How to Keep Fans Engaged During the Off-Season (2021 Short Guide)
Off-season is disliked by nearly every sports fan on the planet. During this period, no games are taking place and fans ultimately find themselves craving anything to fill the entertainment void left behind by their team not actively playing.
Of course, off-season also means that there is significantly less activity on behalf of sports teams to keep their fans engaged.
There are reduced social media posts, a lack of events for fans to attend, and generally not much going on. However, the off-season is an excellent opportunity for you to increase your fan engagement – as fans are more desperate than ever for interaction with your team. So, here’s a short guide (for 2021) that details how you can keep your fans engaged during the off-season.
Distribute high-quality social media content
Social media has now become the primary tool that sports teams use to keep fans engaged. Notably, big global names – such as the New York Yankees – continuously pump out social media content for their fans to engage with. It’s what the fans want.
Now, there are various tools you can use to assist with the creation and distribution of your social media content. www.greenfly.com/solutions/sports/ is a great tool to promote off-season fan engagement.
But what exactly is high-quality social media content for sports fans? Here are some quick examples:
- Giveaways and competitions
- Highlight reels
- Player Q&As
- Training footage
- Behind the scenes blogs (‘A Day in the Life’ video of your most popular player is an amazing idea)
Content like this is an excellent and assured way to keep your fans engaged during the off-season.
Host special event days
While drafts, transfers, and free agent signings are taking place during the off-season, event days are an excellent marketing tool for you to use. They help to keep fans engaged and build your brand. Your stadium is the perfect location for an event day, but there are also other venues you could hold them at (although try and stay local).
Event days can consist of many different features, such as:
- Q&As
- Autograph signings
- Music performances
- Fan competitions
- Fun activities (particularly for the younger fans)
- Food and drink
You can opt to charge for entry or, alternatively, you could make your event day free – which is a guaranteed way to get fans engaged (but is naturally going to cost you). However, those costs will be regained in the long run as you gain new fans and drive current fan loyalty through the roof as a result of your events being a success.
Make practice available to see for the fans
When the new season is approaching, players start to train hard. Although it’s a serious time period for the players, opening your practice sessions for fans to come and watch is a smart way to get fans engaged. Some fans won’t be able to make it to the training ground (due to audience limitations and travel restrictions), so you should also stream practices on your social media platforms. This way, no fan will miss out.
Open practice sessions are a great way for fans to familiarize themselves with the current squad heading into the new season, as well as any new players who have signed contracts.