Why football teams could learn a thing or two from online marketing
While it’s fair to say that Roy Hodgson’s England got a little further than most people expected at this summer’s European cup, and the plucky Republic of Ireland did well to even qualify, no-one is going to be eulogising about the teams’ performances in years to come. We think that Roy Hodgson, Giovanni Trapattoni and the other Home Nations’ managers can learn a lot about football from the world of online marketing, and here’s why.
1. Quality content
It’s no coincidence that the most successful teams in the tournament are those offering the best content; you can only get so far by being hard to beat. Spain and Germany have won many admirers with the quality and attractiveness of their gameplay, with passes pinging back and forth between the players like ideas. While England got the results they needed in the group, Ireland did their best against highly fancied opposition and Scotland made a decent fist of their qualification attempt, their content has been shoddy, and no-one has been raving about their causes as a result. In the world of online marketing, those companies who produce the highest quality content are those that people are talking about, and thus those with the most ardent support. Take note, Mr. Hodgson et al…
2. Give the audience what they want
It’s no good telling people what’s best for them; audiences like to feel as though they’re involved in the decisions of the companies that claim to represent them. The FA appointed Roy Hodgson at the expense of overwhelming public favourite Harry Redknapp, and no matter what Hodgson achieved at the tournament he will still be seen as a fly in the face of popular opinion. Likewise, Trapattoni refused to change his pragmatic approach even after going against Spain, Croatia and Italy. Companies and individuals that identify and promote social trends are far more likely to be successful with their clients, whereas those that stubbornly ignore public opinion are likely to be resented. Even Google knows that crowds have power, and uses their opinions when calculating search rankings. Listen up, footballers!
3. Thought leadership
A big tournament is the time for outstanding individuals to stand up and be counted. While England and the Republic of Ireland both exhibited great team spirit and togetherness, their more talented players have rarely shone as the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mario Gomez and Xavi have for their respective teams. The same is true for the other Home Nations, with influential players such as Steven Naismith and Gareth Bale incapable of coming up with the solutions their countries needed to qualify. Staying one step ahead of the pack and doing things that no-one else has thought about are second nature for online marketing professionals; original ideas and thoughts are the foundations upon which popularity and exposure can be built.
4. Evolution and revolution
If something isn’t working, the best know to change things around and experiment with new ideas. The Spanish started the tournament with no recognised striker, attempting to dominate the game with their talented midfielders. When they saw that this wasn’t working, on came Fernando Torres to change the way they played. Similarly, it’s important that companies continually edit and update their websites, blogs and social networking profiles to keep things fresh, interesting and exciting, and keep up with the changing world of search engine optimisation.
5. Have a go
Apply whichever cliché you prefer; ‘if you don’t buy a ticket you don’t win the raffle’, ‘he who dares wins’, they all mean essentially the same thing. Perhaps aware of their players’ limitations, Trapattoni and Hodgson encouraged very conservative play in the tournament, their teams rarely on the attack and seemingly reluctant to put their heads down and shoot, with the result that they were eventually dominated by far superior opposition. In the world of online marketing, individuals and companies are rewarded for trying out daring and original ideas; sometimes you need to stick your neck out if you want to get ahead of the rest. Contact us to find out more about how our bespoke website content could do that for you.
