Ice hockey is immensely popular in Canada, with a seemingly intensified popularity in smaller towns where the local arena often serves as a community hub.
If you think about it, there are towns with fewer than 1000 people who have a building dedicated to keeping ice in pristine condition and players and spectators comfortable from October through March (and sometimes year-round).
The intent of my post is to share what I think is an excellent digital marketing and fan engagement initiative by the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks, a Sr. AA team based in the small town of Port Elgin, Ontario.
I also hope to illustrate that the effort behind digital marketing is just as important as the channels (web sites, social media, mobile) it is delivered through.
The Saugeen Shores Winterhawks play in the WOAA Sr. Hockey League. From the Winterhawks web site:
The WOAA Senior Hockey League is an amateur senior hockey league governed by the Western Ontario Athletic Association. The league uses Hockey Canada playing rules but is not operated under the jurisdictions of the Ontario Hockey Association or Hockey Canada.
Based in Southern Ontario, the league has been in existence since 1943, one year after the WOAA itself was established, and has entertained large crowds with high quality hockey.
Here’s what I like about what the Winterhawks are doing:
Keeping Content Fresh
Spend even a few seconds on the Winterhawks web site and you’ll notice that content is updated regularly. An overwhelming majority of the websites we develop at ResIM are powered by a CMS of some description yet the technology is rarely used as often as it should be. This supports my earlier statement that effort matters as much as or more than the platform.
Providing Complete Content
As a hockey fan, I find the stories behind my favourite players as interesting as their statistics. Knowing a little more about the players I cheer for helps me feel, even if remotely, a stronger connection to them. The Winterhawks have done a great job of not only providing player bios but including a hint of personality.
Using Video as a Key Content Type
In my opinion, the future of the web will exist primarily in video. The decreasing cost of production equipment and the acceptance of low quality video brought on by the YouTube revolution have made the creation of video content dead simple. The Winterhawks are producing and publishing post-game interviews and interesting Q and A sessions with players; something normally reserved for pro and semi-pro teams.
Applying Twitter in a Practical, Valuable Way
Even though the concept isn’t original, the Winterhawks are using Twitter to provide in-game updates and stats such as scoring plays and penalties. I often use Twitter to follow my favourite teams when I can’t watch the game on TV or online. It’s effective, simple, and valuable.
The Winterhawks are a small organization and it’s highly unlikely that they have a large (or any) budget to maintain the digital presence they do. Sure, there was likely a cost involved in developing the web site but it’s the return the team is getting on it by using it to it’s full extent that matters more here.
The points I’ve mentioned in this post apply to any business, in any sector: keep content fresh and complete, use video where you can, and find a practical, valuable way to use Twitter (and other social platforms).
Kudos Winterhawks. Keep up the good work.