In sports marketing there’s little that takes precedence over the all-important up sell. Sports teams – and the arenas they play in, for that matter – are constantly thinking up new ways to turn the casual fan into a season-ticket holding, stat-quoting, all-star fan for life.
Adrian Chang, a Customer Success Manager, works closely with Eloqua’s premier sports clients – teams like the Boston Bruins and the Miami Heat. Recently, Adrian broke down 4 steps teams must make to turn the casual fan into a fan-for-life. Check out the video below.
Dig Into the Data
The process starts by researching key data: what demographic do they fit, where do they live, how closely do they resemble the profile of your season ticket-holders? This info will help you form an understanding of your potential buyers.
Check Fans’ Customer History
What types of products has your casual fan bought in the past, what years they made a purchase, and the frequency of their purchases are all solid factors for determining whether you can make an up sell. Customer history can also help in connecting with fans emotionally, which exactly what the Phoenix Suns did in a legacy campaign.
Read Their Online Fandom
Look into fans behavior within your online communities. Are they following the team on Twitter? Do they read the official blog? Are they taking part in contests on Facebook? You’re looking for long-term stickiness, and a well-cultivated community can go a long way in keeping fans engaged.
Create A Path For Fans To Follow
The last step is all about your franchise’s internal marketing process. You need to understand what would motivate your casual fans to take that next step. Lead nurturing plays a huge role in serving up the right content and messaging at key points in fans’ purchase decisions.
Do you work in sports marketing? How do you keep fans engage and entice them?
