams are prioritizing the fan experience over solely making money.
Enhancing in-game entertainment and social media engagement are key strategies.
Creating an unforgettable experience for fans is the ultimate goal.
Sports organizations must constantly reinvent and adjust their strategies to stay relevant and competitive.
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser interviews Jared Orton, the president of the Savannah Bananas. They discuss the team's unique approach to social media, constantly improving the fan experience, and the launch of their new identity as the firefighters. The Bananas focus on making baseball fun and creating a remarkable fan experience.
They use social media to showcase the fun and create a sense of urgency for fans to attend games. The team constantly reinvents itself to stay relevant and puts the fan at the core of their decision-making process. They use data to understand fan behavior and make informed decisions. The Bananas' success has exceeded their expectations, and they continue to grow and innovate.
Social Media - What's working now and the perspective teams should have on their social media content creation
Building The Brand of Fans First - Back before the Bananas were taking the world by storm, Jared, Jesse Cole, and staff had an unrelenting pursuit of focusing all efforts on making the fan experience the best.
Culture of Constantly Improving - Staying relevant by constantly reinventing themselves. Jared shares how they didn't want to become the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball and what they focus on.
Launch of the new Firefighters Identity - Where this came from, The WHY behind it, and the future.
Takeaways
The Savannah Bananas focus on making baseball fun and creating a remarkable fan experience.
They use social media to showcase the fun and create a sense of urgency for fans to attend games.
The team constantly reinvents itself to stay relevant and puts the fan at the core of their decision-making process.
They use data to understand fan behavior and make informed decisions.
The Bananas' success has exceeded their expectations, and they continue to grow and innovate.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Overview 06:23 - Using Social Media to Create Urgency and Showcase the Fan Experience 10:59 - The Importance of Understanding Social Media Platforms 15:30 - Putting the Fan First in Decision-Making 25:34 - The Launch of the Firefighters Identity and Future Plans
Today's special guest is Dr. J.J. Peterson of StoryBrand and the Marketing Made Simple Podcast & book.
Dr. JJ Peterson discusses the Story Brand Framework and how sports teams can use it to position themselves as guides in their customers' stories. The framework helps create clear messaging by understanding how story works and using it effectively in marketing. Traditionally, sports teams position themselves as the heroes, but they should instead position their customers as the heroes and themselves as the guides.
The Savannah Bananas are a successful example of a team that has implemented this approach. Dr. Peterson also provides insights on creating effective email newsletters and the importance of providing value to fans.
Dr. J.J. Peterson and I dig into:
-What is StoryBrand and how can teams use it to sell more tickets -Why is it important to position your fans as the hero? -Creating social media content using story and how it helps you build a better connection with your fan base -To better approach than promoting "email newsletters" on your website
I sit down with Lee Neves, founder and President of the Stockton Cargo USL-W team. Lee shares insight into what made his first year so successful including: 1. How he leveraged free TV coverage 2. How he used videos on social media to increase ticket sales 3. Selling out games at a community college
Takeaways
Schedule games on Saturdays to make them appointment viewing for fans
Create a strong fan experience to increase attendance
Engage with the community and leverage relationships with local media for earned media coverage
Use video content to showcase the team's talent and engage fans
Focus on improving the fan experience and helping players progress to professional leagues
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Lee Nevis and Stockton Cargo
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing planning for sports teams. He emphasizes the importance of creating two deals for each event to give fans options. He also suggests including merchandise and tickets as part of the package to attract different audiences. Neisser then explains the pre-promotion phase, where teams should plan their marketing strategies and build excitement through teasers and announcements. Finally, he highlights the significance of tracking and documenting the success of the marketing efforts to identify the most effective channels and strategies.
Takeaways
Create two deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday to give fans options.
Include merchandise and tickets as part of the package to attract different audiences.
Plan out the pre-promotion phase to build excitement and anticipation.
Track and document the success of the marketing efforts to identify the most effective channels and strategies.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Christmas Wishlist
00:44 - Black Friday, Cyber Monday Marketing Planning
01:39 - Deal Creation
06:18 - Tracking and Documenting
The holidays are fast approaching and planning your marketing will allow you to maximize your ticket package sales. Here are the three-part process that I have noticed work the best:
Deals - have two deals presented not one. There is psychology in providing fans with two choices over having one choice. Each option is a bundle including merchandise and tickets. Pre-Promotion - Start your marketing early so that fans can get excited and they are aware of the deals. That is part of the reason why Wal-Mart, Target, and other retailers have already started to share what is offered - to get people excited!
Document and Track - Download a printable November calendar and write in all of your marketing activities including emails, social posts, texting, etc. If possible track ticket sales from sources. So you know exactly which sources converts the best.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses how to collect more email addresses from your website, emphasizing the importance of email marketing and its high ROI. He explores three different methods: pop-ups, landing pages/splash pages/squeeze pages, and email cookie verification. Neisser provides examples and tips for each method, highlighting the potential to increase conversions and engage fans.
He also offers a demo of the email cookie verification software for interested listeners. Here are the slides that I mentioned.
Cookie Verification Head over to Sports Marketing Machine.com/Cookie to sign up for a demo on how you can collect more emails for about 15-cents per email from your website.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the concept of remarketing in sports marketing. Remarketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves targeting and engaging with fans or potential ticket buyers who have previously interacted with a team's social media channels, website, or specific content.
The host explains the benefits of remarketing, including addressing decision delay and distractions, increasing conversion rates, maximizing ROI, and maintaining brand awareness. Real-world examples of remarketing using meta ads, display ads, and cookie tracking software are also provided. The episode concludes with key takeaways for implementing remarketing strategies.
Chapters
00:00- Introduction to Remarketing
01:08 - Benefits of Remarketing
03:59 - Maintaining Brand Awareness
04:45 - Real-World Examples of Remarketing
09:51 - Takeaways
What is it: Remarketing, also known as retargeting, is a digital marketing strategy that involves targeting and engaging with fans or potential ticket buyers who have previously interacted with your social media channels, website, or specific content.
Remarketing aims to reconnect with potential ticket buyers who have shown interest but have not purchased tickets.
Why it Matters: Remarketing keeps your team top of mind for potential ticket buyers.
In this episode, the host discusses the pros and cons of using texting as a marketing tool in sports. He highlights the trackability of texting, its ability to build engagement with fans, and the better metrics it provides. He also mentions the ability to segment audiences and the convenience of two-way communication. On the con side, he mentions the additional workload for marketing directors, the limited messaging space, and the cost of texting. The host provides two tips for using texting effectively and emphasizes the importance of tracking ticket sales.
Takeaways
Texting allows for trackability and better metrics in sports marketing.
It is a great way to build engagement with fans and meet them where they want to be.
Segmenting audiences and enabling two-way communication are key advantages of texting.
However, the additional workload, limited messaging space, and cost are potential drawbacks.
Tips for using texting include targeting fans who don't open emails and using it for postgame surveys.
Tracking ticket sales is crucial for effective marketing.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:10 - Pros of Using Texting to Communicate with Fans
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Austin Noonan, the Senior Vice President of Partnerships at Vozzi, a sports-specific text messaging platform. They discuss the benefits of using texting to communicate with fans and sell more tickets. They also explore best practices, integrations with ticketing software, and examples of how teams can use texting to engage with their fans.
The conversation highlights the importance of educating the fan base and segmenting the database for effective communication. Vozzi's customer success team provides support and shares best practices with sports teams. The episode concludes with a discussion on Vozzi's future plans and the importance of tracking ticket sales.
We talk about: 1. Why Texting? 2. Best Practices for Getting Started with Texting Your Fans 3. Segmenting & Why it Matters 4. Examples of effective campaigns 5. How Vozzi integrates with numerous CRMs
To learn more about Vozzi or connect with Austin to have a conversation about how Vozzi can help you, you can email her at austin@getvozzi.com.
Takeaways
Text messaging has a 98% open rate, making it an effective tool for communicating with fans.
Teams can use texting to send important information to fans, such as parking details, gate changes, and last-minute updates.
Texting can be used to engage fans, sell tickets, and gather feedback through post-game surveys.
Vozzi offers integrations with ticketing software, allowing teams to sell tickets via text message.
Segmenting the fan database and educating the fan base are key to successful texting campaigns.
Vozzi 's customer success team provides support and shares best practices with sports teams.
Tracking ticket sales is essential to measure the ROI of texting campaigns.
Vozzi plans to continue expanding its partnerships and integrations with ticketing platforms.
Sound Bites "Texting is another way to have some communication, engage with your fans, sell some tickets." "You get a higher open rate with text messages. And oftentimes, I don't leave my phone with an open text message, I'm going to click in it, see what it says." "The 'Know Before You Go' text message is fantastic."
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Austin Noonan and Vozzi 05:37 - Examples of Effective Texting Strategies for Sports Teams 13:03 - Segmenting and Educating the Fan Base 22:23 - The Future of Vozzi
In this podcast interview, Jeremy Neisser sits down with Ryan Foose from Fooser Sports to discuss all things branding in the sports industry. Ryan shares his background in design and his experience working with sports teams to launch and rebrand their brands.
They discuss the misconception of what a brand is, the importance of considering all aspects of a brand beyond just the logo, and the key elements to consider when launching a new brand or alternate identity. Ryan also shares success stories from his work with the Copa program and minor league baseball teams. Links mentioned: Fooser Sports Episode 40 with Jared Orton from the Savannah Bananas
Takeaways
A brand is more than just a logo - it encompasses all aspects of a team or organization, including the players, community, and fan experience.
When launching a new brand or alternate identity, it's important to consider the community, fans, and demographics of the team's market.
Successful brands go beyond the logo and consider the full lifespan of the brand, including merchandise, marketing, and storytelling.
Launching a new brand requires buy-in from stakeholders, including influencers and insiders, as well as a strong merchandising strategy.
Finding the right balance is key when rebranding - it's important to stay true to the team's primary brand while also refreshing and modernizing it.
Success stories in branding include the Copa program in minor league baseball, which aimed to engage Hispanic communities, and the Motor Boaters alternate identity, which found a playful balance between humor and appropriateness.
A boosted post is designed to increase the reach and engagement of a regular post on your Facebook page.
It's a quick and easy way to get your content in front of a larger audience, including people who may not already follow your page.
The boosted post retains the same format as your original post but is shown to a wider audience.
You can add specific call-to-action buttons like "Learn More," "Shop Now," or "Sign Up."
Paid Advertisement using Meta (Facebook Ads):
Meta (Facebook) Ads offer a wide range of campaign objectives, such as brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, conversions, etc.
You can choose a specific goal based on your business objectives.
Meta Ads provide more advanced targeting options compared to boosted posts. You can create custom audiences based on behaviors, interests, demographics, and more.
Meta Ads offer various ad formats, including carousel ads, slideshow ads, video ads, and more.
You have greater control over the creative elements, allowing for a more customized and branded advertising experience.
Key Differences:
Objectives and Goals: Boosted posts are more about increasing engagement, while Facebook Ads allow for a broader range of marketing objectives.
Targeting and Customization: Facebook Ads offer more sophisticated targeting options and creative customization compared to boosted posts.
Budget Control: With Facebook Ads, you have more control over your budget, bidding, and scheduling, allowing for a more strategic approach.
Business Size and Experience: Boosted posts are suitable for individuals and small businesses looking for a simple boost in visibility.
Facebook Ads are better suited for businesses with more specific marketing goals and a willingness to invest time in campaign optimization.
Takeaways
Boosted posts are effective for increasing the reach and engagement of regular posts on a Facebook page.
Facebook ads provide more sophisticated targeting options and campaign objectives.
Audience targeting, budget control, and creative customization are crucial for running successful ad campaigns.
Facebook ads are recommended for teams with specific marketing goals, while boosted posts are suitable for increasing visibility of content.
Sound Bites
"A boosted post is designed to increase the reach and engagement of a regular post on your Facebook page."
"Facebook ads provide significantly better audience targeting options than boosted posts."
"Facebook ads give you so much more flexibility in how you create your ads compared to boosted posts."
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction
07:21 - Flexibility in Ad Creation
12:48 - Choosing Between Boosted Posts and Facebook Ads
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser shares the story of Troy Murphy and how the Golden State Warriors used data to make decisions. Troy Murphy, a power forward, was signed to a lucrative contract based on his rebounding statistics.
I dive into the story of Troy Murphy of the Golden State Warriors. Troy Murphy was a 6 foot-11 power forward out of Notre Dame that the Golden State Warriors drafted with their second pick in the first round, 14th overall in the 2001 draft.
However, a deeper analysis of the data revealed that most of his rebounds came from three-pointers, and he wasn't as effective in the paint. The story highlights the importance of understanding the cause and effect of marketing strategies using data and getting a holistic view of the data to make informed decisions.
Troy ranked 5th in the NBA in rebounds for the 2004-05 season and signed a lucrative deal after the year. I dive into why this deal was not the best for the Warriors and what ticket-selling lessons there are for teams.
Takeaways
Understand the cause and effect of your marketing strategy using data.
Get a holistic view of your data and dig deeper to gain more insights.
Interpreting data is essential for managing budgets and making informed marketing decisions.
Weak data analysis can lead to ineffective ticket sales and marketing strategies.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the power of testimonials in selling more tickets for sports events. He explains how testimonials can demonstrate empathy and authority, and shares tips for choosing the right candidates to provide testimonials. Jeremy also provides three key questions to ask when collecting testimonials, and highlights five places where testimonials can be used in marketing.
Takeaways
Testimonials can be a powerful tool for selling more tickets and growing a fan base.
When choosing testimonial candidates, look for individuals who are willing to share their story and have an outgoing personality.
Three key questions to ask when collecting testimonials: 1) What motivated you to start considering purchasing tickets? 2) How did attending our games make a difference for you? 3) How has attending our games impacted your overall enjoyment or experiences?
Testimonials can be used on websites, social posts, printed collateral, videos, and in emails to fans.
Understanding data and digital marketing is crucial for effectively selling more tickets and managing marketing budgets.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:10 - The Power of Testimonials
03:59 - Question 1: Motivation to Purchase Tickets
04:55 - Question 2: Difference Made by Attending Games
05:50 - Question 3: Impact of Attending Games
07:11 - Using Testimonials in Marketing
09:22 - Data Training and Marketing
Testimonials are a powerful tool that we have ALL been influenced by. Everywhere we look it is some sort of testimonial or vote of confidence; from the testimonials and star ratings on Amazon to the reviews on Yelp, testimonials are everywhere.
Teams can use testimonials to help sell more tickets to their games but asking three questions. The ultimate goal is to allow them to share the transformation of what life was like BEFORE the coming to your games and now afterward.
Question 1: What motivated you to start considering purchasing tickets to the game (or bring your staff out, buy a fundraiser, buy season tickets, etc.)? Were you looking to solve a particular problem or fulfill a specific need, and if so, what was it?
-Why we are asking this question: We are asking indirectly, “What problem were you experiencing before you bought tickets to your team?”
Question #2: Share with us how coming to your game(or having season tickets, etc.) made a difference for you. How did it help tackle the issues or meet the needs you had in mind when you first considered buying tickets?
-Why we are asking this question: How did your games help you solve this problem?
Question #3: Since you started coming to our games (or having season tickets, etc.) how has it (insert what they were intending from question 1 -(examples may be better culture, thanked employees/clients, raised funds for the organization, impact of fundraising, etc.)? We'd love to hear about the ways it has added to your overall enjoyment and experiences. -Why we are asking this question: What is their life like now because of our product or service?
These allow the person sharing the testimonial to talk candidly about how YOU solved their problem.
In this episode, I sit down with Heather & Carie from Destroy Promotional Products (Destroyer.Rocks) to talk all things promotional giveaways at games. They discuss hot products and giveaways for sports teams, trends in promotional items, season ticket holder gifts, alternate identities, and more. They emphasize the importance of creativity and customization in promotional giveaways, as well as the value of high-quality items that fans will keep.
They also mention the popularity of bobbleheads, reversible bucket hats, and pins, and the potential for merchandise sales to drive traffic and increase revenue.
We talk:
Hot Products
Trending Ideas
Tried & True Giveaways
Season Ticket Gifts
Alternate Identity giveaways
And more!
Connect with Heather (heather@destroyer.rocks) or Carie (carie@destroyer.rocks).
Takeaways
Creativity and customization are key in promotional giveaways for sports teams.
High-quality items that fans will keep are more valuable than cheap trinkets.
Bobbleheads, reversible bucket hats, and pins are popular promotional items.
Merchandise sales can drive traffic and increase revenue for teams.
Season ticket holder gifts should be collectible and make fans feel important.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 13:32 - Trends in Promotional Items 28:31 - Alternate Identities 38:45 - Merchandise Sales and Traffic
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser introduces the 30 Days to Opening Day Countdown plan, which helps sports marketers organize their marketing activities leading up to the start of the season. The plan involves filling in a calendar with all the marketing activities, such as paid media, trade media, community appearances, social media posts, and more.
By having everything in one place, marketers can easily see any gaps in their marketing activities and make adjustments. The plan also allows for reflection and future planning after opening weekend. The episode concludes with a call to invest in marketing training and data consultation to improve ticket sales and marketing effectiveness.
This calendar will have ALL of your marketing activities in one spot so that you know exactly what you are doing to promote opening weekend and where you have open opportunities to do more to promote the season.
Takeaways
Use the 30 Days to Opening Day Countdown plan to organize marketing activities leading up to the start of the season.
Fill in a calendar with all the marketing activities, including paid media, trade media, community appearances, social media posts, and more.
Having everything in one place helps identify any gaps in marketing activities and allows for adjustments.
Reflect on the marketing activities after opening weekend and use the insights to plan for future seasons.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Opening Day Preparation
In this episode, I sit down with Kris McCarthy, co-founder of FanSaves a digital coupon platform for teams. Most teams have paper coupons that they distribute for sponsors before, during, or after games. Oftentimes these coupons are thrown in the trash, left in cars, and ultimately never used.
Summary:
Fansaves is a digital platform that offers fans discounts and deals from the sponsors of their favorite sports teams. It acts as a team's own digital coupon book, connecting fans with sponsors and incentivizing fan engagement. The idea for Fansaves came from the founders' experience in selling sponsorships and the need for a digital solution that could activate fans and provide valuable customer analytics. Currently, nearly 80 teams across North America are using Fansaves in various sports leagues.
The platform offers features such as triggered promotions, exclusive deals for season ticket holders, and real-time data tracking for teams and sponsors. Fansaves plans to expand its partnerships and create a marketplace for brands to connect with teams.
Takeaways:
Fansaves is a digital platform that connects fans with discounts and deals from sponsors of their favorite sports teams.
The platform offers features such as triggered promotions, exclusive deals for season ticket holders, and real-time data tracking for teams and sponsors.
Nearly 80 teams across North America are currently using Fansaves in various sports leagues.
Fansaves plans to expand its partnerships and create a marketplace for brands to connect with teams.
Sound Bites:
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Fansaves
01:25 - Origin and Creation of Fansaves
03:15 - Development of Fansaves Platform
04:30 - Number of Teams Using Fansaves
05:22 - Features and Usage of Fansaves
07:38 - Promoting Fansaves to Fans
10:04 - Redeeming Deals at Partner Businesses
12:28 - Creative Deals and Partnerships
14:34 - Utilizing Fansaves in the Off-Season
16:00 - Using Fansaves to Track Season Ticket Holder Spending
19:39 - Future Plans for Fansaves
24:47 - Reflection on the Growth of Fansaves
26:19 - Contacting Fansaves
FanSaves has been steadily growing with sports teams all over the United States and Canada.
If you have questions about FanSaves, feel free to reach out to Kris - kris@fansaves.com or on LinkedIn
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser introduces the KISS framework, a project management framework that helps organize activities and ideas related to a specific action.
He explains the acronym KISS, which stands for Keep, Improve, Start, Stop, and provides examples of how to categorize activities using this framework. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of prioritizing and taking action based on the categorized activities. He also discusses the benefits of continuing education for sports marketing professionals and highlights the value of investing in marketing training.
Takeaways
The KISS framework (Keep, Improve, Start, Stop) is a useful project management tool for organizing activities and ideas.
By categorizing activities into Keep, Improve, Start, and Stop, you can prioritize and take action more effectively.
Continuing education, such as ticket sales training and marketing training, can help sports teams improve their processes and grow their fan base.
Investing in marketing training and data consultation can help marketing directors level up their skills and make more informed decisions.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:42 - Introducing the KISS Framework
01:23 - Explaining the KISS Framework
04:36 - Take Action with the KISS Framework
The framework is called: K.I.S.S. - Keep, Improve, Start, Stop.
By going through this framework, you have a clear picture of what you want to work on, what needs to be improved, and things you should stop doing. This is excellent for marketing activities like collecting email addresses or merchandise marketing, etc.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser chats with Ralph Burns, co-host of the popular digital marketing podcast Perpetual Traffic and founder of Tier11 ad agency. Ralph and his team manage over $150 million in ad spend on various networks including TikTok, Meta, and Google.
They discuss the shift in advertising strategies, emphasizing the importance of creative and the need to move up the funnel. He introduces the popcorn analogy to explain the importance of planting the seed and nurturing the customer journey. Ralph also highlights the significance of tracking and the challenges of attribution. He provides insights into the hiring process for media buyers and offers advice on the questions teams should ask agencies.
Ralph shares the Tier 11 process framework, CAMP, which focuses on creative, traffic, after the click, and data. He concludes by discussing the importance of boosting awareness campaigns and improving content creation.
In this conversation, Ralph Burns discusses the importance of staying top of mind with sports franchises and shares his recommendation of consistently being in front of the audience. He also talks about reaching out to Tier 11 and running ads for teams. Ralph provides information on how to contact Tier 11 and mentions his active presence on LinkedIn. The conversation concludes with a discussion on targeting motorcycle and leather companies and the potential to work with teams to sell out ballparks across America.
We dive into: 1. What's working now for paid ads - we talk strategy and tactics 2. Data - how to use it to your advantage 3. Why tracking is SO important 4. What mistakes you might be making if you are running your ads 5. How to pick a good agency to run ads for you
Takeaways
Creative has become more important than ever in advertising.
Moving up the funnel and focusing on awareness and consideration can lead to better results.
Tracking and attribution are challenging but essential for making data-driven decisions.
When hiring media buyers, ask for references and assess their problem-solving skills.
The Tier 11 process framework, CAMP, emphasizes the importance of creative, traffic, after the click, and data.
Boosting awareness campaigns and creating engaging content can improve results.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Favorite Topics
01:22 - Shift in Advertising Strategies
03:17 - Moving Up the Funnel
05:01 - The Popcorn Analogy
07:36 - The Importance of Tracking
10:11 - Effective Copywriting
12:00 - Mistakes and Areas of Improvement
14:05 - Questions to Ask Media Buyers
17:15 - The Importance of Fundamentals
19:23 - Separating Traffic Levels
21:34 - Allocating Budget and Running Awareness Campaigns
24:26 - Questions to Ask Agencies
28:19 - The Tier 11 Process Framework: CAMP
31:15 - The Four Elements of Online Marketing
34:48 - Improving Content Creation
39:44 Staying Top of Mind with Sports Franchises
40:03 - Reaching Out to Tier 11
40:22 - Contacting Tier 11
40:42 - Targeting Motorcycle and Leather Companies
41:16 - Working with Teams to Sell Out Ballparks
If you are interested in working with Ralph's team, head over to
Part 1 of the 2 Part Series: This episode of the Sports Marketing Machine Podcast focuses on marketing for mini-plans in the sports industry. Mini-plans are a way for fans to attend a set number of games during the year, and teams often choose the most popular games or games they want to sell out for these plans.
The goal of mini-plans is to eventually convert fans into season ticket holders.
The episode provides strategies for promoting mini-plans during the preseason, segmenting lists of current mini-plan buyers and single game buyers, targeting warm audiences with Meta ads, and using multiple touch points to reach fans. The episode concludes with a discussion of the next steps in the mini-plan marketing series and a summary of the main takeaways.
Takeaways
Mini-plans are a stepping stone for fans to eventually become season ticket holders.
Segment your lists of current mini-plan buyers and single game buyers to tailor your marketing messages.
Utilize multiple touch points, such as email, phone calls, and social media ads, to reach fans and increase ticket sales.
Consider using Meta ads to target warm audiences and promote your mini-plans.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:06 - Mini Plans as a Long Game
03:16 - Segmenting Lists
04:40 - Targeting Warm Audiences
06:02 - Multiple Touch Points
07:29 - Using Meta Ads
08:52 - Constant Reminders
09:48 - Consider Postcard Marketing
I break down segmenting audiences for targeting mini-plan sales: Fans who attended 2-5 games = marketing the 3 -6 game plan Fans who attended 6-10 games = marketing the 6 game, 9 game, 12 games or half-season plan
Episode 21 has information about the Meta Business Suite audiences
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses marketing mini plans during the season. He covers topics such as turning single game buyers into multi-game buyers, post-game emails for single game buyers, renewing current mini plan holders, providing value through communication and relationships, creating reminders for mini plan holders, and bounce back offers for single game buyers. He also emphasizes the importance of helping marketing directors level up their skills and investing in their people.
Takeaways
Designate a staff member to check in with mini plan holders during the year to build relationships and increase renewal rates.
Create reminders within your email marketing software to remind mini plan holders of their games.
Send post-game emails to single game buyers to encourage them to attend another game.
Provide value to mini plan holders through communication and relationships.
The only reason that mini-plan holders renew is that they see value in the experience. And they value it by using their tickets.
How you provide value are two ways communication and relationships.
For single-game buyers, our goal is to turn single-game buyers into multi-game buyers. This gives you the best chance of turning them into a mini-plan holder.
I dig into what you should do with both audiences (current mini-plan holders and single-game buyers) to give yourself the best chance to sell more mini-plans next year.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:04 - Marketing Mini Plans Before the Season
03:00 - Post-Game Email for Single Game Buyers
05:45 - Renewing Current Mini Plan Holders
08:07 - Providing Value through Communication and Relationships
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser and Ali Alden discuss how data-driven messaging drives ticket sales. They emphasize the importance of clear copy and messaging in marketing, as well as the power of language in influencing buying decisions. They explore how teams can use data to create targeted copy that resonates with their audience, and the role of questionnaires in gathering customer insights.
They also discuss the importance of being strategic in using data to inform marketing outlets and campaigns. This conversation explores the importance of data in marketing campaigns for sports teams. It discusses the sufficient amount of data needed to make informed decisions, the use of questionnaires to test advertising strategies, and the importance of tracking and analysis.
The conversation also highlights the value of categorizing buyers and tailoring messaging to specific audiences. It emphasizes the need for data-driven marketing to build confidence and make effective marketing decisions.
Takeaways
Clear copy and messaging are essential in marketing to drive ticket sales.
Data can be used to create targeted copy that resonates with the audience.
Questionnaires are a valuable tool for gathering customer insights and understanding motivations.
Being strategic in using data to inform marketing outlets and campaigns is crucial. Determining the sufficient amount of data is subjective and depends on the specific team and campaign.
Questionnaires can be used to test advertising strategies and gather valuable demographic data.
Testing campaigns with a small budget allows for experimentation and optimization.
Tracking and analysis are crucial for measuring campaign success and identifying effective strategies.
Data-driven marketing helps tailor messaging and copy to specific audiences, increasing conversion rates.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:36 - Ali Alden's Background
01:12 -The Goal of Good Copy
03:08 -Using Data to Make More Targeted Copy
05:07 -Digging Deeper into Customer Data
06:25 - Using Questionnaires to Gather Data
07:07 - Difference Between Questionnaires and Surveys
08:03 - The Goal of a Questionnaire
09:04 - Getting Deeper Insights from Questionnaires
10:08 - Identifying the Character and Their Wants
11:22 - Identifying Problems and Motivations
13:11 - Using Questionnaire Responses as Copy
15:43 - Creating an Aspirational Identity
19:24 - Using Data for Campaigns
20:19 - Being Strategic with Data-Driven Messaging
21:35 - Using Questionnaires to Test Advertising Strategies
22:34 - Testing Campaigns with a Small Budget
23:29 - The Importance of Tracking and Analysis
24:18 - Indicators of Campaign Success
25:26 - Analyzing Data to Inform Marketing Strategy
26:38 - Narrowing Down Data and Categorizing Buyers
27:46 - Using Data to Tailor Messaging and Copy
29:08 - The Importance of Tracking Campaigns
30:15 - Data-Driven Marketing Builds Confidence
32:40 - Choosing the Right Software for Questionnaires
33:26 - Categorizing Buyers for Targeted Campaigns
34:06 - The Value of Building Relationships with Top Buyers
Luke Sawhook from the Hudson Valley Renegades shares insights on leveraging TikTok for sports marketing. He emphasizes the importance of consistency and authenticity in content creation, highlighting the value of organic growth on TikTok. Luke discusses the role of TikTok in building brand loyalty and reaching a younger demographic. He provides tips on using hashtags effectively and encourages teams to experiment with different content styles.
Luke also emphasizes the need to have fun and engage with the audience on TikTok. Overall, TikTok is seen as a platform for increasing brand awareness and impressions rather than direct sales.
Luke has been on the cutting-edge of content creation and growth on TikTok for small-budget teams. In this episode, we dig into: 1. What's working now on TikTok 2. What tools is he using 3. Posting consistency 4. Tone of posting 5. Content creation versus other platforms
Takeaways
Consistency and authenticity are key to success on TikTok.
TikTok allows teams to reach a younger demographic and build brand loyalty.
Hashtags are a powerful tool for reaching specific audiences on TikTok.
Teams should have fun and experiment with different content styles on TikTok.
TikTok is a platform for increasing brand awareness and impressions.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses how sports teams can use AI to improve their marketing efforts. He focuses on two specific ways: using AI to write better copy and using AI to extract data.
By leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard, teams can generate targeted social media posts and emails, as well as gain insights from ticketing data. Jeremy emphasizes that while AI can be a powerful tool, it still requires some manual work and fine-tuning. He also highlights the potential of AI in various aspects of sports marketing, such as fan engagement and content creation.
Takeaways
AI can help sports teams write better copy for social media posts and emails.
Teams can use AI to extract valuable data from ticketing software, enabling them to make more informed marketing decisions.
While AI is a powerful tool, it still requires manual work and fine-tuning to align with a team's specific tone and voice.
AI has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of sports marketing, including fan engagement, content creation, and personalized campaigns.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction
00:42 - Using AI to Write Better Copy
06:33 - The Potential of AI in Sports Marketing
07:54 - Takeaways
AI is a powerful tool and will continue to help make marketers more efficient and productive. In this episode, I detail two ways teams can use AI today to help them sell more tickets: 1. Write better, targeted copy 2. Data extraction
These help teams target their marketing better, making it easier to sell more tickets.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Michael Brinkman, the Director of Partner Success at Full House Solutions, about lead generation and the use of purchased lists in sports marketing. Michael shares his background in sports sales and marketing, as well as his experience working with Full House Solutions.
He explains the products and services offered by Full House Solutions, including direct mail campaigns and digital marketing strategies.
Michael also discusses the accuracy of purchased lists and the role of lead generation in the marketing funnel. He shares success stories of teams using purchased lists for group sales and highlights the potential of postcard retargeting and AI in sports marketing.
Takeaways
Purchased lists can be a valuable tool for lead generation in sports marketing, providing teams with targeted prospects to reach out to.
Direct mail campaigns can be an effective way to engage potential customers and drive ticket sales, especially when combined with other marketing channels.
Accuracy of purchased lists can vary, but it is important to have a strategy in place to handle any inaccuracies and continue cultivating leads.
Lead generation should be seen as part of a larger marketing funnel, with multiple touchpoints and follow-ups to nurture leads and convert them into customers.
Postcard retargeting and AI are emerging trends in sports marketing that offer new opportunities for engaging with potential customers and improving conversion rates.
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Background
03:03 - Full House Solutions and Lead Generation
09:04 - Using Purchased Lists for Email Marketing
13:04 - The Accuracy of Purchased Lists
21:05 - Success Stories in Group Sales
25:02 - Postcard Retargeting and Digital Marketing Trends
29:02 - AI and the Future of Marketing
30:54 - Contact Information and Conclusion
If you are interested in connecting with Michael, mention you heard it on the Sports Marketing Machine podcast when you email him - michael@fillthehouse.com
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Alyssa Ege, the founder of Sail Away Media, about running ads on TikTok. They discuss the benefits of advertising on TikTok, the differences between TikTok and other platforms like Facebook, and the various targeting options available on TikTok.
They also touch on setting up a TikTok shop, generating leads through TikTok ads, and the importance of testing and budgeting for successful campaigns.
Takeaways
TikTok is a great platform for sports teams to advertise, especially if they want to target a younger demographic.
Advertising on TikTok is cheaper than advertising on other platforms like Facebook.
TikTok offers similar features to Facebook for running ads, but with a focus on video content.
Hashtag targeting is an effective way to reach specific audiences on TikTok.
Teams can set up a TikTok shop to sell merchandise and run ads to drive sales.
Lead generation is possible on TikTok through lead forms and creative content.
Testing and budgeting are important for successful TikTok ad campaigns.
Sound Bites
"TikTok is an awesome place for sports teams to be."
"You can definitely sell stuff on TikTok."
"TikTok is kind of like a baby version of Meta."
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:21 - The Benefits of Advertising on TikTok for Sports Teams
03:38 - Targeting Options and Strategies for TikTok Ads
05:11Setting Up TikTok Ads Without a Profile
06:43 - Setting Up and Running TikTok Ads
09:08 - TikTok Shop for Merchandise Sales
10:19 - Generating Leads through TikTok Ads
14:10 - The Importance of Testing and Budgeting for TikTok Ad Campaigns
Summary In episode 64 of the Sports Marketing Machine Podcast, Jeremy Neisser sits down with Scott Peace, Associate AD for Marketing at Kent State, and discusses his background in sports marketing and the strategies he implemented to increase attendance at college athletic events. Scott shares that he emphasizes the importance of intentionality, creativity, and purpose in marketing efforts. Scott shares the success of using premium giveaways and tying in activations and programs to attract fans. He also discusses the challenges of winter break and the need to expand offerings to regular fans. Scott highlights the importance of branding the student section and utilizing various communication channels, including texting, to engage students. He concludes by emphasizing the goal of providing an experience that makes students want to come back.
He talks about the importance of creating a memorable fan experience, including the use of a DJ, student section banners, and engaging promotions. Scott also shares insights on their paid advertising efforts, including social media advertising, bus advertising, and movie theater advertising. He emphasizes the importance of open communication with coaches and the need to manage expectations.
Scott also discusses their use of software tools like Vasi and Eloqua for ticketing and email marketing. Finally, he shares their plans for football and the focus on enhancing the fan experience.
Takeaways
Intentionality, creativity, and purpose are key in sports marketing efforts.
Premium giveaways and activations can attract fans and increase attendance.
Challenges during winter break require strategic planning and expanding offerings to regular fans.
Branding the student section and utilizing various communication channels, including texting, can enhance student engagement.
Providing an exceptional experience is crucial in encouraging repeat attendance. Creating a memorable fan experience is crucial for engaging and exciting fans at sporting events.
Paid advertising, including social media advertising, bus advertising, and movie theater advertising, can be effective in reaching non-student fans.
Open communication with coaches and involving them in the planning process helps manage expectations and ensures alignment.
Software tools like Vasi and Eloqua can streamline ticketing and email marketing efforts.
Enhancing the fan experience and focusing on the details, such as tailgates and game-day atmosphere, can contribute to a successful season.
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser chats with BJ Millican, the Associate AD for Marketing, Communication, and Broadcast from Samford University, about the open role of Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement.
The role involves creating an engaging in-venue atmosphere, promoting games, and connecting with the community. The Director of Marketing will have some direct reports and a marketing-specific budget.
The focus will be on sports like men's basketball and football, but support will also be provided for other sports. The role primarily involves game presentation and fan experience, with less emphasis on social media and creating video content.
The marketing duties include working closely with ticketing, developing promotions, and potentially exploring external advertising. The Director of Marketing will also be involved in community engagement and representing the university at social events. The salary is competitive and the university is committed to supporting the athletic department. Samford University is located in Birmingham, Alabama, which offers a vibrant community with a growing food scene and various recreational and entertainment options.
The campus is undergoing expansion and has a strong focus on student success and enrollment growth.
Takeaways
The Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement role at Samford University involves creating an engaging in-venue atmosphere and promoting games.
The role includes working closely with ticketing, developing promotions, and potentially exploring external advertising.
The Director of Marketing will also be involved in community engagement and representing the university at social events.
Samford University is located in Birmingham, Alabama, which offers a vibrant community with a growing food scene and various recreational and entertainment options.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Overview of the Open Role 05:14 - Game Presentation and Fan Experience 11:44 - Community Engagement and Representing the University 21:51 - Salary Structure and Application Process
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses how marketing directors can help ticket sales teams by providing leads and sales. He introduces the concept of the hub and spoke model, where the marketing director acts as the hub connecting different departments.
He suggests three reports that marketing directors should provide to the ticket sales team:
Multi-game single buyer report
Scan rates of season ticket holders and mini plan holders, and an
Updated list of dormant groups for outreach.
These reports help identify potential leads and opportunities for ticket sales. Jeremy also offers his services in creating these reports.
Takeaways
Marketing directors play a crucial role in supporting ticket sales teams.
Providing leads and sales data to the ticket sales team can help them target potential buyers.
Three important reports that marketing directors should provide are multi-game single buyer report, scan rates of season ticket holders and mini plan holders, and an updated list of dormant groups for outreach.
These reports help identify warm leads and opportunities for ticket sales.
Jeremy Neisser offers his services in creating these reports.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
02:29 - Multi-Game Single Buyer Report
03:27 - Scan Rates of Season Ticket Holders and Mini Plan Holders
04:19 - Updated List of Dormant Groups for Outreach
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the concept of return on ad spend (ROAS) and shares a story about a team that realized their ROAS was wrong. The team hired an ad agency to manage their ad budget, and the agency reported a four-to-one return on ad spend despite a drop in attendance.
However, upon closer examination, it was revealed that most of the reported conversions were from repeat ticket buyers, not new ticket buyers. The ad agency was taking credit for the marketing director's efforts to engage repeat ticket buyers. Neisser emphasizes the importance of understanding the difference between new and repeat ticket buyers and suggests using a marketing report to gain visibility into the impact of marketing efforts.
Takeaways
Return on ad spend (ROAS) can be misleading if not properly analyzed.
Ad agencies often take credit for the work of marketing directors in engaging repeat ticket buyers.
Understanding the difference between new and repeat ticket buyers is crucial for marketing success.
Using a marketing report can provide visibility into the impact of marketing efforts.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:41 - The Misleading Nature of ROAS 04:06 - Differentiating Between New and Repeat Ticket Buyers 06:23 - The Importance of Marketing Reports for Visibility 09:13 - Conclusion
Travis Apple, Chief Revenue Officer at Logitix and host of the 52 Weeks of Hustle podcast, joins Jeremy Neisser on the Sports Marketing Machine podcast. They discuss the importance of giving back and the value of mentorship in the sports industry.
Travis shares insights from his podcast guests, emphasizing the need for hustle and the impact of building relationships. They also discuss the perception of sales in the industry and the importance of creating a positive fan experience.
Travis talks about the future of ticket sales, including the focus on flexibility and creating unique experiences. He also mentions his book, 'Hustle Your Way to Success in Sports Sales,' which provides a blueprint for success in the industry.
Takeaways
Giving back and helping others is a key aspect of success in the sports industry.
Building relationships and finding mentors can greatly impact career growth and development.
Hustle and hard work are essential for success in sports marketing.
Creating a positive fan experience and focusing on flexibility and unique experiences are important in ticket sales.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Background 02:04 - Hustle and Hard Work 05:07 - Mentorship and Building Relationships 08:10 - Sales and Consulting 13:17 - Improving Ticket Sales 16:12 - The Future of Ticket Sales 22:04 - Conclusion and Takeaways
Travis the CRO for Logitix The 52 Weeks of Hustle Podcast Travis' Book: Hustle Your Way to $ucce$$ in Sports Sales: Playbook to Being Elite in the Sports Business Industry (AMAZON)
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser dives into the topic of Flexible Ticket Plans.
Flex plans are a growing trend in sports ticket sales, allowing fans to purchase a set number of tickets that can be used for any game.
The pros of flex plans include convenience for fans, affordability, and upfront revenue for teams.
However, there are also cons, such as the challenge of surpassing previous revenue goals, lack of urgency for fans to use the tickets, and difficulties in tracking ticket usage. To maximize the benefits of flex plans, teams should remind fans to use the tickets, incorporate them into the fan funnel, and limit the number of packages sold.
Takeaways
Flex plans provide convenience and affordability for fans, and upfront revenue for teams.
Teams face challenges in surpassing previous revenue goals and tracking ticket usage with flex plans.
To maximize the benefits of flex plans, teams should remind fans to use the tickets and incorporate them into the fan funnel.
Limiting the number of flex plan packages sold can help move fans closer to mini plans or season tickets.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction 00:40 - The Pros of Flex Plans: Convenience and Affordability 03:02 - The Impact on Fan Experience and Loyalty 04:29 - Difficulties in Tracking Ticket Usage with Flex Plans 08:11 - Incorporating Flex Plans into the Fan Funnel 09:05 - Maximizing the Benefits of Flex Plans: Reminders and Limited Availability
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser sat down with Robbie Lightfoot from Box Out Sports.
Box Out Sports is a social media graphic solution that allows sports information directors and athletic communications individuals to quickly and easily create content to promote games, student-athletes, ticket sales, and more.
The platform provides drag-and-drop templates that can be customized with team logos, colors, and photos.
Box Out Sports was created out of necessity to help sports information directors highlight teams and student-athletes in a fast-paced environment.
The platform has been successful in increasing fan engagement and generating revenue for teams. Integrations with ticketing providers and other software are available, and a free trial is offered to potential users.
Takeaways
Box Out Sports is a social media graphic solution for sports teams
The platform provides drag-and-drop templates that can be customized with team logos, colors, and photos
Box Out Sports helps increase fan engagement and generate revenue
Integrations with ticketing providers and other software are available
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Box Out Sports 07:51 - Increasing Fan Engagement with Box Out Sports 13:56 - Empowering Coaches and Delegating Graphic Creation 23:06 - Integrations and Automation with Hometown Ticketing 29:08 - Expanding Beyond Sports and Future Plans 31:45 - Flexibility in Billing and Conclusion
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser shares three optimization tips using Awarity for sports marketing. He discusses the importance of monitoring top domains, maintaining consistent ad design, and managing ad frequency to maximize conversions and budget efficiency.
Takeaways
Monitor top domains for clicks and conversions to optimize budget allocation.
Maintain consistent ad design with brand colors, fonts, and messaging for better recognition and engagement.
Manage ad frequency to avoid banner blindness and optimize audience reach.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Sports Marketing Optimization with Awarity 01:27 - Monitoring Top Domains for Conversions and Budget Optimization 05:13 - Managing Ad Frequency for Audience Engagement and Reach
In this conversation, Jeremy Neisser sits down with industry expert, Steve DeLay of the Ultimate Toolkit to discuss the importance of creating a marketing plan that drives revenue for sports teams, the alignment between ticket sales and marketing, the concept of the sellout matrix, and the strategies for collecting email addresses and increasing ticket usage.
Additionally, he shares insights on the Ultimate Toolkit program for sports management students and the Unlimited Toolkit for teams.
Takeaways:
Marketing is essential for driving revenue in sports, including ticket sales, merchandise sales, and concession sales.
Alignment between ticket sales and marketing is crucial for creating a well-oiled machine in sports marketing.
The sellout matrix is a strategic approach to creating buzz and excitement around games, leading to increased ticket sales and fan engagement.
Strategies for collecting email addresses and encouraging ticket usage are vital for maximizing revenue and fan engagement.
The Ultimate Toolkit program offers valuable training and resources for sports management students, while the Unlimited Toolkit provides comprehensive support for sports teams.
The importance of proactive communication and targeted marketing efforts in driving ticket sales and fan engagement.
Chapters
00:00 - The Revenue-Driving Power of Marketing in Sports 04:47 - The Sellout Matrix: Creating Buzz and Excitement 11:49 - Strategies for Email Collection and Ticket Usage 34:39 - Comprehensive Support for Sports Teams with the Unlimited Toolkit
In this podcast episode, Joe Rixon from FanIQ shares insights on three key strategies for sports teams to improve their social media and content engagement. The strategies include leveraging influencers, user-generated content (UGC), and showcasing fan experience. Joe emphasizes the importance of matching content to the platform, engaging diverse audiences, and using influencer content for paid advertising. He also highlights the value of UGC in engaging fans and driving ticket sales.
The conversation covers the importance of engaging and fun content in driving ticket sales and revenue for sports events. It emphasizes the use of user-generated content, influencers, and targeting new audiences to create engaging and authentic experiences. The discussion also highlights the impact of content strategy on revenue generation and the value of empowering mid-level staffers with data and resources.
Takeaways
Leveraging influencers can tap into specific audience segments and provide trusted recommendations for teams' content.
User-generated content (UGC) from fans can be a valuable source of engaging and authentic content for sports teams.
Showcasing fan experience and exclusive offerings can drive engagement and ticket sales, regardless of the team's performance on the field. Engaging and fun content is crucial for driving ticket sales and revenue for sports events.
User-generated content and influencers play a significant role in creating authentic and engaging experiences for fans.
Targeting new audiences and empowering mid-level staffers with data and resources can have a positive impact on revenue generation.
Content strategy has a direct impact on revenue generation and the growth of fan bases for sports events.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Background of FanIQ and Joe Rixon 02:18 - Leveraging Influencers for Sports Marketing Success 13:10 - The Power of User-Generated Content in Sports Marketing 22:56 - The Impact of Engaging Content on Revenue Generation 25:41 - Influencers, User-Generated Content, and Fan Engagement 29:49 - Targeting New Audiences and Empowering Staff for Revenue Growth
Learn more about Fan IQ or email Joe (joe@faniq.live)
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Heather Doane from Destroyer Promotional Products about improving merchandise sales. They discuss 10 tips for teams to implement, including inventory management, understanding retail space, visual merchandising, competitive pricing, and more. Heather emphasizes the importance of knowing your inventory, organizing the back of the house, and conducting market research to set competitive prices. She also suggests asking for samples and staying updated on industry trends. Overall, the conversation provides valuable insights for sports teams looking to boost their merchandise sales.
In this conversation, Heather Doane shares 10 tips to improve merchandise sales. The tips include knowing your inventory, understanding your retail space, visual merchandising, setting prices, researching items, organizing the back of the house, tracking sales, capturing customer information, and promoting brand awareness.
Heather emphasizes the importance of creating a visually appealing store layout, conducting research on pricing and merchandise quality, and utilizing customer data for targeted marketing. She also suggests collaborating with other teams and attending retail buyers meetings to share insights and improve the overall league. Heather encourages listeners to reach out for personalized guidance and assistance.
Takeaways
Know your inventory and keep track of the quantity and size breakdowns of each style.
Understand your retail space and how customers shop to optimize visual merchandising.
Set competitive prices by conducting market research and comparing quotes from different vendors.
Ask for samples to ensure the quality of the merchandise before making bulk orders.
Organize the back of the house with racks, carts, and proper storage to protect and easily access inventory. Know your inventory and regularly spot check to ensure you have enough stock of popular items.
Understand your retail space and optimize it by creating visually appealing displays and signage.
Invest in visual merchandising to tell a story and make it easier for customers to find and purchase items.
Conduct research on pricing and merchandise quality to ensure competitive pricing and high-quality products.
Organize the back of the house to streamline operations and make it easier to restock and fulfill orders.
Capture customer information to build a database for targeted marketing and personalized promotions.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Overview 00:26 - Tip 1: Inventory Management 05:08 - Tip 2: Understanding Retail Space 07:25 - Tip 3: Visual Merchandising 09:46 - Tip 4: Driving Key Performance Indicators 15:07 - Tip 5: Competitive Pricing 22:17 - Tip 6: Organizing the Back of the House 26:44 - Tip 7 Optimizing Retail Space and Visual Merchandising 32:45 - Tip 8 Capturing Customer Information for Targeted Marketing 35:41 - Tip 9 Incentivizing Customers with Loyalty Rewards Programs 38:50 - Standardizing Visual Merchandising for Consistency 46:21 - Tip 10 Driving Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 47:26 - Promoting Brand Awareness and Online Presence 50:22 - Collaborating with Other Teams for League Growth 51:01 - Personalized Guidance for Merchandise Sales Success
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser and Emmanuel Elmajian discuss different strategies for selling group tickets. They explore the shift from traditional group sales to individual members of a group buying their own tickets at a discounted rate. They also discuss the benefits of this new approach, such as increased control for buyers and more data for sellers.
The conversation covers various ideas for selling group tickets, including loyalty programs, thank you programs, special offers for events in town, and theme nights. They also touch on the concept of competition and gamification in group ticket sales, as well as the opportunity to sell fan experiences.
The conversation explores the concept of unused fan experiences and the need for more customized VIP experiences in the sports industry. It discusses the potential of cross-selling sports to different audiences and the importance of targeting youth sports and traveling teams.
The conversation also delves into the topic of fundraisers and how sports teams can sell tickets to raise money for schools and nonprofits. It emphasizes the role of groups in driving ticket sales and the need for flexible ticketing options. Spinzo is introduced as a platform that helps teams reimagine ticket sales and offers various services to enhance the ticketing experience.
Takeaways
The traditional approach of selling large blocks of tickets to a group leader is evolving, with more emphasis on individual members of a group buying their own tickets at a discounted rate.
This new approach gives buyers more control and allows for more personalized ticket purchases, such as buying tickets for themselves, their spouse, and their children.
Selling group tickets to events in town, such as conventions or career fairs, can be a great way to engage new audiences and increase ticket sales.
Competition and gamification can be effective strategies for maximizing group ticket sales, with examples including battles between apartment complexes, schools, charities, and youth sports teams.
Theme nights and fan experiences are opportunities to sell more group tickets, with the potential to bundle in special perks or incentives for groups that reach certain milestones. Unused fan experiences can be sold as last-minute opportunities, generating additional revenue for sports teams.
Customized VIP experiences are becoming increasingly important in attracting fans to live games. Cross-selling sports to different audiences, such as targeting youth sports and traveling teams, can expand ticket sales opportunities.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Overview 03:25 - The Rise of the New Process of Selling Group Tickets 07:45 - Special Offers and Gated Links for Future Games 12:49 - Competition and Gamification in Group Ticket Sales 16:08 - Theme Nights: A Strategy for Selling Group Tickets 22:37 - Cross-Selling Sports to Different Audiences 25:13 - Fundraisers: Selling Tickets to Raise Money 27:24 - The Role of Groups in Driving Ticket Sales 31:23 The Importance of Flexible Ticketing Options
The main theme of this conversation is the importance of customer service for current ticket buyers. Jeremy Neisser emphasizes that while marketing directors and ticket sales teams are focused on finding new customers, there needs to be an intentional focus on providing excellent customer service to retain and satisfy current ticket buyers.
Jeremy provides an example of a team that saw a decrease in in-park attendance because their mini-plan and season ticket holders were using their tickets less frequently. Jeremy Neisser suggests that marketing directors should help ticket sales teams increase in-park attendance by improving customer service and communication with ticket plan holders.
Takeaways
Customer service for current ticket buyers is just as important as finding new customers.
Improving customer service and communication with ticket plan holders can increase in-park attendance.
Analyzing data on ticket usage over multiple years can provide insights into customer behavior and help with customer service strategies.
Marketing directors should focus on helping ticket sales teams increase in-park attendance.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction 02:05 - Decrease in In-Park Attendance Due to Ticket Usage 03:26 - Marketing Directors' Role in Increasing In-Park Attendance 05:35 - Avoiding the Cycle of Always Going After New Customers 06:03 - Analyzing Ticket Usage Data for Customer Service Strategies 07:18 - Giving Ticket Sales Teams the Opportunity to Increase Renewal Percentage
Marketing directors in sports often struggle to convert past customers into returning customers. On average, only 33% of past ticket buyers return for a game the following year.
To improve customer conversion, marketing directors can send a post-game email to single-game buyers, thanking them for attending and offering a discount or special opportunity for another game.
This strategy works because it strikes when the fan is still excited about the game, it is specific to the game they attended, and it provides a personalized offer. By implementing this strategy, teams have seen success in converting single game buyers into multiple game attendees and potential season ticket holders.
Takeaways
Marketing directors in sports struggle to convert past customers into returning customers.
Sending a post-game email to single game buyers can improve customer conversion.
The post-game email should thank the fan for attending, be specific to the game they attended, and offer a discount or special opportunity for another game.
This strategy can lead to converting single game buyers into multiple game attendees and potential season ticket holders.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction 01:08 - Challenges in Converting Past Customers 03:00 - The Power of Post-Game Emails 04:54 - Crafting an Effective Post-Game Email 06:15 - Converting Single Game Buyers into Season Ticket Holders 07:40 - Conclusion
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses a team that was struggling to sell tickets despite their marketing efforts. He identifies three key issues: prioritizing single game ticket sales over season tickets and group sales, allocating the majority of the marketing budget for awareness activities instead of collecting email addresses, and not setting goals for major promotions.
Jeremy emphasizes the importance of group sales as a fixer for teams and shares his experience with the Birmingham Barons. The takeaways include being intentional about selling tickets to specific games, collecting email addresses for future marketing, and leveraging group sales as a strategy.
Takeaways
Be intentional about your prime games - have a focus of group sales on these
Collect email addresses for future marketing
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction 02:02 - The Importance of Prioritizing Season Tickets and Group Sales 03:44 - The Power of Group Sales as a Fixer 05:07 - Building Momentum through Intentional Marketing 06:02 - The Key to Successful Ticket Sales: Collecting Email Addresses 07:24 - Conclusion
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Kassidy Ellenby, the Executive Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications at DePaul University, about an open role for the Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Experience. They discuss the duties and expectations of the role, including overseeing marketing efforts for men's basketball, managing a budget, and coordinating sponsorship activations.
They also talk about the game day atmosphere at Wintrust Arena, the importance of fan engagement, and the strategies for increasing student attendance at sporting events. The conversation highlights the collaborative culture at DePaul and the opportunities for growth and development within the athletic department.
Takeaways
The open role at DePaul University is for the Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Experience, with a focus on men's basketball.
The role involves overseeing marketing efforts, managing a budget, and coordinating sponsorship activations.
The game day atmosphere at Wintrust Arena is top-notch, with pyro towers, immersive video boards, and engaging in-game entertainment.
Increasing student attendance at sporting events is a priority, and partnerships with campus organizations and targeted communication strategies are used to promote events and offer incentives.
DePaul University offers a collaborative and supportive culture, with opportunities for growth and development within the athletic department.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Overview of the Open Role 03:02 - Creating an Engaging Game Day Atmosphere at Wintrust Arena 05:48 - Increasing Student Attendance at Sporting Events 08:51 - Collaborative Culture and Opportunities for Growth at DePaul University
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the differences between first-party and third-party data and how they can benefit sports teams. First-party data is data collected directly from the audience or customers and is owned and controlled by the team. It includes ticket sales data, purchase history, website interactions, email marketing engagements, and more.
On the other hand, third-party data is collected by entities not directly related to the organization, such as social media platforms or data brokers. It provides broader insights and allows for targeted advertising based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
Takeaways
First-party data is highly accurate and provides unique insights directly from the fan base.
Third-party data offers broader insights and allows for targeted advertising based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
Balancing both types of data can provide comprehensive insights and help identify potential new audiences.
Prioritizing fan privacy and trust is crucial when handling data.
Being transparent about data usage and giving fans control over their information builds trust and strengthens fan relationships.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Overview 00:43 - First-Party Data: Definition and Examples 06:57 - Third-Party Data: Definition and Examples 13:01 - Benefits and Challenges of Third-Party Data 15:16 - Balancing First-Party and Third-Party Data 18:17 - Strategies for Utilizing Data 20:35 - Key Takeaways 24:52 - Conclusion and Call to Action
Jeremy Neisser sits down with Courtney Rice from WolfCycle AI Wolf Cycle AI is an automated intelligence software that provides AI-powered sales and retention strategies for sports and entertainment partners. It uses virtual assistants to run strategic outbound campaigns and drive membership sales, group sales, premium and partnership sales. The software combines AI with human oversight to ensure personalized responses and maximize opportunities. Wolf Cycle has seen success across various verticals, including generating additional full seasons, driving partnership conversations, and retaining at-risk accounts. It aims to streamline sales processes and help teams sell more tickets efficiently.
Takeaways
Wolf Cycle is an AI-powered software that helps sports and entertainment partners with sales and retention strategies.
The software uses virtual assistants to run strategic outbound campaigns and drive various types of sales.
Wolf Cycle combines AI with human oversight to ensure personalized responses and maximize opportunities.
The software has seen success in generating revenue, retaining at-risk accounts, and driving partnership conversations.
It aims to streamline sales processes and help teams sell more tickets efficiently.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Wolf Cycle and AI in Ticket Sales 02:18 - AI's Ability to Understand Natural Language Processing 04:39 - Customizing Campaigns Based on Partner Goals 08:10 - Adding a Human Layer to AI for Response Protection 12:15 - Expanding into Sponsorship Outreach 18:27 - Proactive Engagement and Retention Strategies 21:04 - Leveraging Data and Continuous Improvement 23:30 - Future Directions for Wolf Cycle 28:08 - How to Get in Touch with Wolf Cycle
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses how to analyze advertising effectiveness in sports marketing. He breaks down advertising into two categories: new customers and repeat customers. He explains that consumers rarely buy the first time they see an ad and need to be reminded multiple times before making a purchase.
Neisser emphasizes the importance of looking at new customer acquisition and return customer metrics to understand the effectiveness of marketing efforts. He suggests tracking ROI, number of buyers, and revenue for new customer acquisition, and leveraging direct channels like email and text messaging for return customers.
Takeaways
Focus on new versus returning customers rather than analyzing by source
Measure ROI and buyer numbers for new customer acquisition
Leverage direct channels like email and text messaging for return customers
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction 00:41 - Analyzing Advertising in Two Buckets 02:07 - The Importance of Multiple Touchpoints 03:30 - The Challenge of Attribution 04:28 - New Customer Acquisition 07:15 - Channels for Return Customers 10:35 - Focusing on New and Return Customers 12:28 - Leveraging Direct Channels 12:57 - Conclusion
The conversation discusses the success of the Bluey Night promotion at the Lansing Lugnuts baseball game. The promotion involved bringing the popular children's character Bluey to the ballpark for a meet and greet with fans.
The planning process involved working with Minor League Baseball and the group Oasis, who had the rights to Bluey. The promotion was heavily marketed, with VIP tickets selling out quickly and a strong social media presence. The event was a success, with high attendance and positive feedback. The conversation also touches on potential future promotions, including Paw Patrol, Harry Potter, and Peppa Pig nights.
Takeaways
The Bluey Night promotion at the Lansing Lugnuts baseball game was a success, with high attendance and positive feedback.
The planning process involved working with Minor League Baseball and the group Oasis, who had the rights to Bluey.
Marketing efforts, including VIP tickets and social media promotion, were effective in generating excitement and ticket sales.
Future promotions, such as Paw Patrol, Harry Potter, and Peppa Pig nights, are being considered based on the success of Bluey Night.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Overview of Bluey Night 03:29 - Cost and Logistics of Bringing Bluey to the Ballpark 05:36 - Effective Marketing Strategies for Bluey Night 09:01 - Promotion and Attendance for Bluey Night 12:41 - In-Game Entertainment and Merchandise 14:49 - Reflections and Future Plans for Bluey Night 18:18 - Data Analysis and Potential Future Promotions
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neiser interviews Steve Robinson, former Chief Marketing Officer at Chick-fil-A, about transforming customer experience and building emotional connections with customers.
Steve spent 35 years as the CMO of Chick-Fil-A starting in 1981. Robinson shares insights on the importance of customer feedback, creating a culture of continuous improvement, and innovating hospitality during economic downturns. He emphasizes the significance of a strong brand promise and the role of customer loyalty in driving business success.
Takeaways
Chick-fil-A focused on creating an engaging customer experience rather than just transactions.
The brand's journey began with a shift from discounting to adding value to the customer experience.
Emotional connections with customers are crucial for brand loyalty.
Customer feedback is essential for innovation and continuous improvement.
Chick-fil-A's hospitality model was inspired by successful brands like Ritz-Carlton and Southwest Airlines.
The company invests more in existing stores than in new ones to maintain brand experience.
A strong brand promise is key to customer engagement and loyalty.
The 'second mile service' initiative was launched during economic downturns to enhance hospitality.
Customer listening and research are foundational to Chick-fil-A's marketing strategy.
The culture of Chick-fil-A is built on long-term vision and ownership, allowing for consistent brand growth.
Chapters 00:00 - Transforming Customer Experience at Chick-fil-A 06:50 - Building Emotional Connections with Customers 14:05 - The Role of Customer Feedback in Innovation 21:06 - Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement 28:12 - Innovating Hospitality During Economic Downturns 39:59 - The Importance of Brand Promise and Customer Loyalty
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Jeremy Neisser discusses the intricacies of mini-plan pricing for sports teams. He emphasizes the importance of analyzing ticket buyer data to set effective pricing strategies.
By using a specific formula, he illustrates how teams can avoid underpricing their mini-plans and maximize revenue. The conversation covers the trade-offs involved in pricing decisions and the need to maintain a balance between affordability for fans and profitability for teams.
Takeaways
Mini plans are crucial for increasing ticket sales.
Analyzing past buyer data helps in setting prices.
Teams often undercut themselves with pricing.
Understanding fan behavior is key to pricing strategies.
Calculating revenue trade-offs is essential for profitability.
Aiming for a 50% revenue gain is ideal.
Blended averages provide a realistic pricing perspective.
Pricing should reflect the value perceived by fans.
Teams need to be cautious of losing money on plans.
Effective pricing can lead to increased fan engagement.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Mini Plan Pricing 02:57 - Analyzing Ticket Buyer Data 06:09 - Understanding Pricing Strategies 09:01 - Calculating Revenue Trade-offs 11:51 - Final Thoughts on Mini Plans
In this conversation, Maria Valentyn discusses the planning and execution of a successful promotional event themed around Taylor Swift's Era's Tour. The discussion covers the ideation process, ticket acquisition, budgeting, community engagement, marketing strategies, sponsorship activation, and the overall impact of the event on ticket sales and community involvement.
Maria reflects on the successes and challenges faced during the promotion and shares insights on how to replicate such an event in the future.
Takeaways
The idea for the promotion came during an end-of-season retreat.
Community engagement was crucial for building excitement.
The tickets were acquired through secondary markets due to high demand.
The event featured themed experiences for each inning of the game.
Collaboration with the promo team enhanced the authenticity of the event.
Promotional strategies included social media, local news, and word of mouth.
Sponsorship activation involved a QR code strategy to increase engagement.
Group sales were a significant part of the promotion's success.
The ticket giveaway process was well-planned and executed.
The event set a new standard for future themed promotions.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to the Era's Night Promotion 02:11 - Ticket Acquisition and Budgeting 04:35 - Creating a Themed Experience: Nine Innings of Eras 08:13 - Community Engagement and Team Collaboration 10:09 - Promotional Strategies and Marketing Tactics 12:41 - Sponsorship Activation and QR Code Strategy 14:37 - Group Sales and Mini Plans 25:07 - Reflections on the Promotion and Future Plans
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser shares three effective strategies to increase ticket usage among season ticket holders and mini-plan holders. He highlights the value of proactive communication, exclusive events, and personalized game day perks in boosting fan engagement and retention. By using these approaches, teams can strengthen emotional connections with their fans, leading to increased attendance and long-term loyalty.
Takeaways
Proactive communication increases engagement: Reminder emails and texts keep ticket holders informed about games, promotions, and special perks.
Exclusive access creates stronger emotional connections: Invite-only events and behind-the-scenes opportunities provide fans with memorable, high-value experiences.
Personalized perks encourage loyalty and attendance: Offering seat upgrades, custom surprises, and attendance-based rewards motivates fans to attend more games.
Seat visits build personal relationships: Checking in on season ticket holders during games fosters a sense of community and ensures a positive experience.
Creating high-value experiences makes fans feel special: Personalization and exclusivity are crucial to enhancing fan satisfaction and encouraging frequent attendance.
Frequent attendance increases the likelihood of renewal: The more often fans attend, the stronger their connection to the team, making them more likely to renew their tickets.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Ticket Usage Strategies
01:08 - Proactive Communication for Engagement
04:18 - Exclusive Events and Behind-the-Scenes Access
In this podcast episode, Tom Bridger discusses the innovative digital activation platform, WIT Contests, which enhances fan engagement in sports through gamification and data collection. He shares successful case studies, strategies for increasing ticket sales and sponsorships, and the importance of adapting to modern fan expectations.
Bridger emphasizes the platform's effectiveness for both large and small teams, highlighting its potential to drive revenue and improve fan experiences. The conversation concludes with insights into future trends in sports engagement and a special offer for teams interested in the platform.
Takeaways
Contest is a leading digital activation platform in sports.
Gamification significantly increases fan participation rates.
Successful activations can drive substantial revenue for teams.
Data collection is crucial for understanding fan preferences.
Email marketing remains the highest ROI for ticket sales.
Teams can use digital activations to enhance loyalty programs.
The platform is adaptable for both large and small teams.
New leagues can benefit greatly from innovative engagement strategies.
Future trends include integrating loyalty programs with fan engagement.
WIT offers a special discount for teams interested in their services.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Contest and Its Impact on Sports Engagement 03:07 - Gamification: Transforming Fan Experiences 06:05 - Case Studies: Successful Activations and Partnerships 09:03 - Data Collection and Lead Generation Strategies 11:48 - Enhancing Fan Loyalty and Season Ticket Sales 15:00 - The Role of Digital Engagement in Modern Sports 18:01 - Future Trends in Fan Engagement and Technology 21:07 - Opportunities for Smaller Teams and New Leagues 23:48 - Conclusion and Special Offers for Teams
Contact Tom - tom@witcontests.com Any team that mentions "Sports Marketing Machine" will receive $500 off their annual agreement.
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine Podcast, host Jeremy Neisser discusses practical strategies for sports marketers to enhance fan engagement and increase ticket sales. He emphasizes the importance of creating memorable experiences for fans and introduces two low-effort website updates that can yield high returns on investment.
The episode covers the implementation of group sales forms and effective email list building through pop-ups, providing actionable insights and examples from successful teams.
Takeaways
Group sales form on your website that just helps you with seamless conversion.
Make it easy for companies, organizations, and families to book group outings by placing forms on your group sales pages.
Check the Vermont Lake Monsters. Great case study, great example of a successful group sales form.
Craft a compelling pop-up for your email list.
Use a pop-up to grow your email list all year long.
Make the invitation feel exclusive.
Options like insider club or lottery ticket list.
Fans are more likely to engage rather than a generic sign up for our newsletter message.
Small adjustments like these can significantly impact your sales.
Create seamless experiences for our fans.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Sports Marketing Strategies 01:40 - Website Updates for High ROI 04:55 - Enhancing Group Sales Conversions 07:10 - Building an Effective Email List
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the impact of user-generated content on marketing strategies, using Chili's success on TikTok as a case study. He emphasizes how sports teams can leverage similar tactics to engage fans, boost ticket sales, and create memorable experiences. The conversation covers practical strategies for encouraging fans to share their experiences and highlights the importance of creating visually appealing moments that resonate with audiences.
Takeaways
Chili's leveraged user-generated content to drive sales.
Fans create authentic content that resonates more than ads.
Sports teams should identify unique moments for fan engagement.
Encouraging social media sharing can amplify brand exposure.
User-generated content can significantly enhance marketing efforts.
Visual elements at events can inspire fans to share experiences.
Micro-influencers can help promote local events effectively.
Creating Instagrammable moments is crucial for fan engagement.
Teams should actively seek and share fan-generated content.
Engaging fans in content creation can lead to organic growth.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to the Power of User-Generated Content 02:52 - Chili's Success Story: Engaging Fans through TikTok 06:09 - Strategies for Sports Teams to Amplify Fan Engagement 08:58 - Practical Tips for Encouraging User-Generated Content
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Jeremy Neisser discusses strategies for maximizing fan engagement and sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. He emphasizes the importance of offering two distinct deals to reduce decision fatigue, the necessity of early pre-promotion to build excitement, and the critical nature of tracking and analyzing results to refine future strategies.
The episode is packed with actionable insights and creative ideas for sports marketers looking to enhance their promotional efforts during the holiday season.
Takeaways
Craft two deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Offering two options reduces decision fatigue.
Start teasing your deals early to build excitement.
Utilize a multi-channel approach for promotion.
Ensure a seamless and mobile-friendly checkout process.
Track engagement metrics to assess effectiveness.
Involve local influencers to enhance visibility.
Consider collaborations with local businesses for deals.
Engage players or mascots in promotional content.
Prepare and promote early for better success.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Black Friday and Cyber Monday Strategies 05:21 - Crafting Effective Deals for Engagement 11:24 - Pre-Promotion and Execution Tactics
In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the implications of tariffs on sports marketing, focusing on how they affect budgets, promotional strategies, and fan engagement. He explains what tariffs are, their purpose, and how they can increase costs for imported goods. Jeremy provides actionable strategies for sports teams to manage these costs, including setting aside emergency funds, having in-depth conversations with promotional companies, and exploring creative solutions for promotional items.
He also highlights the importance of staying informed about potential tax credits that could alleviate some financial burdens.
Takeaways
Tariffs are a tax imposed on imported goods.
They can significantly impact budgets for sports teams.
Setting aside an emergency fund is crucial for unexpected costs.
Engaging in lengthy discussions with suppliers is necessary.
Creativity in sourcing promotional items can save costs.
Local businesses can provide alternatives to imported goods.
Understanding the political implications of tariffs is important.
Monitoring potential tax credits can provide financial relief.
Tariffs can reduce consumer choice and raise living costs.
Planning ahead is essential to mitigate tariff impacts.
Chapters
00:00 - Understanding Tariffs and Their Impact 05:44 - Strategies for Managing Tariff Costs 10:19 - Creative Solutions for Promotional Items 13:41 - Tax Considerations and Final Takeaways
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine Podcast, host Jeremy Neisser explores the pros and cons of selling tickets to brokers. He discusses the historical context of ticket brokering, its evolution, and the implications for teams in terms of revenue, fan experience, and pricing strategies.
The conversation highlights key considerations for teams when deciding whether to engage with ticket brokers, including inventory management, pricing strategies, and maintaining fan loyalty. Neisser emphasizes the importance of understanding both the benefits and drawbacks of working with brokers to make informed decisions.
Takeaways
Selling tickets to brokers can provide immediate revenue.
Brokers can help teams manage unsold inventory.
Ticket prices can become inflated when sold through brokers.
Fans may feel disconnected from teams when buying through brokers.
Brokers have sophisticated platforms for selling tickets.
Teams miss out on valuable buyer data when selling to brokers.
Setting limits on ticket purchases can help maintain control.
Collaborating with brokers can lead to better pricing strategies.
Dynamic pricing systems can help teams compete with brokers.
Understanding the pros and cons is crucial for teams.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Ticket Brokering 01:07 - The Evolution of Ticket Brokers 02:33 - Pros of Selling to Ticket Brokers 04:01 - Cons of Selling to Ticket Brokers 07:24 - Key Considerations for Teams 10:34 - Strategies for Managing Broker Relationships
Logitix can help team post their existing inventory on places like StubHub, etc. Reach out to Travis Apple - tapple@logitix.com if you are interested. Make sure you share that you heard it on the Sports Marketing Machine podcast
In this conversation, KC Smurthwaite discusses the mission and operations of Athletics Admin, a consultancy focused on solving problems in collegiate athletics.
He shares insights on revenue generation, donor engagement, and innovative fundraising strategies, particularly in the context of the evolving landscape of college sports and NIL regulations. The discussion emphasizes the importance of collaboration, understanding donor expectations, and the future of college athletics.
In this conversation, Jeremy Neisser and KC Smurthwaite discuss the evolving landscape of sports marketing, particularly focusing on innovative jersey programs that engage fans and alumni while raising funds for athletic departments. They explore the challenges and opportunities presented by NIL contracts, the importance of alumni engagement, and the potential for expanding these unique merchandise initiatives across various sports.
The discussion highlights the collaborative nature of these programs and the positive impact they can have on university athletics.
Takeaways
Athletics Admin aims to focus on student-athlete needs rather than just revenue.
The consultancy seeks to fill gaps in collegiate athletics administration.
Understanding what success looks like for clients is crucial.
Annual funds serve as a gateway for donor engagement.
Testing new strategies can lead to successful fundraising outcomes.
Building relationships with donors is essential for long-term success.
Innovative approaches, like sharing scouting reports, can enhance donor engagement.
NIL has changed the dynamics of donor contributions and athlete compensation.
The future of college athletics may see a separation between football and other sports.
Fans are increasingly looking for ways to feel ownership in their teams. Athletes face high expectations, leading to disappointment when teams underperform.
Innovative jersey programs can generate significant revenue for athletic departments.
Engaging alumni through unique merchandise can foster a sense of connection to their alma mater.
The jersey program operates with zero cost to the institution, sharing revenue with them.
The program has successfully raised funds through creative marketing strategies.
Involving former athletes can enhance fundraising efforts and alumni engagement.
The auction platform allows fans to bid on jerseys in real-time during games.
The program is adaptable and can be expanded to various sports beyond basketball.
Collaboration with universities is key to the success of the jersey program.
The initiative aims to create memorable experiences for fans and student-athletes alike.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Athletics Admin 05:57 - Revenue Generation Strategies 11:50 - Innovative Fundraising Approaches 19:45 - The Dark Side of Sports Expectations 30:34 - Expanding the Jersey Concept to Other Sports 37:46 - Connecting with Universities for Collaboration
In this Sports Marketing Machine Podcast episode, Jeremy Neisser shares his 12 marketing and fan engagement predictions for 2025. He discusses the impact of AI on fan engagement, the rise of flexible membership models, the dominance of short-form video content, and the importance of user-generated content and micro-influencers.
Neisser emphasizes the need for a holistic marketing approach, innovations in merchandise, and the significance of mobile ordering for concessions. He also explores donor engagement strategies and the integration of NIL athletes into marketing campaigns, highlighting the evolving landscape of sports marketing.
Takeaways
AI will enable hyper-personalization in fan engagement.
Membership models are evolving to be more flexible.
Short-form video content is crucial for reaching younger audiences.
AI can automate content creation for real-time updates.
Micro-influencers can significantly impact local marketing efforts.
A holistic marketing approach is necessary for effective attribution.
Limited edition merchandise can drive fan excitement and sales.
Mobile ordering will enhance the game day experience.
Donor engagement should go beyond just financial contributions.
NIL partnerships can boost marketing efforts and revenue.
Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Sports Marketing Predictions 02:06 - AI and Hyper-Personalization in Fan Engagement 04:30 - The Rise of Membership 2.0 06:25 - Short Form Video Dominance 08:50 - AI-Generated Content for Real-Time Updates 09:19 - User-Generated Content and Micro-Influencers 12:10 - Shifting from Old Attribution Models 14:48 - Merchandise Innovations and Limited Edition Drops 17:35 - Game Day Innovations and Mobile Ordering 20:27 - Donor Engagement Beyond Cash 21:45 - NIL and Team Synergy 23:39 - Creator Partnerships and NIL Expansion 25:30 - Emerging NIL Platforms for Smaller Markets
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser discusses the resurgence of direct mail as a powerful marketing tool for sports teams. He highlights its high open rates, tangibility, and reduced competition compared to digital ads.
Neisser shares successful case studies from teams utilizing direct mail for sponsorship and alumni donations, emphasizing the importance of timing, targeting, and messaging in crafting effective campaigns. He encourages teams to consider direct mail as a viable option in their marketing strategies.
Takeaways
Direct mail is making a comeback in sports marketing.
High open rates of direct mail can lead to better engagement.
Direct mail offers a tangible item that leaves a lasting impression.
Less competition in mailboxes compared to crowded email inboxes.
Successful campaigns can yield significant returns on investment.
Targeting specific lists can enhance the effectiveness of campaigns.
Timing is crucial for the success of direct mail campaigns.
Keep messaging simple to avoid overwhelming recipients.
Direct mail can be a cost-effective marketing strategy.
Consider direct mail as a complement to digital marketing efforts.
Chapters
00:00 - The Comeback of Direct Mail in Sports Marketing 02:49 - Success Stories: Direct Mail Campaigns in Action 06:03 - Strategies for Effective Direct Mail Campaigns 08:50 - Planning and Execution of Direct Mail Campaigns
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Jeremy Neisser discusses the potential ban of TikTok in the United States and its implications for sports teams and fan engagement. He outlines the legal scrutiny surrounding TikTok, the national security concerns, and the possible outcomes of the ban, including a complete ban, stricter regulations, or operational changes.
Neisser emphasizes the importance of TikTok for reaching younger audiences and offers strategies for sports teams to prepare for a world without TikTok, including diversifying content and prioritizing owned media.
Takeaways
TikTok's potential ban raises concerns for sports marketing.
Legal scrutiny focuses on data security and privacy issues.
Possible outcomes include a complete ban or stricter regulations.
TikTok is crucial for engaging Gen Z and millennials.
The platform's algorithm allows for organic content discovery.
Teams should repurpose TikTok content for other platforms.
Downloading TikTok content without branding is essential.
Prioritizing owned media like email is crucial for teams.
Diversifying content strategies can mitigate risks.
Building a strong email list is vital for future engagement.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to TikTok's Potential Ban 01:09 - Legal Scrutiny and National Security Concerns 03:59 - Possible Outcomes of the Ban 04:57 - Impact on Sports Teams and Fan Engagement 07:17 - Strategies for a Post-TikTok World
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Vince Surdo discusses the launch of Catch's new software, Front Office, designed to streamline operations for sports teams. The conversation covers the challenges teams face with chaotic operations, the importance of data in sales tracking, and how mobile ordering can enhance fan engagement.
Surdo emphasizes the need for effective communication and collaboration within teams to improve efficiency and revenue. He also highlights the significance of building strong relationships with clients and providing ongoing support to ensure success.
Takeaways
Front Office is designed to eliminate chaos in team operations.
Teams often struggle with scattered data across multiple spreadsheets.
Mobile ordering enhances fan experience and operational efficiency.
Data collection is crucial for understanding fan preferences.
Effective communication is key to successful operations.
Recurring fans are more valuable than one-time attendees.
The software allows for real-time updates and collaboration.
Promotional offers can incentivize teams to adopt new technology.
Building relationships with clients is essential for long-term success.
The future of sports marketing is focused on data-driven decisions.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Front Office Software 03:09 - Identifying Operational Chaos in Sports Teams 05:56 - Streamlining Sales and Operations 08:50 - Enhancing Payment Processes 12:03 - Leveraging Data for Sales Insights 14:48 - Mobile Ordering and Fan Engagement 17:59 - Building Relationships and Customer Support 20:59 - Promotional Offers and Future Growth
Catch website Email Vince for a DEMO - vince.surdo@gocatch.io
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser discusses the importance of relatability in sports marketing, particularly in email campaigns. He emphasizes that fans want to see themselves in marketing messages and provides actionable strategies for teams to connect with their audience.
Drawing lessons from Taylor Swift and Mike Rowe, Neisser highlights the significance of addressing emotions, using relatable imagery, and sharing testimonials. He concludes with practical tactics for applying relatability to various marketing campaigns, ultimately aiming to strengthen the bond between teams and their fans.
Takeaways
Fans want to see themselves in marketing messages.
Relatability transforms generic interactions into engaging ones.
Address emotions and experiences in your emails.
Use images that reflect your audience's demographics.
Incorporate testimonials for authenticity and emotional weight.
Tell vivid stories that resonate with your audience.
Focus on shared experiences to create emotional connections.
Acknowledge fan loyalty to make them feel valued.
Relatability can lead to higher ticket sales.
Celebrate the shared values and passions of your fans.
Chapters
00:00 - The Power of Relatability in Marketing 01:19 - Lessons from Taylor Swift and Mike Rowe 05:12 - Tactics for Effective Email Marketing 09:37 - Applying Relatability to Campaigns
In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine Podcast, host Jeremy Neisser celebrates the 100th episode by discussing the critical role of email marketing in ticket sales. He emphasizes that the real work begins after sending an email blast and highlights the importance of following up with interested customers.
Neisser provides actionable strategies for marketing teams to convert email engagement into sales, including how to effectively utilize lists of interested buyers and the significance of personalized follow-ups. He also encourages creative approaches to email promotions to maximize engagement and sales opportunities.
Takeaways
Email marketing has a high ROI, averaging 30 to 1.
The real work begins after sending an email blast.
Follow up with those who clicked the buy now button.
Use the list of interested buyers for personalized outreach.
Engagement metrics can guide follow-up strategies.
Building relationships through follow-ups enhances customer service.
Segmenting email lists can lead to better-targeted promotions.
Promote group ticket plans to single game buyers.
The sales cycle continues beyond the initial email blast.
Creative promotions can attract diverse customer interests.
Chapters
00:00 Celebrating Episode 100 00:59 The Importance of Email Marketing 02:59 Turning Email Engagement into Sales 05:50 Follow-Up Strategies for Ticket Sales 08:53 Creative Approaches to Email Promotions
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