The main purpose of email marketing is to involve and engage readers on initiatives and activities of the company that runs the campaign.

Such communications are aimed to inform, educate or sell, but whatever the reason, email marketing is still one of the best ways to use the web to expand your own business and brand.

These principles also apply to sport clubs, both for professional and amateur ones. All sport clubs have in fact fans and supporters waiting to receive information on their favourite team through multiple media channels. Despite the emergence of social networks has changed some perspectives and methodologies, the email is without any doubt one of the most effective and popular tool. Through email marketing, sport clubs can create relationship networks with two of the major players in the sport scene: fans (in the case of amateur clubs, even athletes) and sponsors, both real and potential.

ATHLETE / FAN LOYALTY

Almost every sport club has a website with special areas reserved for those who decide to sign up for access extra content or to receive periodically news on the team or the events organized by the company. Today many sport clubs use the web to gather their fans contacts, whose passion encourages them to seek information themselves. Thus, giving the consent allows fans to enter into direct contact with the club.

When it comes to email marketing, the request for consent is one of the most important aspects of the club/fan relationship.

And for its success, it’s essential that those who fill out the registration form have the perception of receiving benefits, which they might not have if they refuse to consent.

In the case of professional teams, the users “members” can enjoy special advantages, such as pre-emption rights on tickets, discounts on sponsor products and so on. The presence of those members, combined with an effective email campaign, may allow the club to create a direct communication channel with the fans, which can receive updates on their favourite team directly to their inbox.

Regarding the amateur teams, the speech has different characteristics, but similar elements. It’s true that for the amateur teams, the number of fans will not be numerically as high as for professional teams, but the same athletes will be interested in receiving news and updates on their club’s initiatives.

Therefore, well-targeted newsletters will facilitate the development of an even closer relationship, where the recipients will assume a dual role, both supporters and athletes.

In all situations, the most important aspect is to highlight how, through the newsletter subscription, subscribers can get benefits, specified as simply and effectively as possible. Whether they are “updates on their team” or “look at a preview of the new shirt”, the central point is to arouse interest from those who receive the message, that will be led to read carefully its content.

All these components play a crucial role in fans loyalty. Fans are already at the center of the sports phenomenon. And a well-targeted communication plan can ensure that they are even more.

RESEARCH FOR SPONSORS

The loyalty of fans and supporters is only one of the areas where clubs can use email marketing. In a world where huge amounts of money are in the hands of a few professionals, the amateur clubs, promoters of the grass-roots sports – the basic sport activity – are constantly looking for new sponsors to support them.

In this context, email marketing can help considerably. Business email lists, like those of Bancomail, profiled by geographical area and size, may be used  profitably by sport clubs. Not surprisingly, in the sport industry, the ROI can reach good levels for both parties.

Sport clubs, on one hand, by using profiled lists, can promote their business looking for potential sponsors to help the development of the club and its brand on the market.

The sponsor companies, on the other hand, can get from the sport an impressive portfolio that, after an initial investment, can considerably increase its visibility and its business volume.

The key for the success of this process is obviously the message content between clubs and companies. This must be clear, concise, non-dispersive, in order to arouse interest.

Every sport club has its different characteristics, together with its own course and history, but the leitmotif is represented by the weekly  involvement of hundreds, if not thousands, of people (athletes and fans) in its activities. And the emphasis on this heritage can attract companies interested in a sponsorship.

Sport, after all, besides having a ludus component, is becoming, over the years, an economically growing business. And, especially for the “small” companies, the promotion of their business through social networks, email and web, may represent a surviving tool that should not be overlooked.