We’re all running out of ways to say that this is an unprecedented time for the sports industry, let alone the world at large. And it’s ironic that fans, in their coronavirus isolation, want and need sports more than ever. Teams, leagues, and players have done a great job rallying around the causes of taking care to wash our hands, social distancing, staying home, and practicing safety.
But what comes next?
It appears the time frame until games resume is going to be measured in months, not days. That will leave a long, precarious period during which teams and leagues must do their best to keep fans connected — and keep them engaged and emotionally invested with the team and its players. A once-in-a-lifetime pandemic merits once-in-a-lifetime creativity.
The guiding principles behind the best tactics and content to try during this downtime without games are very much aligned with what works on social media, in general. And those principles are perhaps more powerful than ever, given the quarantines in which many fans find themselves right now:
- Content that informs, educates, entertains, and inspires can still rule the day.
- Content that makes fans laugh, that makes them cry, makes them go wow, or helps lighten the mood can still perform well.
The great news is that teams are surrounded by resources to help fulfill all these needs for fans with the content and engagement that teams can produce and provide. Between players, staff, alumni, broadcasters, partners, and even the team mascot, the possibilities are endless.
That’s why we developed this compilation of 120 different ideas to keep fans engaged. We hope this provides your organization with plenty of new opportunities and inspires your team to keep the flames of fandom burning during these extraordinary times.
