How to promote a race: 5 ways data can help
Directing a race is no easy task. It takes months of planning and promotion for a weekend of execution. For some directors, it’s their full-time gig, but for others it’s a side project. Regardless of experience level and race size, there is one thing everyone has in common: the passion and love for sustaining their sport.
If passion is what gets directors started, then being data-driven is what helps keep races alive.
But how do you know what you should pay attention to?
Your time is limited, so you need to make sure the latest market research is easy to find. That's why we've put together some data-driven topics to help you put on the best race possible.
Race Promotion
How to use data to promote your race effectively.
1) Understand keyword search trends
Have you ever wondered how often people search for certain keywords online? Google Trends is a great way to understand the popularity of search terms - yes, even that rash you tried to diagnose last week.
Below, a comparison of endurance sports instantly provides insight in terms of relative popularity and trends over time. When the data is broken down further by region and relative search terms, you get a hint of what resonates with your race participants and where you can find them.
It’s pretty clear from the graph above that “marathon” is the most popular search term in April 2017 (the numbers represent popularity, not number of searches).
In the last year, guess which country had the most relative popularity of Googling "marathon"?
.... the lush, green region of Ireland!
It’s easy to get into a rabbit hole with Google Trends, but who would’ve thought research could be so fun?!
2) Use financial trends to your advantage
At the end of the day, a race is a business - whether you’re a non-profit or for-profit, finances determine whether you’ll be around each year. Being up to date on sponsor & participant spending trends will help your race thrive.
Check out this chart on spending in endurance sport in the Physical Activity Council's 2017 Participation Report :
Sponsorship spending in endurance sport has been steadily increasing, with sports apparel and equipment companies leading the charge.
The Physical Activity Council also reports that while overall household spending on physical activity is down, spending on outdoor activities and travel to participate in activities has increased.
Being equipped with this knowledge might give you the confidence to market outside your local community, or target equipment and apparel sponsors that are most likely to opt-in.
3) Know your ideal participant profile
Do you know who is currently coming to your races?
Are they locals, or travelling from abroad? Are they beginners or intermediate-level athletes? Did they find you on a race listing site or through a friend on social media?
Creating an ideal participant profile is essential for getting more people to come to your event - and thanks to the glorious internet, finding this data is easier than ever!
Coupled with broader stats, such as millennials accounting for 57% of outdoor sport participation, you’ll be able to piece together your ideal participant profile and streamline your marketing efforts to the channels and messages that resonate.
4) Understand what motivates new participants
If you want new people to come to your race, you need to get inside their head. Not in a creepy way, but empathize with them to help them make the leap into endurance activity.
According to the Physical Activity Council survey, the best way non-participants will get involved is by taking part with a friend. Understanding whether people are motivated by intrinsic or extrinsic factors (stress reduction or donuts?) is also important to help you design the right race promotion strategy.
Once you get people out, you need to hook them with a quality event. Participating in an event itself can be the highest source of ongoing motivation to continue, as was found in a study on what motivates ultra-endurance participants.
5) Interpret industry trends to stay ahead of the curve
Sources like Running USA's annual reports provide great year over year sport-specific trends.
Based on the graph above, from 2015 to 2016 there was a slight decline in total road race finishers, but when broken down further, we see an upward trend of 5k participants and a decline in longer distances.
According to Running USA CEO Rich Harshbarger. "As race directors react to declining participation numbers, what we're seeing is more of them increase value and create better experiences for their runners, partners, charities and communities."
So what can I do with this data?
There is a clear opportunity for race directors to increase the quality of their event by using the latest tools & techniques to manage and promote races.
In this industry, you can’t only rely on what you’ve done historically - incremental advancements allow business to stay ahead, and a race is no different.
You've probably found strategies that work really well for your race - don't fix what isn't broken! But be aware that the endurance racing industry changes over time.
Recognize these changes and make gradual improvements to keep your race thriving.
Using new technology to create quality race experiences is necessary to stay in the game. RaceHub can take your race to the next level. It’s not just a registration software - it’s a race experience platform.
Contact support@racehubhq.com to find out how we can help promote your race with viral photo campaigns.
