What Innovative Engagement Strategies Could Football Clubs Employ?
The online world has had a huge impact on how fans engage with football clubs, and many people are discovering their favourite teams on the internet. It’s no longer about supporting the club where you’re from, as it’s now possible to follow teams from anywhere around the world.
This has made it a much more competitive environment for clubs to connect with fans, and it’s now crucial to come up with innovative engagement strategies. These could involve mini games or collectibles that people can easily play online.
Games of Chance for Dishing Out Rewards
One technique that football clubs could implement on their webpage or app is the inclusion of games of chance with random rewards. In recent years, offerings like the Plinko casino game have risen in popularity, due to their sheer unpredictability. The offering that is best known as a side game in The Price is Right involves a ball dropping down a peg board and then finishing in one of the slots at the bottom.
A football club could use the Plinko concept and have various prizes listed. For instance, if the ball drops in a certain hole, it could result in a free hotdog on matchday. Another hole could offer a discounted ticket. This could be an excellent way to engage fans and, in turn, boost attendance for the matches. There are plenty of other ideas for random games on websites as well, such as spinning wheels that give fans a chance at a daily bonus.
Digital Football Cards and NFTs
Football cards have been around almost as long as the game itself, with John Baines introducing them in 1887. In the modern age, they’re more advanced than ever, and digital football cards can be an excellent way to spark fan interaction. Clubs can release their own lines of digital cards and allow fans to trade or upgrade them.
These could even be released as NFTs, which would allow people to own their own unique cards. They could be collected over many years, giving fans a way to look back at the history of the club throughout their time supporting it.
Interactive Polls Giving Fans Some Decision-Making Abilities
One area that could be a game changer in football fan engagement is in the introduction of interactive polls on matchdays that allow spectators to make some decisions. Think about how many times you’ve been infuriated with a manager’s team selection or choice of substitution. Now, imagine if you could play a part in that process.
Clubs could send out a poll before a game to ask fans which players they want to see in each position. This would be a massive boost to engagement, as it would give people some control over their team’s fortunes. Some minor clubs have implemented this already, with United London FC pioneering it the UK for a couple of years back in 2016.
There are clearly numerous ways that clubs could innovate and boost fan engagement. Those that look into new methods of reaching people could be the ones that set themselves up for success in the future.
Image: Damon Nofar – Pixabay
