6 Pittsburgh Riverhound players are standing sideways on the field.

By: Hannah Stelitano

BACKGROUND

An image of the Highmark Stadium during a soccer game. The skye is blue, purple, and pink and it freflecting onto the stadium lights which are turned on. Many people are sitting in the stands and players are running on the field. — On March 11, 1998, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC was founded by Paul Heasley. In 1999, the team actually started playing soccer in the city. This was a huge event for the city of Pittsburgh since their previous team, Pittsburgh Spirit, had not played in 12 years. The Riverhounds play their home games at Highmark Stadium which has a beautiful view of the city’s skyline behind it.

PURPOSE

The goal of this social media strategy is to increase ticket sales to all games, specifically to soccer fans within 50 miles of Pittsburgh who do not currently attend games. To do this, a clear brand identity needs to be established, influencer marketing needs to be implemented, and local business partnerships can be promoted through social media.

BRAND IDENTITY

A brand identity is the face of a brand and what comes to mind when people think about that brand. The first step in crafting a social media strategy is developing a clear brand identity. In today’s society, social media is the main form of communication to drive a larger engagement. Creating a social media calendar will help consistent posts to be implicated on individuals accounts. Along with this, consistency drives more engagement. Although posting consistently will gain more traction to posts, it is important that they stay consistent with colors, fonts, and hashtags to ensure that the audience does not forget who the Pittsburgh Riverhounds are. Through this, the target audience of soccer fans within 50 miles of Pittsburgh who have never been to a game will be more intrigued to come. Visually consistent content can highlight a sense of community which will be the main factor in getting this audience to a game. For more on Mobile Engagement and how to increase engagement for events online, check out this article.

Part of maintaining a brand identity is practicing how to manage it. In case an incident occurs, knowing how to come back from it could save your company. This article that I wrote explains the importance of online reputation management and how to practice it.

INFLUENCER MARKETING

Collaborating with influencers is a great way to drive engagement at games. Influencers have a steady following that trust their opinions and believe what they say. If the Riverhounds bring in famous figures and have them film content at a game in which they will upload on their social media sites, this can help to influence more individuals to want to go to a game. This type of content resonates with fans because it feels more personal and less scripted. It is an outside source from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds themselves which creates a sense of trust within the audience. For more information on how influencers can promote events, check out this article.

It is also important to realize that newer generations thrive from this type of marketing. Gen Z and younger Millennials are more likely to make decisions based on what they see on social media. By influencers promoting this sports game, it will make a new audience of individuals inclined to go out and see a game. This article by Noah Fries dives into the importance of how sports can market to a new generation.

PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES

Another great way to drive engagement and increase ticket sales at games is to partner with local businesses. The Gateway Clipper Fleet is a sightseeing boat located directly next to Highmark Stadium. By looking at the Pittsburgh Riverhound’s home game schedule and hosting an event in collaboration with the Gateway Clipper Fleet, this could also help to drive more people to come to a game.

For example, the Gateway Clipper Fleet could host a party on their boat before a soccer game. They could serve soccer themed food and drinks and even invite a few of the players to come onto the boat for a meet and greet. They could then promote this content on social media to encourage more people to want to come. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds could also offer a promo code for future ticket purchases if individuals were to be on the pre-game boat ride. After seeing this, people would be more inclined to come because

It shows that the players care about their fans
It shows real, live content of individuals having fun
It gives more options of things to do in Pittsburgh

Through this partnership, both organizations would have a chance to promote their businesses and it would help to drive ticket sales of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

CONCLUSION

Overall, a clear brand identity, influencer marketing, and local business partnerships will help the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to increase ticket sales to all games, specifically to soccer fans within 50 miles of Pittsburgh who do not currently attend games. The prime location makes these games a great attraction that can be promoted through influencer marketing. There are also many local businesses nearby, such as the Gateway Clipper Fleet, that would be a great partnership option.