The digital fan engagement landscape is ever-evolving, thanks to advancements in technology and the changing needs of fans. Today’s most loyal fans, regardless of their background, are willing to give you their time, effort and money in exchange for a feeling of closeness and belonging.

They want to get to know their stars, idols and teams as well as they can and wish to be a part of their daily world. But the real question is if you are equipped enough to reciprocate this level of engagement with equal enthusiasm. If your answer is not a resounding yes, this article is for you.

Here we give you digital fan engagement strategies specific to sports, entertainment and streaming industries with examples so you can deliver the best fan experience to your fans and rake more revenue in return. A key feature of these strategies is digital sponsorship activation, which enables teams and stakeholders to execute highly targeted banner campaigns aimed at engaging fans and generating additional revenue.

Let’s start with the basics,

What is digital fan engagement?

Digital fan engagement refers to connecting and engaging with your fans year-round through digital channels to promote fan loyalty and increase revenue. Most brands engage with fans digitally through fan engagement platforms, social media accounts, social media channels, live social media feeds and streaming platforms.
Some of the industries that benefit greatly from digital fan engagement include sports, music, media, films, gaming and streaming.

Importance of digital fan engagement in today's scenario

Here are some of the key reasons why increasing digital fan engagement should be a priority for your brand:

1. Off-season is a myth, fans expect connection all through the year

According to Deloitte's recent study, "65% of fans say they want some form of content or information at least monthly during the off-season". This confirms that fans want to be connected to their favorite teams, clubs, music labels or stars in one way or another.

The study also highlights the chances of fans spending more on merchandise, tickets and subscriptions with greater degree of interaction. But that doesn't mean you should bombard every fan's phone and inbox with notifications now and then. The key is to identify major fan segments - casual fans and super fans (fanatics) and find an agreeable number of touch points and frequency for each segment.

Source: Deloitte

For instance, a super fan(fanatic) may want you to reach out every 2 days but the same might overwhelm a casual fan.

2. Fans hang out most on social media, OTT platforms and mobile apps

Fans love spending time on social media channels, OTT platforms and mobile apps regardless of whether it is peak season. A report from Choicely on sports fan engagement confirms this. According to the study, 30% of fans are most active on social media, followed by OTT platforms (16%) and mobile apps (15%).

Many fans now prefer to watch sports online through live streaming on their mobile devices, marking a significant shift from traditional TV broadcasts.

Source: Choicely

This means they are always on the lookout for insider news and exclusive content from their favorite teams, players and music labels. For instance, a Real Madrid CF fan will be eager to be updated on roster changes, coach change updates and injury reports during the offseason. Similarly, a BTS (South Korean boy band) fan will keep an eye out for behind-the-scenes content, band member updates and upcoming meet-and-greet opportunities.

3. Personalization is the bare minimum, GenZ fans crave immersive experiences

As a generation used to personalized marketing, they've equally high expectations for digital fan engagement. They aren't here to be a passive audience but active fans who love being a part of the community they adore.

When signing up for a streaming platform or a dedicated fan engagement platform, they are looking for exclusive content and immersive experiences that bring them closer to their favorite teams and players.

Shawn Bryant, Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, and David Jarvis, a Senior Research Leader at The Deloitte Center for Technology, Media and Telecommunications, discuss how GenZ fandom differs from other demographics on The Fan Engagement Podcast hosted by Megan Cain.

"From a consumption standpoint, the younger fans are consuming their sports content through a wider variety of channels. Also, a higher percent of GenZ sports fans wanted more features like real-time statistics and analytics embedded in their services, different camera angles and watching the game from an athlete's POV."

Digital fan engagement strategies for sports, entertainment, and gaming brands

Here are some of the tried and tested ways to increase digital fan engagement in sports, entertainment and gaming industries:

Digital fan engagement strategies to engage fans in the sports industry

1. Use fan engagement platforms to deliver interactive fan experience

Exclusivity is the token for delivering a personalized fan experience and fostering fan engagement. And investing in a dedicated fan engagement platform or app is the best way to guarantee this. Here are some of the fan engagement features major sports brands have added to their apps to deliver an interactive and immersive fan experience:

• Gamification: Gamification, the oldest trick in the hat, is still one of the most effective ways to build fan engagement and boost merchandise sales. Contests like photo and hashtag contests, quizzes, polls, guessing and betting games keep the fans reeled in and drive engagement.

Example: 'Beat the Streak', a game featured on Major League Baseball's app and website, is a good example for this. The game involves fans predicting players who might get a hit each day.

Those fans who maintain the longest prediction streak get either the Top Streak Prize of $10,000 or the Grand Prize of $5,600,000. This gamification strategy keeps fans returning, increasing website and app engagement significantly.

1. NFT collectibles: Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the most innovative development in the arena of sports marketing and have been brought in to bridge the gap between casual and super fans. Unlike merchandise and tickets, NFTs do not just bring fans closer to their teams but increase their say in the game and, in some cases, even team decisions. You can also tie NFTs with the gamification feature and allow fans to buy NFT avatars of themselves to replace specific players in the game with their avatars.

Example: AC Milan, a football club based in Italy, allows fans to own a virtual piece of the stadium through NFT tokenization. Token holders are then rewarded in the form of exclusive experiences like signed t-shirts and free tickets if any significant event happens in their plot during the game.

2. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality: A good percentage of sports fans worldwide already own a VR device or plan to buy one, according to Altman Solon's Global Sports Survey 2022. This means that virtual sports fans are already keen on bridging the gap between themselves and in-person fans and expect sports apps to have inbuilt AR and VR features. Some ways in which sports brands can keep up with this need is by offering immersive experiences and virtual stadium tours.

Example: For the Qatar World Cup held in 2022, FIFA further enhanced the viewing experience for in-person fans with AR through its app, FIFA+. Users of the app in the stadium could access an overlay of heatmaps, various camera angles, and live replays as if they were watching on TV. By coupling the finest experiences television offers with live matches, FIFA delivered the most immersive experience for its fans ever.

2. Make omnichannel fan engagement the norm to cater to all fan segments

While those nail-biting intense moments are reserved for the match season, fans’ eagerness for updates from their favorite team or player continues all year long. But the channel they use to get this news has a lot to do with the age of the fans and the type of updates they are seeking.

For baby boomers, the go-to channel is TV while for millennials it is social media and for GenZ it’s a mix of social media, sports apps and streaming platforms. Similarly, from a content perspective, for rapid updates like coach changes and injuries, they rely on TV and sports websites and for detailed analysis, fans depend on sports websites, dedicated apps and TV.

Sports marketers play a crucial role in developing omnichannel fan engagement strategies based on audience segmentation. Formula1 takes the idea of nuanced segmentation a step further by engaging with the younger generation through its Formula One for Kids initiative. The brand aims to mold a young generation of fans through tailored educational content and immersive experiences.

3. Embed live social media feeds on websites to drive ticket sales

Embedding live social media feeds on websites with fan-generated content or BTS content from previous seasons is a great way to build social proof and boost ticket sales. A carefully curated feed is a testament to the fan experience you'll deliver and encourages potential buyers to take action.

You can do this easily using social media aggregators like Flockler. With these aggregators, you can easily pull content from multiple platforms, make custom feeds, and even get UGC rights for your fan-generated content. Their built-in analytics feature shows you the best-performing content so you can double down on it.

Example: Feyenoord, a Dutch football team embeds live social media feeds on their website to increase their ticket sales.

4. Social Media in Sports: Leveraging Platforms for Real-Time Engagement

Social media has revolutionized the way sports teams and leagues engage with their fans. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have become indispensable tools for sports organizations to connect with their audience in real-time, creating a more immersive and interactive experience. By leveraging these social media platforms, sports teams can significantly boost fan engagement, build brand awareness, and drive revenue.

For instance, sports teams can use social media to share live updates, scores, and highlights, keeping fans engaged and informed throughout the game. This real-time interaction not only keeps fans hooked but also fosters a sense of community and belonging. Additionally, behind-the-scenes content, player interviews, and exclusive deals can be shared to provide fans with unique insights and offers, further enhancing their connection to the team.

Moreover, social media provides sports teams with valuable insights into their fans’ behavior, preferences, and interests. By analyzing fan data, sports organizations can create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with their audience, improving fan engagement and increasing revenue. For example, a football club might notice that posts about player training sessions receive high engagement and can use this insight to create more similar content, driving further interaction and loyalty.

Digital fan engagement strategies to engage fans in the entertainment industry

1. Gamify launches and promotions through hidden fan clues and inside jokes to keep the buzz alive year-round

If there's a single update that movie fanatics and music fans are most eager for, it's about new launches, releases or upcoming concerts. Entertainment brands can tap into this thrill by rolling out launch/concert details in cryptic language that can only be decoded by dedicated fans. This will get the fans talking about your brand through comments, Reddit threads, and tweets, boosting brand visibility and engagement.

Taylor Swift's iconic 'Easter Eggs' is the best example for this strategy. Easter eggs are the cryptic messages she hides in her social media posts, album covers, dresses and even songs for her most loyal fanbase, called Swifties, to decipher.

Example: In her music video 'Me,' the neon sign 'Lover' is a clue for her fans about her next release, 'Lover.' These cryptic updates foster a sense of community in Swifties and almost always keep the buzz alive year-round.

Start fan loyalty programs and offer rewards to boost merch sales

Not only are your super fans the most active group of fans, but they are also the most likely to buy from you. In other words, they are your high-intent potential buyers. Brands can profit from this interest by running loyalty programs and incentivizing them for participation in the form of offers on brand merch. These rewards and offers act as the nudge they require to purchase from you.

Example: Marvel Insider, Marvel's free Loyalty Program for US residents, uses this tactic to increase the average spending of their fans. The program rewards based on actions, like watching Marvel movies and videos and participating in quizzes, which insiders can redeem to buy exclusive or limited Marvel merchandise like apparel or comic covers.

3. Introduce a private messaging feature to cater to superfans' need for closeness

Casual fans may be satisfied with regular meet and greets or social media updates from their favorite stars or musicians. But for the super fans, a category of fans who want to get under their favorite celebrities' skin, in the literal sense, this isn't enough. Their need for closeness is so strong that they are ready to pay more for one-on-one private chats with these celebrities.

A good number of fan engagement apps have cashed in on this trend by introducing premium private messaging for those fans who wish to be a part of the everyday lives of their favorite celebrities. Even if these aren't exactly 1:1 conversations, the exclusivity of the content shared satiates the craving for closeness in these fans.

Example: Many KPoP idols use private messaging apps to interact with their fans and skyrocket their fan loyalty and fan-generated revenue. For example, the Bubble app, a paid private messaging feature in the Lysn app by K-pop label SM Entertainment, allows fans to receive private messages from idols they choose from the lineup.

Source: NN Group

Digital fan engagement strategies to engage fans in the gaming industry

When it comes to the gaming industry, what makes fans click is their right to exercise creative freedom. Here’s one of the most common fan engagement strategies gaming companies employ to sustain the interest of gamers/

Allow players to incorporate UGC and monetize them

Gone are the days when gamers were content with the games with rigid infrastructures. These days, they expect games to be their sandbox and game developers to be facilitators who equip them with tools to bring their ideas to reality. They want to be creators who design and sell their creations within the game instead of passive gamers. Games allowing this are seen to have better engagement rates than their traditional counterparts.

Example: Roblox, a gaming platform known for allowing users to build their own games, is a perfect example of this. The app allows players to be creators and even lets them sell the accessories they design, like hats, apparel, etc.

2. Year-Round Monetization Opportunities: Keeping Fans Invested

The traditional sports season is no longer the only time for sports teams to engage with their fans. With the advent of digital technology, sports teams can now connect with their audience 365 days a year, creating new revenue streams and monetization opportunities. One effective strategy is offering exclusive content, such as behind-the-scenes footage, player interviews, and in-depth analysis. This content can be shared across social media, websites, and mobile apps, providing fans with a constant stream of engaging material.

Another lucrative approach is offering subscription-based services, such as streaming platforms, fantasy sports leagues, and loyalty programs. These services provide fans with a unique and personalized experience, while also generating consistent revenue for the sports team. For instance, a basketball team could offer a subscription service that includes live streams of games, exclusive interviews, and access to a members-only forum.

Furthermore, sports teams can partner with sponsors and brands to create targeted marketing campaigns. By leveraging fan data and analytics, sports teams can develop highly effective marketing strategies that resonate with their audience, increasing both revenue and brand awareness. For example, a sports league might collaborate with a sportswear brand to offer exclusive merchandise to fans who participate in a social media challenge, driving engagement and sales.

Closing Thoughts

Digital fan engagement is indispensable for brands in sports, entertainment and gaming industries today. But we also understand how overwhelming it is to get started, especially with countless strategies to pick from. So here are some cost-effective fan engagement strategies from the lot that you can implement quickly:

• Live social media feed embeds: Live social media feeds are easy to implement and are an effective way to make fans spend more time on your websites.

• Shoppable feeds: Shoppable feeds are a type of social media feed that lets fans shop directly from websites or social media channels. You can use these feeds to build social proof and reduce buying friction.

• Hashtag contests: Hashtag contests are great for getting more user-generated content, boosting fan engagement and improving your brand visibility.

FAQs

1. What is the future of digital fan engagement?

According to many recent studies, AR and VR technologies will likely dominate the digital fan engagement landscape soon. While these are already used to give immersive experiences to fans and enhance their in-person event experience, there will be more advancements in this direction to bring virtual experience as close to in-person experience as possible.

2. How to measure the success of your fan engagement strategies?

There's no one-size-fits-all formula to measure fan engagement success. But if your main channel for engagement is social media, then you can measure the engagement rate, comments, likes and overall growth rate of your accounts. If a fan engagement platform is your primary channel, you can measure daily and monthly active users, in-app purchases and retention rates.