What Small Business Can Learn From Big Sport
The business of sport is big business. Foxtel has recently announced a dedicated channel for its coverage of the 2015 US Open Tennis. Touted as the “channel that never sleeps in the city that never sleeps”, viewers can get their US Open fix anytime of the day or night. It makes sense as well; with the staggering rise in ‘smart’ mobile devices and how people are consuming sports content, the sporting realm is no longer only compatible with modes such as television and radio. Online streaming, social media and interactive platforms now mean people can access their favourite sports teams, players and codes to suit their needs and lifestyles.
The masses are not the only ones taking advantage of this new digital era. Professional sportspeople, such as Serena Williams, are learning to leverage digital media trends through the use of social media, allowing them to clout their professional sporting profiles for positive (and sometimes negative) public relations. As well as keeping in contact with their fans and to promote endorsed products through a growing number of extravagant sponsorships, the online attention and traffic this garners is fuel for their professional careers. Social media use during live sporting events is increasingly becoming a stand-alone drawcard.
Online ‘chatter’ means that people’s demands for content are increasing. Live predictions and historical statistics build atmosphere and momentum, and with the US Open drawing a global crowd, easily accessible platforms for people to enhance their online experiences and consume the content they want are in demand. As one of the official sponsors of the US Open, IBM offers fans historical and real-time statistics, live video and opportunities to engage with players. These deeper insights though can offer lessons in how Australian businesses can communicate with their customers if they learn how to leverage online data to transform how they perform. Sport is a business after all, and there is money to be made.
The ease of accessing this type of content through mobile devices has also led to the rise in popularity of mobile sports gambling sites. This ongoing shift in online gambling has also seen an increase in underage people partaking in online forms of wagering, especially due to the more liberal regulations which allow foreign companies to take advantage of Australia’s interactive betting sector. However there is a lesson here as well; with any new technology, no matter how beneficial and profitable it is, there is always a flipside. For small business owners, this can mean greater attention to cyber security measures while still leveraging the profitable outcomes of E-commerce initiatives.
Consumer demands for information ‘now’ are increasing and particularly while people are watching live sporting events, whether it is on their television or through a mobile streaming application. There is no longer only once screen in the room, and sports digital media is doing a phenomenal job of meeting consumers where they are, which means the lessons small to medium sized business owners can learn are countless. If you’re interested in attracting more traffic to your website, then you need to get in touch with us here at Get More Traffic, or call us on 1300 332 256.