Social Media Trends in Sports Marketing
In the continuously evolving world of sports marketing, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for brands and teams looking to engage with fans in meaningful ways. In the past few years, social media has risen as a powerful source for connecting with markets and enhancing engagement. We will dive into the latest trends that shape the interconnection of sports and social media.
In today's world, social media is a baseline of the sports industry. Social media has revolutionized how players, teams, and brands interact with their audience. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even LinkedIn open conversations to engage with audiences and share engaging content. Staying up to date with the latest social media trends is critical for sports marketers to maintain loyalty within fans. Below are 2 strategies I have found are most popular and important for sports marketers to leverage in their brands.
Live Streaming and Virtual Events
Live streaming has become such an instrumental part in maintaining fan engagement. In fact according to Greenfly in Social Media in Sports: Driving Fan Engagement, "41% of global sports fans stream live sports through digital platforms." As many know, the world came to a halt when COVID-19 came. All sports from youth to professional were shut down and fans couldn't go experience that first pitch of a baseball game or their first NBA playoffs game. Live streaming and virtual events allowed fans to still feel connected to the game and feel as close to the live event as possible.
In What are the latest sports marketing trends you need to know? it says "As a sports marketer, you need to leverage live streaming and virtual reality to offer your fans, athletes, and sponsors more options, convenience, and excitement, and to create a sense of presence, participation, and connection." Live streams have provided teams and sports to expand their markets. As the article said, marketers need to leverage live streams to create more options and convenience for fans. Fans who live half way across the country can now experience the event as if they were in person. This allows teams to expand their markets to other areas they wouldn't normally reach. For example, the New York Knicks can create AR/VR courtside seats so someone who may be in California could experience the game without having to travel across the entire country.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing, while not new has become essential in sports marketing. It has allowed teams and athletes to reach new audiences and grow new partnerships. Influencers create a large amount of trust over a brand, team or athlete which makes them very influential to fans.
Influencer marketing often involves someone famous creating sponsored content or endorsing a product/event. According to the University of Kansas in Sports marketing trends and best practices: Reaching fans in a digital age, "Collaborating with influential athletes, sports personalities, or content creators allows organizations to tap into their engaged fan base and leverage their authenticity to promote..." For example, Ronald Acuña Jr. has partnered with BodyArmor to promote their line of electrolyte water. BodyArmor wants to target atheltes with their new water and using Acuña who is one of the best MLB athletes right now can really grow their product. Baseball being one of the biggest sports in the USA, BodyArmor can tap into a large market using MLB athletes to promote and back their products.
From the rise of live streaming and virtual events to the emphasis of user-generated content, the sports media industry is constantly transforming. By leveraging these trends, sports marketers can effectively manage their digital space and engage with fans in more personalized ways.
Works Cited
Gordon, S. (2023, October 26). What are the latest sports marketing trends you need to know?. 6 Sports Marketing Trends You Need to Know. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/what-latest-sports-marketing-trends-you-need
Greenfly. (2023, August 28). Social Media in sports: Driving fan engagement. https://www.greenfly.com/blog/social-media-in-sports/
Ingrid, I. (2024, March 11). The Future of Sports Social Media Marketing: Trends to expect in 2024. Sportskred. https://sportskred.com/the-future-of-sports-social-media-marketing
School of Education and Human Sciences, Department of Health, Sport, and Exercise Sciences, University of Kansas. (2024b, April 5). Sports marketing trends and best practices: Reaching fans in a Digital age. KU SOE. https://onlinesportmanagement.ku.edu/community/sports-marketing-trends
