Brett Howsley discusses how social media has become an important tool for sports marketing. He notes that the main objectives of sports marketing are to fill stadiums, create awareness, generate sales, build relationships with fans and athletes, and create shareholder value. Social media allows marketers to promote to thousands or millions of customers daily and is a must for any sports organization. It helps enhance brand awareness, reach fans across different regions simultaneously, and encourages interaction among fans. Popular social media platforms for sports marketing include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and social sharing on athlete accounts. Contests and real-time engagement are effective strategies on these channels.

1. Brett Howsley
Social Networks and Sports Marketing

2. About Me
• Born and raised in Reno, Nevada

3. Feather River College
• Played baseball from
2007-2008.
• Two conference and
Regional
championships.
• Ranked top 10 in the
nation.

4. College
• I am currently a Senior and Marketing major.
• I will be graduating in May 2012.

5. Grad School
• University of San
Francisco.
• MBA in Sports
Marketing and
Management.

6. Career
• Work for the San
Francisco Giant’s
organization.

7. Sports Marketing
• Sports’ marketing has
been defined as the
subdivision of general
marketing that focuses
specifically on the
promotion of sporting
events and sport teams..

8. Main
Objectives
• Fill the stadium in economic times
like this.
• Create awareness.
• Generate sales.
• Create relationships with the fans,
organization and athletes.
• Create shareholder value.

9. • Defined as: forms of electronic
Social Media communication through which
users create online communities
to share information, ideas,
personal messages, and other
content (videos).

10. Marketers Best Friend
Social Media is allowing
marketers to promote to
thousands, if not
millions, of customers on
a daily basis.

11. Social Media Marketing
• Companies spending of social
media advertising is expected to
increase each and every year.
• Organizations who do not buy
into social media will slowly
begin to fade out of the business
industry.

12. Top Social Networks
• Facebook: 7 billion
• Twitter: 182 million
• Pinterest: 104 million
• LinkedIn: 86 million
• Tagged: 72 million
• Google+: 61 million
(Total Visits for March 2012)

13. Sports Marketing and Social Media
• With the creation and
continuous growth of
social media, marketing
for sports organizations
has never been easier.
• Allows organizations to
keep all loyal and
interested fans up-to-date
on everything surrounding
their favorite teams and
athletes.

14. Sports Marketing and Social Media Con’t
• Social Media affect on Sports

15. Tips for Sports Marketing through Social Media
1. Know your target base
2. Know your options
3. Network. Network.
Network
4. Utilize the
athlete/Know your
contacts
5. Be versatile

16. Encourages Interaction amongst Fans
Questions
Complaints
Criticisms
Celebrate with team

17. Enhanced Brand Awareness
• Popularity through social
media.
• Fans become spokesperson
for organization (word-of-
mouth marketing)

18. Reaching Fans
• Reaching fans across
the nation at the same
time.
• A simple Tweet or Post
is being read and shared
by thousands across the
nation.

19. Facebook
• Mass audience (millions)
• Remind fans of games
• Deals/Promotions
• Line-Ups
• Injuries
• Buzz
• Photos/Videos/highlights
• Merchandise
• Constant Updates

20. Idea’s
Contests
• Post and/or engage most on
organizations Facebook
page.
• Fan Photos (most likes or
comments).

21. Twitter
• Real-time interaction
• Commentary and play-
by-play analysis
• Pictures
• Fans interactions
(Comments, questions
or responses)
• Athletes interaction

22. Twitter Amongst Athletes
• Athletes across the
nation are always
finding fans Tweets
interesting and
• Matt Barkley Twitter
constantly are giving
their fans feedback.

23. Idea’s
• Post fans tweets on
scoreboard during
games.
• Allow fans to vote for
best player and play of
each game.

24. Pinterest
• Awareness
• Fan Interaction
• Athletes, teams
and sports
moments

25. Idea’s
• Sport organizations can create their
own board and pin pictures of their
coaches, players, merchandise or
highlights.
• Contest: give away tickets or
autograph’s to fans who pin most
pictures from games or events
sponsored by team on organizations
board.

26. Only the beginning
• As time goes by, ingenuity
and creativity will start to
expand and the use of social
media with sports will only
continue to grow.

27. Thank You