What's the best way to create a communication plan for a sports event?

A communication plan is a key tool for any sports event organizer. It helps you define your objectives, identify your target audience, choose the best channels, and measure your results. A good communication plan can boost your event's visibility, engagement, and reputation. In this article, you will learn how to create a communication plan for a sports event in six simple steps.

1 Set your goals

The first step is to clarify what you want to achieve with your communication plan. Do you want to increase awareness, attract sponsors, generate media coverage, or sell tickets? Your goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, a SMART goal could be: "To sell 80% of the available tickets for the event by June 30".

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Jillian Shields

Senior Strategy Manager, Writer, Chartered Marketer
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Yes, although your plan may be focused around the event, consider pre-, during and post-event communications - how will you inform people, warm them up, tell them about the event, and follow up after the event.

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2 Know your audience

The next step is to understand who you are communicating with and what they need. Your audience may include potential participants, spectators, sponsors, media, volunteers, or staff. You should segment your audience based on their characteristics, preferences, and behaviors. For example, you could segment your audience by age, gender, location, interest, or motivation. Then, you should create personas for each segment, which are fictional profiles that represent your ideal audience members.

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Veronica Crespo

Bilingual Communications Professional | Creating Relationships | Adding Value.
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This is key! Knowing your audience will allow you to create a successful plan, choose the right channels, and reach your goals.

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3 Choose your channels

The third step is to select the most effective and appropriate channels to reach your audience. You should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each channel, such as cost, reach, frequency, and impact. You should also align your channels with your goals and your audience's preferences. For example, if your goal is to generate media coverage, you could use press releases, media kits, or press conferences. If your goal is to increase engagement, you could use social media, email newsletters, or blogs.

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4 Craft your messages

The fourth step is to create compelling and consistent messages that convey your event's value proposition, benefits, and personality. You should tailor your messages to each audience segment and channel, using the appropriate tone, language, and format. You should also use the AIDA model to guide your message creation: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. For example, you could use a catchy headline to grab attention, a testimonial to spark interest, a special offer to create desire, and a clear call to action.

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5 Implement your plan

The fifth step is to execute your communication plan according to your timeline, budget, and resources. You should assign roles and responsibilities to your team members, and use tools and templates to streamline your workflow. You should also monitor and adjust your plan as needed, based on feedback, data, and external factors. For example, you could use a communication calendar to schedule your activities, a dashboard to track your metrics, or a survey to collect feedback.

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6 Evaluate your results

The final step is to measure and analyze your communication plan's performance and outcomes. You should compare your results with your goals and objectives, and identify what worked well and what didn't. You should also use qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate your impact, such as interviews, surveys, analytics, or reports. For example, you could use the ROI formula to calculate your return on investment: (Revenue - Cost) / Cost x 100.

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Jillian Shields

Senior Strategy Manager, Writer, Chartered Marketer
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It is helpful when setting your objectives to consider how they will be measured and ensure you have the mechanisms in place to do so from the outset.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Dr. Dan Kaufmann

Strategic Revenue Executive | Driving Growth Through Data-Driven Sales Cross-Functional Collaboration, and Customer-Centric Innovation | Scholar-Practioner
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The key to an effective communication plan lies in its versatility adaptable to the context of either gameday or non-gameday scenarios. Successful dissemination of information relies on careful consideration of the culture, vernacular, and timing specific to the event. On gamedays, pre-communication becomes paramount to ensure fans have a seamless and memorable experience, leveraging multiple channels like social media, app pushes, email, and in-venue announcements. On non-gamedays, the focus shifts towards creating unique content that fosters continuous fan engagement. This might involve behind-the-scenes glimpses, player interviews, or interactive challenges to sustain interest and increase fan engagement.

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What's the best way to create a communication plan for a sports event?

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1 Set your goals

2 Know your audience

3 Choose your channels

4 Craft your messages

5 Implement your plan

6 Evaluate your results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Sports Management

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What's the best way to create a communication plan for a sports event?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Set your goals

2 Know your audience

3 Choose your channels

4 Craft your messages

5 Implement your plan

6 Evaluate your results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Sports Management

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