Sports media analysis have been shoving the term “Fan Engagement” down our collective throats for years. The term is used loosely and has become yet another talking point. Challenges around this topic are very real. Fantasy Sports bloggers that do not embrace such challenges are doomed for failure.
Having sat through yet another video call on the topic of “Fan Engagement” I am a little frustrated. No need to call the the actual moderator. It is just time for a little self reflecting and thought. The bottom line is that the overuse of the term “Fan Engagement” was a obvious. It was a mistake that I am certain that I have made in past presentations. As an industry we need to do a better job in defining this term is as well as its importance. If sports content marketers are going to address this point, it must be done in a way that does not sound like fluff.
Leaving a video call on sports #FanEngagement. Just feel that analysists need to do a better job in defining the term along with key challenges. The term is used loosely and without meaning.
The challenges are real & marketers need to stop making it sound like fluff.
— Marc Saulino (@MarcSaulino) April 26, 2023
What Is Sports Fan Engagement
Here we go… lets go ahead and put an official definition on the term Fan Engagement. From a fantasy sports blogging perspective, fan engagement is a MEANINGFUL interaction one has with a piece of short or long form content that has been published. Above all, we want to strongly emphasize the word “MEANINGFUL”. If you have published a fantasy sports article and fans have begun chatting about your content in a forum, had a conversation about it around a water cooler you have properly executed your mission. Or if a fan has taken action on your content, this is another indicator of fan engagement. For example, you have published content on how an athlete is currently undervalued. How this athlete should be a selection in your daily fantasy lineup this week. You give reasons that back your convictions. Readers taking action on your guidance is another indication of success.
Since @StatementGames has a focus on helping #FantasySports bloggers address #FanEngagement challenges… for this sector we define this topic as a MEANINGFUL interaction one has with content published.
Does your content evoke emotion around a sporting event – #DFS Lineup?
— Marc Saulino (@MarcSaulino) April 26, 2023
The Big Mistake
The mistake being made is that to many sports content marketers place way to much validation around social media metrics. Metrics that are meaningless. Social platforms help in areas of distribution. The top platforms have made it easy for fans to like and share content. However how much emotion is really given to such tasks?
New research shows that “likes”, on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, have minimal relevance when it comes to predicting fan behavior. Sure, getting people to click that thumbs up icon may feel validating. But that act in and of itself isn’t enough to get people to engage with a community over the long haul.
Why Fantasy Sports Blogs Need To Better Address Fan Engagement
Competition is extremally tough! Those operating in this space are doing so with some very powerful brands. Media outlets like ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports, Barstool, etc. will fight for the same set of eyeballs your are hoping to attract. The future success of fantasy sports blogs is in their ability to build a community around content that is engaging. As a result, take the the time to learn more about key tools that can help you address key Fan Engagement challenges.
Take note of our partners at FL Teams who are working with StatementGames to address such challenges.
Thank you for reading our Fan Engagement is NO Sports Media Buzzword article! You can read more of my sports betting content on my StatementGames author page. Feel free to connect with me on Twitter @MarcSaulino and follow @StatementGames to stay informed about everything relevant to StatementGames Inc