There’s no denying the popularity of the Premier League. With a potential worldwide TV audience of 4.7 billion people and broadcasting deals bigger than ever, there’s no taking away from the fact it’s the most watched sport on the planet. However, many lower league English clubs don’t have multimillion-pound sponsorship deals and broadcasting rights, therefore money isn’t pouring in. How can lower league sides start following in the Premier Leagues footsteps? How can they attract more viewers to watch live games? Well here’s our top 4 tips for lower league clubs to explore.
Reasonably priced tickets
Remember the 77th-minute protest at Liverpool in 2016? Nothing puts off fans like overcharging for tickets! Try and gain support by providing these at a reasonable price. Group deals, family tickets, student, OAP or cut-price games are a great way of ensuring you get returning support and therefore an increasingly better atmosphere. Season tickets are also an area to look at. Individuals who look to purchase one are avid fans of the club, but more and more are not repurchasing due to the price.
Social Media
The combined followings of Manchester United on Facebook and Twitter make them the most popular English football club worldwide. Keeping fans up to date regularly with training, away games, signings, injuries etc can ensure that fans feel part of the club. Lower leagues clubs can take advantage of this. It’s important supporters feel part of the community even if they don’t live nearby. This is harder to achieve with larger clubs due to their global presence, therefore, lower leagues should really play on this and take advantage of the opportunity provided!
Activation-Sponsors
Did you ever see the huge digital sponsor activation of the three new Arsenal kits sponsored by Puma? Or remember Man City’s Aleksandar Kolarov vowing to sing a Christmas carol if fans reached a 330,000 YouTube subscriber target? Sponsorship activation does not just mean shirt sponsors or boards around the club. Companies should take advantage of their opportunities with football clubs and produced a range of material which is attractive to their audience. Whether this is Player Q&A’s, fan competitions on match days or YouTuber stadium viral videos, all content allows awareness of your brand partnership to rise.
Interactive activities such as online polls, quizzes, continual event updates, blogs etc with the use of SEO can be maximised and shared to draw attention. Leicester’s win in the Premier League, saw their social media following drastically increase from fewer than half a million on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook combined to a figure that boomed to over five million. Regular activations online and in the stadium help to ensure club support rises and fans feel engaged
Live streams
In the digital age, you want to get as much coverage as you can online. Alternatively, try and get inspiration from clubs who have their own TV channels or Apps. Stream snippets of training or changing room talks to get fans excited for the big games. Maybe do live streams of both pre and post-match interviews with the managers, players and even fans. Ensure online activity is frequent so when you use Facebook Live, you have a strong following.
However, bearing in mind you can always get a pie and pint for a good price, the club grounds have a lot of history, and you can witness a lot of raw footballing talent, could it be said that the Premier League could also learn a lot from the lower leagues?
Written by Lianna Bagley
