The final whistle has been blown, the trophies have been lifted, and the fans have gone home. The off-season can be a strange time in the calendar if you are a sports business. After months of intense action, some fans like to switch off, give their emotions a break, and recharge ahead of the new season.
Unfortunately for sports businesses, there is no off-season. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must consistently generate revenue throughout the year, making it crucial to keep customers and sports fans actively engaged. While this used to fall solely on the business, a new option has emerged in recent years. The rise of micro-influencers as a key marketing tool has been transformational.
These content creators have become an invaluable marketing resource for sports businesses. Leveraging the influence of micro-influencers can provide significant advantages during the quieter off-season, helping to maintain strong connections with fans and continuously drive revenue until the start of the new campaign.
First and foremost, like businesses, micro-influencers do not have an off-season. They need to keep their followers engaged year-round and are often very innovative in doing so. Micro-influencers have built carefully crafted online communities, ones that trust their judgment and anticipate their content.
The Gift of Time
For micro-influencers, the off-season presents a valuable opportunity to reassess their own output while using the time to deepen connections with their audience. With the absence of match-day pressures and the accompanying content demands, these influencers can pivot to discussing and endorsing products that resonate with them. This shift allows for a more genuine integration of endorsements, as opposed to shoehorning them into match-day content.
It is an ideal time to showcase and endorse products and small to medium enterprises that align with their values and passions. As they share authentic reviews, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or personal stories related to these endorsements, creators can really highlight why these products matter to them and their audience.
The off-season can also present a great time for community engagement content. Content creators get the opportunity to focus on discussion topics throughout the season, the sport as a whole, and the upcoming season. This can help deepen connections and establish trust. This hugely benefits businesses because the stronger the connection micro-influencers have with their communities, the more valuable their endorsements become.
This also provides a valuable opportunity for feedback. By engaging with their audiences and asking them what they like and dislike, they can gain deeper insights into how to engage with them and drive revenue. This feedback will help understand preferences and serve as a platform to promote excitement for the coming season.
Looking Ahead
This final point is crucial. The off-season should also be viewed as a chance to build excitement for the coming year. For content creators, this can involve a lot of analysis and previews. For businesses, it can be an ideal time to market new products and garner excitement for what customers can expect once the season begins. This is also an excellent way to keep passion and engagement high among customers.
During this period, competition is also going to be high. Many businesses will be all too aware that they can take a hit during the off-season, and they will all be scrambling to crack the code to pull in more customers.
Working alongside micro-influencers can give businesses a massive edge. Micro-influencers often provide direct access to communities, allowing businesses to reach their target audience directly.
They also understand how to effectively engage this audience and create the content they want to see. Collaborating with micro-influencers can be particularly effective for established business owners who may struggle to connect with younger demographics. These influencers are, quite literally, professionals at staying ahead of the curve when it comes to current trends and cultural shifts, making them an invaluable resource for connecting with younger audiences.
Finally, and most importantly for many companies, micro-influencers are extremely cost-effective. Companies do not need to burn through funds attempting to devise complex strategies; instead, they can work alongside micro-influencers for a fraction of the cost and see a much-higher ROI.
As the sports business landscape continues to become more competitive and the demand of sports fans increase, micro-influencers could prove to be a massive game-changer during the off-season, keeping fans busy until the madness of a new season kicks in.
By Troy Paul, Co-Founder and CEO of SGG Media
