broadcast sports content marketing agency

TikTok for sports brands

We feel that there is an opportunity with TikTok for sports brands, teams, and athletes to reach their fans in a way they haven't been able to on other platforms. Whether or not you are creating content on TikTok yet, the likelihood is that you have heard about TikTok or seen commercials for it. But do you know much about it? Let us briefly fill you in.

What is TikTok 

TikTok was originally launched as Music.ly in 2014. The original app allowed users to lip-synch along to their favorite songs. Jumping forward and in 2017, Music.ly was bought by ByteDance, a Chinese company that then merged the singing app into the currently existing TikTok. Since then, the social media app has become a powerhouse and incubator of top pop culture trends.

In terms of demographics, 41 percent of users are between the age of 16 and 24. 44 percent of users are female, as well. The platform is the most-downloaded free app in Apple’s App Store, directly ahead of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, and Snapchat. To illustrate the rise of TikTok since the start of 2018, particularly in comparison to the decreased popularity of Snapchat, see below.

TikTok’s primary audience ranges from 14 – 24, which is ideal for sports brands looking to build their fan and engage the next generation of sports fans from a Gen Z and Millennial audience. TikTok positions itself as “The leading destination for short-form mobile video. It allows users to share vertical, looping videos up to 60 seconds in length. The time limit for videos forces content creators to be smart and efficient.

What makes TikTok different from Instagram stories, Snapchat or Facebook.

Consumers shop for different things they want in different places. Like if you want some bread, you head to the bakery. Some fruit and veg, head to the grocer. It's the same with content. Do you want to watch a good movie? Head to Netflix. Vicarious experiences, subscribe on YouTube. Well with TikTok it's all about responding to viral trends and social commentary. They're short videos that don't necessarily require the highest production value. Often funny, the simplicity, brevity, and reactionary effect of a TikTok has the greatest potential to land brands huge reach and potential to catalyze a viral success.

How can it make fans "Tik"

TikTok for sports brands. We think this type of content lends itself to teams and athletes shining through in a more authentic, genuine, and non-contrived way. Keeping their content bite-sized, easy to digest, and suitable for a short attention span, thirsty audience who want to be fed little but very often. Fuelling their engagement and growing their brand affiliation. TikTok users on average are spending 52 minutes per day on the app.

The platform is perfect for fuelling hype and increasing brand engagement and awareness. Product launches, introductions to new lines, and driving sales. Brands and athletes can initiate interaction and engagement through #hashtag campaigns. Inciting engagement and introduction competition. Having users record themselves, tag their content with a campaign hashtag for the potential of a prize. Soon enough, you have a viral challenge, gaining exposure and such positive affiliation to the brand that had initiated such a simple, fun, and creative piece of audience engagement.

When opportunity meets preparation

The TikTok community is unique and you certainly want to ensure that, whether a brand or athlete, you are reaching fans through it. When content meets strategy is the same for us as when opportunity meets preparation. We have experience in growing TikTok audiences. Our founder Daniel Cutting himself has over 800,000 followers on TikTok. We have developed a unique framework (preparation) built from our experience, insights, and vision of growing a TikTok audience. The opportunity is taking your brand onto TikTok and growing a new audience that is looking for content that is different from anything you have created before. In terms of winning you fans that will engage with you unlike any, you have had before.

If you are interested in talking to us about TikTok for sports brands. Get in touch, we'd love to explore how we can help you.

by alexcristianlawrence

broadcast sports content marketing agency

3 tips to grow your online audience!

So you want to grow your online audience? Of course you do, you’d be silly not too! Well you’ve come to the right place! Here’s 3 tips to growing your audience - let’s get started! 
 

Tip 1

 
Firstly, it’s important to create unique content for each specific platform. You might have the same person who follows you on 4 different platforms (eg YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter), & that’s great, but make sure you create the right type of content for each platform, and do it in a way that the user is most likely to engage with. 
 
YouTube tends to be a platform where the hero content sits, and then social media can be used to amplify/ support that content. Although is can be an effective technique, it’s important to make sure that your not simply giving the user the same content on each platform - it’s imperative that you give a reason for someone subscribe/follow/like on each platform - otherwise they might as well just connect on one of them! 
 
So how does this look practically? It could be something like: teasers and unseen footage on TikTok, behind the scenes content on Instagram, funny outtakes on Twitter, and the main hero video on YouTube! However you do it, remember each platform is different, and to make the most of the unique aspects of each of them to benefit you and engage your audience best. 
 

Tip 2

 
Next up, collaborate! Collaborations work to give you more exposure and, as a result, more subscribers/followers, increased views and longer watch times. In a world where subscribers/followers and engagement numbers can translate to a bigger impact to your brand, it's definitely worth giving a try, and I’m sure you’ll find some success here in growing your audience. 
 
But how do you get a collaboration & what could it look like? Collaborations can happen in different ways. They could come about with another content creator you have built a relationship with, and then, using call-to-actions, shoutouts and sharing each others content, you grow your online audience. 
 
Other examples of collaboration methods could include takeovers, features/appearances, giveaways, challenges or working together to promote a product/brand. 
 
Collaborations with creators who have a similar audience to you is a great way to grow quickly, but also think about cross-over collaborations from different areas to help you bring a new fresh audience to your platform.
 
One other little extra tip I’ve found useful to think about, is to utilise the different platforms to your advantage. Let me explain. You might, for example, have a built up a decent size following on Instagram, but are struggling to grow on YouTube. The perfect collaboration for you might therefore be with someone who is bigger than you on YouTube, but smaller than you on Instagram. Keep this in mind when planning your collaborations, and always be thinking about what you can offer - it’s about finding the value and making it worth while for both parties!
 

Tip 3

 
Lastly, and probably most importantly, you need to find a reason for someone to want/need to follow you! Why should someone want to connect with you, follow your journey, and invest their time in you or your brand? What can you offer them? 
 
Once you’ve worked the out, the next step is equally as important - when you have them, make sure you do everything you can to keep them! There so many ways to do this - be creative! Some examples could include: giveaways, competitions and collaborating/featuring your audience in your content. 
 
Be proactive in listening to and responding to your online community - engage with them and make them feel valued and appreciated. 
 
There are so many other tips we could give to help you in growing your audience, but start by following these 3 we’ve just outlined, and you’ll be well on your way to getting those numbers up and building a reputable brand. 

by alexcristianlawrence

broadcast sports content marketing agency

Growing a YouTube Channel

Growing a YouTube Channel. It’s safe to say that YouTube is the most popular video platform out there. It’s the World’s second largest search engine and second most visited site after Google with 1.9 billion users! 
 
But how do you grow a YouTube channel? Where do you begin? Today, we are going to share a few valuable lessons we’ve learnt over the last 10 years to help you get started and be successful on the World’s biggest & best online video platform! 
 
So maybe you want to start a YouTube channel, or maybe you just want to grow a channel you’ve had for years. We’ll be honest with you from the outset, in our opinion, and experience, YouTube is the most difficult social platform to be successful on. But it is of course possible! 
 
Our first bit of advice to you is…passion! It’s so important that you make videos you are passionate about or on a topic/ theme you are passionate about. Create the content you love to create - that’s the thing that will keep you going when things get tough and trust me, even after years of doing it as a full-time job, YouTube is rarely easy! Subscribers seem more difficult to obtain than followers on Instagram or TikTok, but once you have them, they are also more loyal. 
 
Next up, it’s about quality. Yea sure, you’ll always get those creators that seem to just upload any old content and get a lot of views, but that usually doesn’t last, and quality content speaks for itself. Whether you are representing yourself or a brand, or are the brand itself, quality is way better than quantity when it comes to YouTube, and will set you apart from a huge percentage that don’t focus on this! This in the long term will help grow a successful platform. 
 
Thirdly, consistency is key. Now, that doesn’t negate my previous point that quality is better than quantity, it just means that you need to be consistent with an upload schedule -  whether that’s once a day, or once a month, it’s important that your Subscribers know how often you’ll upload, so they know when to expect new content. Also, YouTube’s algorithm seems to favour/encourage those channels that upload on a regular basis. 
 
If you know anything about YouTube then you will of heard of the term collaboration, or seen it in action. Collaboration is the most brilliant & effective way (aside of a viral video) to naturally and organically grow a YouTube channel. This works on an individual level, but also for brands and businesses. 
Receiving subscribers from channels with a similar audience is a great way to build a loyal fan base, especially if they can give you a shoutout and tell their subscribers that they need to subscribe your channel!
 
Lastly, make sure you engage with your audience. Make them feel valued and appreciated, and not just a number on your screen! There are many ways to do this, and it’s actually easy enough to do, it just takes something that not a lot of people aren’t willing to give…TIME! Involve your audience as much as possible. Whether that’s asking them what videos they want to see next, getting them to help choose a thumbnail, or simply replying to their comments/ questions. Just remember, once you have them, you need to keep them, and these little things will go a long way to helping you build a loyal and long lasting fan base. Good luck with growing your YouTube Channel.

by alexcristianlawrence

broadcast sports content marketing agency

Sports content in a pandemic world

2020 was a year unlike any other and changed sports content in a pandemic world. Our expectations, beliefs and dreams of a new year, new start were shattered when everything came to all but an immediate holt. No longer allowed to attend live sporting events and with the postponement of major tournaments. The engagement of sports fans across the world was in disarray. As the world set about working out how to react to the danger of the virus, the sports industry had to quickly figure out how they could respond, continue to compete and engage with their fans. The industry heavily leaned into this challenge and amplified their digital content with the aim to compensated for their losses from traditional broadcast platforms.
 
We have seen technology shift the fan experience. Where no longer we can expect the motivating chants from the stands to motivate athletes and drive a competitive atmosphere. Instead fans are expressing themselves and connecting with their athletes through new and existing platforms.
 
New platforms are being created to fill the gaps that social distancing requirements have enforced. Platforms like ChampTrax, a platform that allows fans to record their audible reactions during a game and stream them into the stadiums. Combined with thousands of other fans from across the world, all in real time. Pivoting into the challenge to provide a solution for the emotional disconnect that fans have experienced from not being able to attend an event in person.
 
What this challenge has led to is the enhancement of the fan experience. Something that would not have evolved at such a pace if the industry had not been forced into this need for immediate innovation. Within this innovation, content plays as the backbone. Personalised, immediate, consistent and high quality. Fans are experiencing a level of connection to their teams and athletes unlike anything that has been provided before. Through video, through stories, through experiences.
 
Sports brands pivoted harder than ever before into Gen-Z platforms such as 'Ticktock'. Athletes reaching new heights of online followers and transcending previous uses of digital, to communicate with their audience and grow their influence. Athlete content creation and influence has developed further than posts and likes. The development of longer form documentary and emotive storytelling, broadcast via platforms like Netflix and Amazon has deepened fan affiliation. Giving fans more in-depth looks behind the scenes and into the lives and stories of the athletes, teams and brands they love. Consider the series "All or nothing". A broadcast sports franchise giving viewers a look behind the scenes of teams like Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Going behind closed doors and inside the training facilities and dressing rooms. Sharing the pressures and stresses of an elite competition such as the Premiere League. These honest and transparent insights into the teams and athletes journeys not only builds affiliation and loyalty with existing fans but attracts interest and sparks following from new fans. Broadening the brands reach and softening the barriers of entry for new fans into the sport.
 
We can reflect on the impact football player Marcus Rashford has been able to make this year due to the attention he can grasp through his digital following. With the perspective of overpaid footballers frivolous spending of their wealth and fame. Athletes have embraced their potential for positive influence. Using their platforms to share their positive messages and be a vessel for change. The 'Black Lives Matter' campaign and Marcus's letter to government over the issue of child hunger have been some of the stand out positive stories in 2020, with athletes leading the charge to acknowledge and demand change in the world.
 
Sports fans have adopted a new way of absorbing sports content in a pandemic-world. The sports they love, how they follow the athletes they idolise and engage with fellow fans, to keep the social element of sport alive. It is hard to see how this will return to how it was before. It's almost impossible to believe it will and we shouldn't wait for it too. We must continue to lean in and innovate. Continue to be creative and create content that means something. Providing sports fans with a consistent experience that provides entertainment, informs, and injects positivity and hope into the world.

by alexcristianlawrence