Photo: Canva Studio

Is sports marketing hard?

The challenge of promoting a sports event, to say nothing of driving ticket sales for an entire season, definitely requires a refined understanding of media, communications, and the audience involved. But the challenge is an exciting one, which makes sports marketing a highly desirable career path to many.

sm.hhp.ufl.edu - What Does a Sports Marketer Do? 4 Skills You'll Need

What's the new social media app 2022?

Level-up your social media presence in 2022 with Plann Plann supports the world's fastest-growing social media platform, TikTok (along with...

Last updated Nov 21, 2020

Is it normal to have less friends as you get older?

The older we get, the fewer friends we have. According to a recent study by experts from Aalto University in Finland and the University of Oxford...

Last updated May 28, 2019

Promotion

What Does a Sports Marketer Do? 4 Skills You’ll Need

July 26, 2021

Sports teams and franchises operate in a very similar way to major corporations. They employ financial experts and operational leaders to help keep the organization running as efficiently and effectively as possible, for example. They also, as any company might, prioritize outreach to consumers, and aim to ensure that public associations with the team’s “brand” are altogether positive. Sports organizations are, first and foremost, businesses. To pay players, maintain facilities, and put on a thrilling show during each and every game, franchises depend on the steady income of ticket sales and sponsorships. This means promotion through diverse media channels and a focus on engaging communities to drive their attachment to the team. This is the challenge of the sports marketer: to promote a team’s brand and image across a number of different mediums and drive consistently high attendance numbers. This can involve anything from ad placements to fostering an active social media presence, just as product promotion might for another business. The difference is that sports marketers are selling an experience, and the chance for consumers to see their favorite athletes and teams play – but a franchise has to earn their spot as a favorite team, first. This isn’t solely a matter of athletic superiority (though it certainly can help). There are teams that have seen success in building their brand after years of poor performance, creating a massive national audience by putting the team’s identity front-and-center. Sometimes, they even work directly with coaches and emerging personalities to develop a distinct style and voice. The challenge of promoting a sports event, to say nothing of driving ticket sales for an entire season, definitely requires a refined understanding of media, communications, and the audience involved. But the challenge is an exciting one, which makes sports marketing a highly desirable career path to many.

Given all the factors that make the field a distinct, specialized form of consumer outreach, what are some of the essential skills needed to pursue careers in sport marketing?

Top 4 Sports Marketing Skills

How many subscribers do you need to be verified?

100,000 subscribers Verified channel eligibility To be eligible to apply for verification, your channel must reach 100,000 subscribers. After you...

Last updated Mar 22, 2021

Is digital marketing easy to study?

Like many professions, digital marketing requires both a core set of hard skills (which can be relatively straightforward to learn) and a longer...

Last updated Jun 21, 2019

Promotion

Task Management

Sports marketers are routinely responsible for a wide array of different things, as promotional efforts for sports events tend to range a great deal in form and scope. Coordinating ad copy and media buying, media creation, meeting with merchandising teams, developing budgets, drawing up a social media calendar, planning events and initiatives, and offering creative assistance in writing a press release might be just some of the tasks on a sports marketer’s plate at any given moment. This means organization is of the utmost importance, especially as things can change incredibly fast in the field. As those with careers in sport marketing act as representatives of their franchise or organization, each task has to be done effectively and carefully, necessitating focus on each individual challenge at hand. The field demands a constant focus on the business side of sport, and the fulfillment of an organization’s fundamental goals. A professional sports team might make money through sponsorships and ticket sales, but a club team or youth sports organization might have an entirely different model, and might prioritize awareness and public outreach over sales. With each action sports marketers take, they have to be considerate of their objectives and what they’re trying to accomplish. The ability to think this way can be a major professional asset.

Initiative and Leadership Ability

Lauren Hindman, Director of Marketing for the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League, said in an interview that – even for entry-level candidates – she’s looking specifically for signs that individuals can, “take leadership of a project or take charge of a situation if the need arises.” Problem-solving skills, she says, are an especially valuable skill to have, as sport can be incredibly fast-paced. On game night, something can go suddenly wrong without warning that demands a deft, careful response from a member of the marketing team. Being able to step up, step in, and present a solution can mean the difference between an event that ends well and one that ends with fans leaving unsatisfied.

Writing Skills

Is posting 3 times a day on TikTok too much?

How often you post can also affect how your content is distributed on the platform (TikTok recommends posting 1-4 times per day). To find a posting...

Last updated May 4, 2021

Can I run 10K every day?

Running 10k every day is a great way to get fit and set a routine that sets you up for success. Running success is built on consistency. So, if...

Last updated Aug 31, 2021

Promotion

Learning to write and communicate effectively is useful in so many dimensions of sport marketing. Almost every one of the tasks listed above requires some kind of writing, which makes it fundamental to the challenge of helping to create and spread an organization’s voice. And there’s more to it than just the creative component. Directions to an event have to be specific and clear, along with any other necessary logistical communications between attendees and an organization. Effective internal communications are critical, too, as any good leader in sports marketing needs the ability to establish expectations and clearly set out a workable plan.

About UF’s Online M.S. in Sport Management

The online Master of Science in Sport Management from University of Florida readies professionals to take on complex financial and administrative challenges in the world of sports. The comprehensive sport management curriculum can help you develop the leadership abilities and administrative proficiency necessary to advance your career. Students can customize their education by taking electives in their areas of interest or choosing between optional specializations in: Athlete Development readies graduates to counsel players on striking a healthy balance between their physical performance and mental and financial well-being in positions like athletic director or director of player engagement. High Performance Coaching is intended for students who wish to pursue positions in managerial coaching or athletic administration, showing them how to foster the best performances in athletes. Sport Law teaches lawyers and administrators about legal principles that can have important applications in the world of athletics, including insurance, real estate finance, insurance, and fair competition.

sm.hhp.ufl.edu - What Does a Sports Marketer Do? 4 Skills You'll Need

Does TikTok affect mental health?

“The app provides an endless stream of emotional nudges, which can be hard to recognize and really impact users in the long run,” Faddoul said....

Last updated Mar 15, 2022

What is life without social media?

Without social media we would reduce our exposure to the amount of bad and fake news, and therefore reduced our overall levels of anxiety,...

Last updated Oct 24, 2021

Promotion

Who is more successful introverts or extroverts?

A recent study from the University of Missouri found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that extroverts and people who exhibit proactive behavior are more...

Last updated May 11, 2021

Promotion

How many followers do you need to be considered a micro influencer?

A micro-influencer has a social media presence larger than a normal person's but smaller than a celebrity's, landing between 1,000 and 100,000...

Last updated Sep 16, 2019