I’m often asked whether athletes should have their own websites. Well if you’ve got loads of cash and heaps of spare time then yes, otherwise no. Now don’t get me wrong, a website can be valuable tool but often the cost to build an official site and constantly manage the content to bring fans back is to big a burden for many athletes and their managers. These websites aren’t very profitable either. Attracting advertising is limited due to the relationships with the athlete’s existing sponsors and selling things online can be considered a money grab by many fans.
So is there another solution? Well the main objective to having an online presence is to connect and strengthen an athlete’s relationship with his/her core fans, and add value to existing sponsors and future potential sponsors. There are many online platforms that can achieve these objectives without the cost and headaches of managing a website. I’m talking about social networking websites for sports. A great example is Go211.com This website is an action sports community that lets fans connect with each other and their favourite action athletes. Athletes can post blogs, photos and video in a safe but cool environment that communicates directly with their core audience. The value to the athlete’s sponsors is enormous. Featured athletes can provide sponsor product photos and links, blog about consumer promotions and upload videos of sponsor activities. And the best thing is it doesn’t cost the athlete anything. In fact an athlete may even get paid by the website if they’re profile is large enough. It’s a win win for athletes, the sponsors and the Go211 community of fans. I expect more of these websites to pop up for mainstream Australian sports and associations.
Tags: advertising, Blogs, fans, Go211, Websites
