Marketing Tips with Charlie Roberts
In the latest Challenging the Game podcast episode, I chat to Charlie Roberts who has been involved with rugby for 10 years and works within marketing. Here are some of Charlie's top marketing tips.
With marketing, you've got to get the foundations in place and, and do the basics very well. A rugby club’s audiences are quite simple: you want to get players and volunteers because they're the foundations of your clubs and you need them.
What’s the message you need to send?
If it’s junior players, you have to appeal to parents. Think about where the parents are. They might be on business networks like LinkedIn. They will also be at schools.
If they are adult players, you have to look at your whole social media approach, including TikTok.
You need to make sure people understand how rugby is going to benefit their life. Using marketing you are providing a solution to that problem.
Rugby benefits their life by helping them get fit, making friends, having something they enjoy, it's about discipline and trying something new.
Make that message accessible and relevent for your audience. Tailor your message then to suit the needs for that audience.
How do you get the message out?
Your website needs to be up to date. People need to have the correct information. They need to be easily find out when the rugby is on, any fees and who to contact.
Try using videos to bring the stories of your club to life. Help people get to know your volunteers and what makes them tick.
There are some simple ideas you can use. For volunteers, try videos like: five ways volunteering has helped me. If you’re making a video for players try: five challenges to keep fit. That could help engage players in the pre-season.
You could also do an all-round video to help promote your club and the sport: five ways to display the core values of rugby.
Try using the current social media trends. Add value and engage the younger generation at your club. Spreading the workload is important.
Engage the community
Not all marketing has to be on social media. Get to the heart of the community. If you have a area of newly built houses, drop some leaflets through the door. Try knocking on doors and speaking to people.
Try getting people to the clubhouse for a quiz night. People might be dismissive of rugby at first, so getting them through the door for a non-rugby event first might help.
Use your rugby club to engage the community and enhance it.