#Sportsbiz Stats Worth Sharing and Considering

Every episode of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast includes a “sharable stat,” a compelling statistic related to the digital and social media sports world. Here, I present part 1 of some of these sharable stats for your easy enjoyment…and sharing and learning! THE STATS —

80% of a home team fan talks about their team every day of the season (SSAC13)

This number was thrown out at the Sloan Sports and Analytics Conference 2014 at MIT by an NFL team and speaks to the unquenchable thirst and desire for content and conversation related to one’s favorite team. And what is your job as a social media manager for the team? Give them content and story lines and forums to talk and share and dominate that watercooler!

35% of marketing budget is online. Would like it to be 50% – GM of Volkswagen via NBA/NHLSummit.

Marketing managers readily admit their customer base is increasingly consuming content, conversing, and researching in a digital, online environment. And this activity is more traceable than ever before. Yet the actual ad spending has been slow to adapt from more traditional channels. This disconnect expects to change soon as budgets finally begin to effect realities.

70% of NFL fans are consuming NFL content on a 2nd screen while watching games

This just in — watching the actual game only comprises a portion of most NFL fans’ experience of consuming a game and other related content. Whether on a PC, laptop, or mobile  device, fans are ripe to consume a second screen. The challenge, of course, is finding the right content for the fan and for the team to serve on this screen. The fact is there is no single right answer; each fan segment/persona will want something different. But, regardless, a lot of them want something. 70% or more, now, actually!

Shareable Stat: (via Kristi Dosh, @SportBizMiss) – 80% of sporting apparel — college or not — is purchased by women, but only 18% of that is for women.

Women like to shop. For all the stereotypes about female fans in sports, a lot of them still like to shop. Many are purchasing sports apparel; but not many are buying sports apparel for themselves, instead, presumably, for kids, spouses, and significant others. More and more Facebook and Instagram pics are of couples posing at the game in matching jerseys. The takeaway point from this stat, of course, is the dearth of female fashion options in the sports apparel space. That seems to be changing, gradually, as teams and leagues realize the huge latent market in this space.

According to TMobile, data, 48% of fans check their smart phone during live events
(via the recent Sports Business Journal Sports Marketing Symposium, hosted by Group CSE)

Whether they’re texting, engaging on social media, searching for something, or snapping a video/photo, nearly half of fans are checking their mobile phones during live events. So are they engaging with your content? Do you know what they’re doing or want to be doing? Does your location / venue have connectivity in place to allow for smart phone usage in all forms during a live event? All important questions; many of which an owned WiFi connection in your venue can help answer.

Women represent 45% of #NFL fan base and 33% of the NFL viewing audience based on Nielsen data
(via Scarborough Research)

The importance of female NFL fans has continually been underscored this season with some of the off-field news erupting and magnifying the macho, misogynistic culture of which some would accuse the NFL. And these stats, based off the 2013 season, show important it is for the league to recognize, serve, appreciate, and, perhaps most importantly, maintain and grow this base of female fans. There are a lot more ladies out there ready to become mega NFL fans than males that have been reached and served by the league and sport for decades.

While 2013 World Series game 6 had 19.2 million TV viewers, estimated Twitter TV audience [seeing tweets about the game] was 8.4 million
[NielsenSocial]

This is an interesting ratio to keep an eye on in sports as Twitter and live sports become increasingly tied together to drive tune-in and engagement with properties and assets while watching a game. Will it increase, as more flock to Twitter for a 2nd screen, or will it decrease, as the number of 2nd screen options continues to grow for sports fans?

A properly crafted blog/post/story headline can increase traffic up to 500%,
[via a study by SEO agency Conductor]

This sharable stat isn’t just relevant for bloggers and B2B marketers. A well-crafted headline, with just a slight nod toward SEO, can deliver evergreen search results and hits today and into the future. Search is still a primary web activity and, with more and more sites out there for sports content and ticket sales, teams and leagues and organizations must take advantage of every potential aspect that can assure fans arrive to their results and their pages.

Which stats leave you pondering the most? Be sure to share and discuss them and look for Part 2 soon!

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Papa John’s Seizes on Wins in #SMSports

Ask any sports social media manager when their traffic and engagement is highest and the response often starts “You mean beyond the obvious?” The obvious are those social media moments and posts for which it doesn’t take much thought or, let alone pricey software, are when the team wins, a milestone is reached, a player celebrates a birthday or achievement, and any other “no-brainer.” And Papa John’s gets this.

pjs-win3  

The pizza purveyor, that counts even Peyton Manning among its franchisees, is nearly ubiquitous in pro and college sports, especially offering local discounts to fans whenever the team wins. When the favorite local team wins, sports teams’ social networks reach and engagement go through the roof as fans are overcome with positive emotion. The promotion typically gives 50% off to online orders the day following the team’s victory. I love this promo because:

– It piggybacks on a positive emotional moment of fans and connects the Papa John’s brand with the team and its fans at these moments of fervor and glee. A win for the brand to be associated with these sentimental moments when fans are at their happiest.

– It connects to Papa John’s business goals (selling more pizza, getting more customers, acquiring more customer data) and is very track-able in terms of ROI (code redemptions, customers registered).

– It has a clear call-to-action for fans and includes the urgency to act soon, as it only valid the day following the game. And fans often share their joy of enjoying their Papa John’s, a way to keep that winning feeling going.

pjs-win2

Teams know there are a handful of consistent content that will always garner the highest reach, shares, and traffic, and positive sentiment. Showcase the numbers, tie it to a partner’s business objectives, and sell it!

You know everyone is happy when the team wins. Papa John’s has jumped on it early, but opportunities still abound for teams to take advantage of the winning moments, the positive times when fan sentiment is at a zenith. Are you monetizing those moments? It’s time to start maximizing those victories, so that partners can celebrate alongside the fans. Before you go beyond the obvious, seize on the opportunities staring you in the face. There is a way to monetize social. Everyone can win.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Episode 29: Best Of Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast, Part 4

The Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast has been going for several months now and has had several great guests and accrued listeners. Here are small portions of recent episodes of the podcast, including conversations with: Kelly Mosier (Nebraska Huskers), Andrew Brandt (ESPN), Sean Callanan (Sports Geek), Will Carafello (New York Mets), Richard Deitsch (Sports Illustrated), J.W. Cannon (UPS), and Heather Zeller (AGlamSlam.com).

For those that missed any wisdom along the way, I encourage you to listen to all the episodes and check out the snippets. You can see the Podcasts page to view all the episodes and the Archive page for the summary decks.

Listen to Part 4 of the Best Of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

How The Nebraska Huskers Use the Yo App for #SMSports

Yo! The simple, monosyllabic greeting or call for someone’s attention also became the name of a mobile app some months back and, despite some mocking its seeming simplicity at first, the app has proved to be sticky with users. (Learn more about the app) And teams and brands are starting to notice, with the Nebraska Huskers recently making waves in the sports business world, joining the Yo community to connect with fans on the app.
I caught up with the Huskers Director of Digital Media, Kelly Mosier, to discuss the Huskers adoption of the Yo app for a short Q&A with responses in (how else?) Yo-form [mostly]:
Note: One “Yo” for ‘yes’ and two “Yo’s” for ‘no’ and three “Yo’s” for ‘probably’

Neil Horowitz: Do the Huskers believe it is primarily younger fans and students they are reaching on the Yo App?
Kelly Mosier: Yo Yo Yo

NH: Will the Yo App be used most frequently on football game days?
KM: Yo

NH:Is there a defined business strategy for how Nebraska plans to use the Yo App?
KM: Yo (loosely, mostly play it by ear to see how it develops)

NH: Is Nebraska the first major sports program to utilize the Yo App?
KM: Yo Yo Yo Yo (I have no idea but doubt it. I followed the World Cup on it this summer)

NH: Have fans been active responding in-kind with Yo’s when receiving Yo’s from the Huskers?
KM: Yo Yo Yo (again, no idea, the API access is a little rough, so, right now, it’s broadcast only and no receiving)

NH: Does Nebraska’s use of Yo rank lower on the priority scale compared to the bigger touch points– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, et al.?
KM: Oh Yo


NH: Is the adoption of Yo by the Huskers a directive from the top, as opposed to the Huskers digital team taking it upon themselves to experiment with the newer platform?
KM: Yo Yo (we’re mainly having fun)

NH: Have the Huskers surpassed expectations so far with fan response from the Yo App?
KM: [Day 1, no idea]

NH: Do many Huskers alumni and older fans use the Yo App?
KM:
Yo Yo Yo

NH: Has Yo reached out to the Huskers regarding your use of the app yet?
KM: Yo

NH: Are the Huskers on Yo for the long run versus treating it as an ongoing experiment?
KM: Yo Yo Yo –Everything is an ongoing experiment. We’ll drop Twitter tomorrow if everyone leaves.

Thanks so much to Kelly Mosier for his time and discussing the Huskers’ recent adoption of Yo! Learn more about the Nebraska Huskers. Go Huskers on Saturday? “Yo.” Also, listen to the DSMSports podcast episode with Kelly, from earlier this summer.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

 

Episode 28 Snippets: Heather Zeller, The Business of Fashion and Sports

Check out some snippets of episode 28 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, featuring Heather Zeller, founder and leader of AGlamSlam.com, a site exploring the intersection of fashion and sports. Click Here to listen to the full episode or check it out and subscribe in iTunes.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn