Marketing your sports team is becoming easier every day. With a plethora of pinterest boards, listicles, and instagram stories from people you’ve never met to sift through, you may feel overwhelmed with the idea of advertising your club, team, or organization. However, you’re in luck as there’s also a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips if you just scan the list below.
Billboards
While it may seem like a dying art form, billboards are still a hot commodity in the marketing world. Professional sports teams frequently advertise their events via billboards in all major cities in America, and even some minor ones like Wichita.
Think of billboards as pop up ads in real life. If that doesn’t do it for you, think of them as solid wood banners (as banners are typically vinyl, cloth, or plastic). Yes, pop up ads may be annoying, but don’t pretend you’ve never clicked on one before. Go on, I dare you!
Banners
School team sports banners are a very common and popular method of advertising for any athletic or extracurricular program. Whether it is for an event or as a permanent decoration, both public and private schools utilize this large-sale, eye catching way of getting the word out there for their program or team.
A very popular way some teams utilize banners is when celebrating large achievements such as regional championships or tournaments. These banners can be installed for eternal preservation of the achievement or as a temporary commemoration of said accomplishment.
Soccer teams are frequently seen on television events carrying a large banner between them, walking in a line as a sort of Wizard of Oz-esq success march. This is a fantastic decision as it utilizes advertising, exercise (marching), and everyone’s favorite thing: soccer players.
Online Ad Space
With the internet slowly taking over literally every facet of everyday life, one should never be surprised that social media and search engines are an easy way to get the word out there for your group or organization.
Websites such as Google and Instagram allow users to purchase ad space on their platforms that come with a wide array of direct marketing variables to ensure your team’s ad is seen by exactly who you want it to be seen by and absolutely no one else.
Another good idea is something I like to call “Analog Ad Space”. This involves creating a word document or Photoshop image of your group or team’s image and text, printing it out onto actual, physical paper, and posting it somewhere people can see it like bus terminals or your local YMCA.
Viral Campaign
Viral campaigns are a necessary evil in the digital world. But you don’t have to view it as a burden. Why, you could view it as an opportunity for team bonding! Your football team could do an epic flash mob in your local jewelry store, bringing in new football fans to the stadium with their gleeful dancing.
If your organization has enough money, consider a television commercial. Lots of cheesy, over-the-top commercials go viral for all the wrong reasons. But hey, any press is good press. Click here if you want to read about the most iconic sports commercials ever.
Bake Sale
Never underestimate the power of a good bake sale. The proper delicious treats sold at the right time can turn your soccer club into an internationally-traveling soccer league. Lemon squares can be the difference between driving your baseball team on a bus and flying them in a private jet to their next weekend tournament.
Themed treats are a hilarious and adorable way to show the community you guys are super sweet. Football-shaped cupcakes, tennis ball sugar cookies, and even soccer soup served in a kitchen for the homeless are all great ideas that the whole team can participate in. The more players and parents involved the better.
Overhead on bake sales is typically pretty small, especially if you simply unpack grocery store items and pass them off as unique home creations. One could potentially sell a $3.50 box of Little Debbie snack cakes for $15.78 if you repackage them as Mediterranean roll-cakes. There’s no way to lose.
Final Thoughts
Creating your team’s public identity is very important for the success of the future of your organization. You want to make sure you honestly and accurately represent your group in a fun, exciting way in order to draw more interested parties to you.
The above examples are only a few ways I’ve found to boost the notoriety of the team sports I have participated with or worked for in the past. You want to find a designer or company that knows you and your team personally so that you’re getting a completely unique, personalized experience that best represents your group as a whole.
