• Home
  • Specialties
    • Developing a compelling message
    • Branding that tells the world what you stand for
    • Automate your marketing (and free up your time)
    • Clear, engaging communication to members & participants
    • Developing products that your customers love
  • Services
    • Game Plan Brand Accelerator program
    • Game Plan Marketing workshop
    • Put your marketing on autopilot
    • Ultimate sports camp marketing pack
    • Brand & Marketing consulting
  • Learn
    • Book a Consultation
    • Blog
    • Game Plan TV
    • Get the Book
    • Free resources for readers of our book
    • Download our FREE Report
    • FAQ’s
  • Clients & Results
    • Who we’ve worked with
    • Client testimonials
    • What to expect
  • About
    • What we do
    • About Ned Coten
  • Contact

Seven Forms of Communication

Posted by: nedcoten In: Blog 14 May 2013 Comments: 0

Communicate your Brand

In the last post, I wrote about the importance of communicating with your members, participants and prospects. In this edition I’m giving you the 7 critical pieces of communication you need to have in place.

7 forms of communication you need to have
There are lots of ways to communicate with your members and participants, but there are some things that you need to have in place:

Website
Today, no sports organisation should be without a website, even if you are just starting up. Even for individual people a personal website is worthwhile, particularly if you have a message to get to the world.

An organisation that specialises in websites for sporting organisations is Sporting Pulse. Check them out at www.sportingpulse.com

Newsletter
There is nothing, I repeat nothing better for building your brand, engaging your members and participants, and developing trust than the humble newsletter. It’s a critical element to your marketing. And in sport you have so much to talk about!

If you email your newsletter, you should also post a printed copy to the most important stakeholders in your sporting organisation. This includes sponsors, committee members, government and council officials, and anyone else who can personally, or through influence, impact your organisation.

What to put in the newsletter? The list is endless, but here are a few logical and relevant ideas to start:

  • Letter from the president, chairman, supremo, leader, or dictator
  • Latest results
  • Match reports
  • Skill development lessons or “quick tips”
  • Feature articles on one of your members / athletes / sponsors / participants
  • Special guest article
  • Information from interstate or overseas
  • “Where are they now?” section
  • Quiz (With small but relevant prizes. Vouchers that provide people with an opportunity to further engage with your organisation are a great start)
  • Links to your website
  • Advertisements for your other products
  • Upcoming events
  • Profile of your organisation
  • High achievers in your club, association, business or sport
  • “On this day 10 years ago” article (or 1 year ago or 50 years ago, depending on your history)
  • Fashion in your sport
  • Competitions
  • Personal or human interest stories about people within your organisation
  • An article from someone’s pet (amazingly, proven to be one of the most-read sections of any newsletter in which it appears!)
  • Much, much more (just use your imagination)

Brochure
A brochure positions your organisation as professional and organised. Take the time and make the effort to do this well, and it can be used on its own or as part of a bigger pack.

A brochure is also useful because it forces you to ensure everything you are saying is in place and operational. I often say to people that a product does not exist until there is a brochure. Once it’s in writing, you either have to have it in place or you are going to get embarrassed!

Video communication
As I write this, the most common platform for video is YouTube. You should take the time to set up a YouTube channel and use this to host all your videos. Because of its connection to Google, YouTube is quickly becoming one of the biggest search engines in the world, so it’s critical for you to have a presence on this platform.

The content you put on video can include:

  • Coaching skills sessions
  • Messages about your organisation from the board or president
  • “How to” videos such as “How to join our club” or “How to register for our clinic”
  • Welcome message (that should also be on your website)
  • Game footage (ensure you have permission from participants to do this)
  • How to find our venue
  • Bloopers
  • Highlight reels

Member / participant welcome pack
Any person that joins your sporting organisation as a member, participant, sponsor, board member, volunteer, or any other role should receive a “Welcome Pack.” This can be as simple as a generic, one-page letter that welcomes the person or as elaborate as a full pack of information and “goodies.” The purpose of the welcome pack is to inform the person about the kind of organisation they are joining and to start to educate them on the opportunities and obligations this brings.

If you have limited resources, consider developing your welcome pack electronically. This could include a welcome email from the relevant person with a link to a video on your website, a downloadable voucher for the first time they visit the canteen, and a link to the results section of the website.

Testimonials
What others say about you is far more valuable than what you say about yourself!

Testimonials are critical for developing what I call “Social Proof.” Most people make the mistake of thinking that everyone else knows as much about their sporting organisation as they do and that they think about it in the same way. Sorry, but the truth is people spend virtually no time thinking about you and have no idea how wonderful you are. Therefore, you have to tell them, or better still, have others tell them through testimonials.

Signage
Good signage is important. Make the assumption that people coming into your venue or facilities have never been there before—make it easy for them to navigate.

If you have an office, consider putting up a sign that says “Membership Enquiries” or “Learn More Here” rather than “Office.” These types of signs will still help people find the office, but they will cause them to begin thinking about the ways they can interact with you, and it will set you apart from the pack!

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Thanks for commenting and enjoy…

 

Related Posts

  • Why develop a brand?

    Communicate your Brand In the last post, I wrote about the importance of communicating with your...
  • Define Your Brand

    Communicate your Brand In the last post, I wrote about the importance of communicating with your...
  • Define Your Brand Story

    Communicate your Brand In the last post, I wrote about the importance of communicating with your...
  • Communicate Your Brand

    Communicate your Brand In the last post, I wrote about the importance of communicating with your...
  • Get A Clear Simple Message

    Communicate your Brand In the last post, I wrote about the importance of communicating with your...
  • Seven Forms of Communication

    Communicate your Brand In the last post, I wrote about the importance of communicating with your...
Back

Get your free
Game Plan Report

Discover how to turn your sports organisation into a thriving community.

PLUS get access to our VIP only resources page.

captcha

 

Fear Not! Your information is private and used ONLY by us. No-one else gets it!

Latest News

  • Seven Forms of Communication
    May 14, 2013

    Communicate your Brand In the last post,...

    Read more...
  • Communicate Your Brand
    May 14, 2013

    When you have developed your brand...

    Read more...
  • Define Your Brand
    May 13, 2013

    Develop your logo and the visual language...

    Read more...
  • Get A Clear Simple Message
    May 13, 2013

    Create a clear, simple message to your...

    Read more...
  • May 12, 2013

    Get a clear and compelling Brand that...

    Read more...

What we do

Game Plan Marketing uses simple branding and marketing systems that enable sports organisations to generate more members & revenue and build thriving communities. We work most effectively with organisations who run great competitions but haven't reached their real potential.

We help create organisations that engage people in sport and physical activity, as we believe the world needs it more than any time in history. Because of what we do, our clients get to love their involvement in sport, without worrying about money, sponsors and finding members. We leave people feeling relieved that they have a solution and inspired about the future.

Ned Coten, Game Plan Marketing

Services

Game Plan Sports Accelerator program Game Plan Marketing workshop Put your marketing on autopilot Ultimate sports camp marketing pack Brand & marketing consulting

Specialties

  • Developing a compelling message
  • Branding that tells the world what you stand for
  • Automate your marketing (and free up your time)
  • Clear, engaging communication to members & participants
  • Developing products that your customers love
Read Our Blog
+61 3 9010 6147
Copyright Game Plan Marketing 2014Design by Five by Five