A harmonious society is one thing that many people crave, and sports do a good job of making that happen. Sporting events are known to be some of the best activities that bring people together, regardless of their religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds.
In 2020, however, this was one of the industries that suffered a big blow, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. For almost half a year, all sports events were halted to curb the spread of this virus.
One thing that’s become evident over the past few months is that technology can play a huge role in improving socialization. In 2021, the Internet seems to be the only way sports teams can keep their fans engaged, given that physical interactions are still restricted in many parts of the world.
So, how can sports clubs employ these limited methods? Read on to learn more!
1. Share The Unforgettable Moments
Stadiums may not be filled with the passionate atmosphere created by the fans, but matches are still being played regardless. Clubs can record all the actions and share them on their social media accounts for the fans to enjoy. As stated earlier, sporting activities were primarily meant to bring people together. Now that fans can rarely interact physically, clubs can give them an opportunity to watch their favorite players from home.
Wondering how you can get all the photos and videos to the audience? Well, there’s a wide range of options, and the number of choices keeps growing given the current situation. For one, you can use Greenfly for fan engagement in addition to the traditional social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The fact that many people are working or studying from home means they’re regular visitors to these sites and apps. Clubs can take advantage of this not only to grow their online presence but also to inspire their audience.
2. Live Fan Reaction
The beauty of watching live matches, from football to racing, is that you get to enjoy the moment because of how people react to certain moments. However, this has been limited in recent times and most teams are forced to play behind closed doors. Of course, there’s no replacement for the traditional sporting atmosphere, but teams can make it an enjoyable watch for those seated in front of their TVs at home.
Live fan reactions can be integrated into the normal broadcast sessions. For instance, when a goal is scored in a football match, the live videos of fans celebrating can be included to make things more interesting. Of course, artificial cheers have been used in most football matches since the restart, but real celebrations could make a difference.
3. Post-Match Reactions
Nothing brings fans together more than the idea of sharing their reactions after a match. Voice and video calls can be used to engage with fans and let them air their opinions. This will attract more fans to the team’s channels and even bring more ideas to the table. After every match, the responsible departments can set up a live video or voice call session.
4. Creating An App
Of course, most big clubs already have a fully operational app, but that’s not the case with some teams. In fact, even those that have one are still not sure how to get the best out of this technology. Well, clubs can use them to engage their fans by enabling push notifications. This will alert the users whenever there’re events or any new products being introduced.
In addition to an app, it would be wise to also grow and develop a well-designed website. Every organization, or at least most of them, today has an online ‘home,’ where people can quickly find them. Setting up a website for a sports team won’t only improve fan engagement but also create a platform where one can
Conclusion
Sports, in itself, is a very engaging activity. But with the current restrictions, clubs and other related organizations can only opt for the available techniques of interactions. As businesses embrace Zoom and other similar platforms, it’d only make sense for sports clubs to try various video platforms too. Such channels can be used to offer live content, welcome fans’ after-match reactions, and other engaging sessions.
Introducing a sports app with dedicated content can also have a huge impact on improving fans’ engagement. As you might have noticed, all suggestions put forth in this article are all technology-related. The reliance on various innovative ideas in the world of communication may just increase even further in the coming months, and sports is one of the industries that could benefit from such.