The World Cup buzz is starting to grow as we draw closer to the first game of the competition and one thing we know for sure is that millions of people will be watching and engaging with the tournament, offering a huge opportunity to sports content providers who choose to cover the spectacle. However, the wide net that the tournament casts in terms of viewership also presents a difficult challenge to providers. How can we ensure we are engaging with all different types of World Cup fans from the casual sports fan to the hard statistician? This blog is your guide to engaging with every fan throughout the competition.
The casual sports fan
Not all World Cup fans are die-hard football fans, some tune-in every four years and then go back to their lives as normal. These fans still represent an opportunity, engaging them effectively can help grow your brand awareness, tap into new markets and leverage lucrative sponsorship opportunities. But how do you engage the casual sports fan?
- The big news headlines from the World Cup so they can follow when ready
- Comprehensive video highlights ensure they can catch up on the matches they miss
- Social media graphics with easy-to-digest data integration, so they get the point, fast
- Scores at the push of a button for the fan on-the-go
The Patriot
Many of those engaging with the World Cup will be solely focused on the efforts of their home nation, their experience with the competition lives and dies with their team’s performance. Depending on the nation this could see them disengaged early in the tournament. How can we get the most out of them during this window? And is it possible to keep them engaged longer?
- Content written in their first language
- Relevant video following their home nation throughout the competition
- Bespoke social media graphics for each team to help stand out in their social feeds
- Engaging content surrounding the rest of the competition, playing on key head to heads and rivalries so all football fans are compelled to tune in
The Statistician
The die-hard fans who live for the stats, they demand the newest advanced metrics and won’t settle for less than the best, they follow every minute of every game. How can content providers keep them engaged with the competition and give them the holistic experience they want?
- Data editorial content powered by advanced Opta data, new metrics like Momentum, expected pass as well as classics like xG and xA
- Innovative new metrics like Shape Efficiency and Pass Predictions
- Cutting edge insights and metrics to power the post-match group chat
The Informed Bettor
Where there is football there is betting, and it will undoubtedly be a huge part of the World Cup. Fans love to have a punt on their home nation, the winner of the golden boot, the overall winner and much much more. How can betting providers keep things interesting for fans during the competition?
- Dynamic Betting stats providing unique context to stats markets
- Streams with instant replays so they don’t miss the moments that matter
- Stats overlays on livestreams to provide in-game insight for bettors
The Video Enthusiast
Video content will be more easily consumed and more compelling for many World Cup fans, no one has time to watch every minute of every match, but many want to keep up with the action. Short form video content and highlights will be vital for keeping this fan engaged with the competition and whoever can cover the entire competition will have the edge, this fan is short for time and wants to consume all their World Cup information from a singular source.
With so much going on throughout the competition how can you ensure that you capture and capitalise on the key stories? How can you keep fans on your site getting them to engage with your content and share with their friends?
- Full tournament coverage, every moment, every story ready to be shared making your website a go to source
- Data-driven videos giving additional context
- Fan/Expert reaction on-the-ground from Qatar giving the feel from the tournament
- Team and player previews and highlights giving a data-focused look at key matches head-to-heads and more
- Predictive content at their fingertips before each match, like the premier league predictions from the Analyst
The Social Media Mogul
A strong social media presence during the competition will be vital for keeping fans updated and is the perfect opportunity to draw new fans to your website and other channels. The young fan especially will see more of the competition through their phone than anywhere else, short form video content on TikTok and Instagram, tweets from their favourite footballers on Twitter and the emergence of YouTube content from players and football influencers alike. But with so many others posting how do you stand out from the crowd? How can you post timely content without compromising on quality?
- Data-driven graphics at that appear in the feed seconds after key events take place
- Professionally made and branded graphics that can be shared with friends
- Video content that grabs attention when scrolling through social channels
The Scout
As mentioned before, some fans interest in the competition fades once their team has been knocked out. But does it have to? These fans will likely support a domestic side too, and will be interested in seeing players from their team performing and developing on the biggest stage. And what about new signings? The World Cup is often the birthplace of new talents, think of James Rodriguez winning the golden boot in 2014 and Young player of the World Cup Lukas Podolski in 2006. The rise of social media has seen fans following individuals over teams, why should the World Cup be any different? How can we leverage player success to grab the attention of fans.
- Player focused articles and videos, Ones to watch, team of the tournament and player awards
- Fantasy and other gamification giving an interest to every game
- Data-led social media posts with key head to heads and player match-ups for each game
Interested in reaching new fans during the World cup? Get in touch today.
