When you scroll through social media, what catches your eye? When you read a blog post or an online article, what do you look for first? If you answered photos and videos, you’re not alone. (Did you notice all the cool images in this post? We thought so.)
Let’s face it: we are a visual society. In fact, when was the last time you bothered to read a Facebook post that did not contain an image or a video? We crave instant, visual, easily absorbed messaging. We’re drawn to content that evokes emotion, or that conveys an experience, far better and faster than words alone. That’s why we recommend you rethink your race photo strategy and reshape how your participants and spectators engage with your event.
Providing an end-to-end solution for race photography is arguably more important than in years past. And it should be top of mind with any race planning, as consumers continue to request digital media at an accelerated rate.
These days, athletes flock to races that go above and beyond in terms of the services and special touches they offer. One of the best “bonus” items you can deliver to your participants is free (or low-cost) race images and videos, available immediately post-event, to satisfy their unquestionable passion to share their experience. They’ll love you for it—and more importantly, they’ll share the media you provide with their entire digital community of family, friends, and followers. That’s a whole lot of eyeballs (and likes, shares, comments, etc.) on your race.
Let’s not forget:
Posts that include images produce 650% higher engagement than text alone.
Providing free race images sounds ideal. But it has to be expensive—right? Here’s the catch: when you partner with a sponsor to provide no-cost or low-cost media to your participants, the media is virtually free to you. Your supporting sponsor makes the investment, and they reap big benefits, too. They receive tasteful branding on each and every image and video, guaranteeing high-value, authentic, organic advertising—the type of endorsement that is tough to buy. Our Digital Media Product Manager, Sean Walkinshaw, continually elevates our service offerings, driven by the following quote, “We must create a dialogue with our consumers and demonstrate ROI to our sponsors. They will be the victors in this new media endurance market place.”
So how does this media magic work? Athlinks Media Services is a powerful, cost-effective, and seamless integrated platform, paired with results, to provide your participants the best possible media experience in the market today. We provide easy-to-use tools and turnkey solutions
to best match your photography needs, media sponsor activations, and most importantly, your engagement with your participants.
Athlinks Media Services offers three options to maximize your race media opportunities and provide a new level of experience to your athletes:
• Self Onboard—the race takes care of all media functions, with no charge to the athletes
• Hybrid—the race does some of the work, and contracts with Athlinks Media Services for various services, still with no charge to the athletes
• Full Service—Athlinks Media Services handles all logistics, top-to-bottom, yet again with no charge to the athletes
The services we offer range from photo logo overlay branding, to onsite professional photographers, to image sorting and tagging, to analytics reports, and much, much more. You’ll find a detailed breakdown of what’s included with each Athlinks Media Services package here.
Whichever option you choose, partnering with Athlinks Media Services allows you to develop an unforgettable, positive, shareable race experience for your participants. Their passion for competition, camaraderie, and sport, coupled with the media you provide, will quickly make its way around the virtual world. In turn, both you and your media sponsor will see a marked increase in post-race participant engagement, enhancing the exposure and buzz around your race. It’s a winning scenario for everyone—and it doesn’t get much better than that.
Contact us today to learn more about Athlinks Media Services: 855-709-4555 or email us.
