My Two Cents
Today, I continue what I started on Monday. I hope to address the issues I raised then in today’s article.
Suggestions
1. Overhead–Overhead will always exist. Prioritize what needs be met first and then work down the list. Ask yourself if you should be using a stadium or arena in which you will not fill more than 1/4 it’s capacity. You may be spending unnecessary money. You may have little choices about where you can play.
2. Media Exposure–All teams should have a process for submitting game write ups. There are a number of online outlets that routinely publish scores and write ups of games. Create an email list and send off your scores and write ups. Many of them will publish your write ups without exception. Further, make sure your write ups are “publish ready.” By that I mean, make sure your grammar and spelling is correct. Better yet, if you have access to one, sign up with a press release service and let them send them for you.
Create your own media savvy network. Many teams have already taken advantage of www.blogtalkradio.com. Also, make sure that your website is well designed and that your regularly publishing content to the site. All of those write ups should be posted at your site too.
Use social media. Semi pro football teams have to use some other techniques to build a fan base because the local media will not help. Therefore, as many teams have already done, set up a facebook fan page and a twitter profile. Spend a few hours a week updating and responding to comments.
If you have the skills do your own web TV show. It can be a simple coaches show and you can post it at your website and on your social media channels. The show can be like a video podcast. Find someone to interview the coach and/or key players. You can use a flip video recorder which is rather inexpensive and made for video blogging. Upload it to Youtube and then post on your website, your facebook page and link to it through twitter.
Send your press releases to the local news media. Most likely, they will not use it, but they surely will not if you do not send it. Build a list of emails of local news sources–newspapers, radio, and TV channels. When you get a chance, build a relationship with any of them you can. Send them a jersey or some merchandise. You never know when one of them might take a special interest in your team. If you there are smaller newspapers in the area, make sure you include them. They are always looking for content.
Make connections with bloggers, especially the ones with good traffic. They struggle to find things to write about too, and your team could become a weekly content for them. Email them and ask them how you can get some coverage from them. Offer them a free ticket to the game so that they can blog about you. Bloggers get more traffic on the web than most newspapers do anyway. Do a little research and you can find out who has the most visited blog.
Semi Pro Specific Websites
3. Personal Agendas–Build a network. I have started one on Linkedin and any of you who are a part of Linkedin are welcome to join. It includes coaches, owners, players and other professionals from across the country. Networks can be crucial in getting more media and fan exposure to your teams and leagues. The truth is if we don’t work together we will be isolated and not really have enough fans to support our business.
4. Marketing–It’s time that teams start looking at themselves as a business, or at least an organization. Teams, and leagues, need to generate revenue to meet the operational expenses and then continue operating. There are a number of ways that you can do this. To know where you are going, you need to sit down and think about where you want to go. Marketing is making a plan to get your product in front of the people that you think will pay for the product.
You can talk to the marketing departments at the various universities near you to find out if students can credit for helping you with a marketing plan. You can hire somebody who knows how to do marketing plans for sports teams. There are really a number of ways you can go about it, but you should go about it in a responsible manner.
I have two pieces advice however. First, make sure you put in place multiple ways to generate revenue. You will never make it on ticket sales alone. Bring sponsors on board, sell merchandise, and ad space on your website. There is really no limit to what you can do. Second, make sure that your marketing includes an online marketing element. That is not an option. It goes back to generating media coverage (see above).
5. Organizational Structure–You need to have a structure. It starts with the owner and moves down to the players. Obviously, the bigger the organization, the more people you have to do tasks. You can get interns or volunteers from the colleges who would love to participate for the experience. They can handle things like media write ups, marketing, ticket sales, etc. Build a relationship with the closest college in their business department. They can even help you map out an organizational structure. You can’t do it alone. Always make sure you compensate people with something for their work. It might be with an ad spot on your website or in your program if they are a photographer. Make sure you, at least, barter with someone for their services. Volunteerism wears thin when someone feels uappreciated.
6. Economy–Wait for it to turn around. That is all any of us can really do. Nevertheless, position yourself for a strong business when it does turn around. Make sure you build some reserve to help the next time things are tight.
As I have said, these are not the only answers or the end-all of helping semi-pro football teams make money. I am sure there are people who have a better handle on making money with semi-pro football than I do. There are teams that are doing well, and if you are interested, you should contact them and find out how they are doing it. You also need to understand that their market is different than yours.
Do you have any ideas? If so, leave comments below. We are all learning from each other!
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