This week, I want to talk about the something that’s one of the most important to get right, the matchday experience.
It’s the reason we’re here. It’s not about 90 minutes on the pitch, it’s about your feelings when you get into your stadium, the roar of the crowd, the shared passion. This is what can turn your casual supporter into a die hard fan.
Making the Stadium Feel Alive
Obviously, your teams performance will have the major bearing on the day, but your club can do so much more to help create an incredible atmosphere. A vibrant, loud and passionate stadium is an experience in itself, win or lose.
Let the Fans Lead | You need to empower your supporters. Give fan groups a platform to organise pre match rallies, tifo displays, anything to enhance the atmosphere, within the laws of the game. If your fans feel they’re the ones creating the energy, they’ll invest so much more of themselves into the club. It becomes their club, and not just a team they follow.
Soundtrack to Matchday | Think about the music. A well chosen playlist can get the whole crowd hyped up before kick-off and keep the energy going at halftime. You can even reach out to some local bands or DJs. Or ask your players to build their own pre-match playlists. It’s a great way to tap into the local community and give the matchday a proper community feel.
More Than Just a Shirt
A football shirt is more than just fabric and a badge. It’s a symbol of belonging. When you wear your club’s colours, you’re making a statement about who you are and what you’re passionate about. Merchandising is an amazing way to strengthen that bond and, obviously, bring in some crucial revenue.
Exclusivity Sells | Nothing creates a buzz like a limited edition drop. There are so many anniversary kits going around just now. So think special kits for a unique collection to celebrate a historic anniversary. It gives fans a reason to buy and makes them feel like they’re getting a unique piece of club history.
Cool Collaborations | Why not team up with a local artist or any local clothing suppliers? You can work together to create some really unique, fashionable gear that could appeal to a wider audience. It’s a great way to introduce your club to people who might not be traditional football fans.
Quality is Key | Fans are proud to wear your club’s crest. So, let’s make sure the quality of the merchandise is top notch. It needs to last and feel good. Having a high quality product reflects well on the club’s brand and makes fans even prouder to show their support, and buy your merch.
Using Data to Connect, Not Just to Sell
We’re living in a digital world, and we’ve got more tools than ever to understand our fanbase. Using data isn’t just about selling more, it’s about building a stronger and more personal relationship with every single fan that comes through your turnstiles.
Get to Know Your Fans | We can segment our supporters based on their habits. Who buys a season ticket, who only comes to big games or who buys all the latest kit. This lets us send out emails and messages that will actually feel relevant to them. No one wants generic spam. They want to feel seen and understood. And make sure you’re not hitting them with sales message after sales message. Add in some ad-hoc club info into your comms to keep your supporters interested, without making them reach for the unsubscribe button.
Just Ask Them | One of the simplest and most effective things we can do is just ask fans for feedback. What did they love about the matchday? What could be better? A simple survey shows fans that their opinion matters and gives us invaluable insights into how we can improve everything we do. And you don’t need to restrict this to home fans. If you really want to get a fans understanding of your matchday offering, ask everyone.
