Promoting an Event? Four Tips From The Masters

Focus on one thing. Do it well.

This is tough for us to do as marketers today. From tech stacks and marketing automation to media campaigns that span TV, print, radio, display, pre-roll, search and social – to content where you are creating blogs, white papers, infographics, eBooks, videos and more - it’s hard to focus on one thing and do it well.

The Masters certainly has the team to tackle all aspects of today’s marketing landscape. However, its marketing focus leading up to the 82nd playing for the green jacket is simple and powerful. Focus on video. And, do it well.

Since there are only four minutes allowed per hour for commercials during The Masters television broadcast, compared to the 14 minutes and 37 seconds per hour for network TV (according to Nielsen), here are four ways The Masters has owned video leading up to this edition of “a tradition unlike any other.”

1)   Know Your Channel: All of the videos shared during the 19-day countdown series on The Masters social media channels were less than one minute. And all of the videos shared on The Masters Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages were viewable within the platforms themselves so viewers didn’t have to click on the content to watch elsewhere (website, YouTube). According to Socialbakers, native videos on Facebook have 10 times higher reach compared to YouTube links. Think about the user – let them watch on the channel they’re on.

2)  Have a Home: Of course, you want to share video content across your social media channels. You also want to make sure all of your great content – and in this case video content – has a home, on your website. After all, your website is where you are driving revenue. The Masters video page is a great repository of all of the video content being produced, and the page is great from a user-experience perspective – clean, easy to navigate. Plus, it recommends other videos you might like on the page you are watching your current video on – keeping people on the site, longer.

3)   YouTube = Archives: Your brand’s YouTube channel is the perfect place to archive video content, and The Masters has done just that, creating a playlist, Final Round Broadcasts at The Masters. It is home to the past 50 final round broadcasts. The YouTube channel also has past interviews with Masters champions and features that explore the setting, icons, landmarks and history of the event.

4)   Make Sure the Content is Good: Let’s end with the simplest learning that’s the toughest to apply – the content has to be good. And, it’s easier to be good when you are focused on one thing. The video content The Masters is producing is well-done and interesting, and it takes you behind the scenes of things the fan has always seen on TV and wanted more information about – from details of the iconic caddie jumpsuit and the green jacket to a look at the Champions Dinner and “The Return of the Patrons.”

Focus on one thing. Do it well.

Our odds as marketers of doing this today might mimic the odds that 63-year-old (and two-time Masters champ) Tom Watson wins this year at Augusta – 1,000 to 1 – but it’s still something we should all think about and try to do.

It will lead to better content, and more impactful results.