Starting January 1st, friends, family and maybe even you, start thinking about and committing to those ever-elusive New Year’s resolutions. We’re all proud to make them and a little guilty when we break them, but what if you and your event had the power to help prospective Athletes fulfill their health resolutions for the year? Fitness related goals top the resolution charts across the country, however, according to US News, 80% of New Year’s Eve resolutions fail by mid-February. This means that if people aren’t committing to a general or specific goal by that point, statistically you’ve already lost them.
Often times, resolutions fail because there is no tangible end goal in sight. But as Race Directors you have the power to change that for your Athletes. When people have the opportunity to commit to something long term, especially something they’ve already paid for such as a triathlon in May or that 10K race in September, they’re more likely to stick to their goals. Your next event in 2019 could be the commitment that inspires resolution longevity.
Target those resolution hopefuls with a well planned Marketing Campaign and help them commit and achieve their fitness goals. By hitting them with your event’s marketing campaign in the next few weeks, you have the opportunity to capture early registration before Athletes give up on their resolutions.
A few quick tips:
- A good marketing campaign is a program you create to promote your event, or a specific offer or opportunity related to your event
- A campaign involves using similar messaging (the look, feel, and “voice” of the campaign) across multiple Marketing channels
- Focus your campaign around one, consistent offer
- The messaging supporting the offer can vary according to your target audiences, but make sure that prospects engaging with one aspect of your marketing campaign, the can associate it with another aspect down the road
Remember, the average person sees a message eight times before reacting to it. EIGHT TIMES! Which is why you need to get your message out there, in a number of different formats, and for a decent length of time (at least a few weeks), to see a return. Consistency is key, so that when people see your message time and time again, it eventually sinks in and inspires them to take action.
Creating the Offer
The first piece of advice we can offer goes back to creating a consistent offer. And more importantly, one that prospective customers will recognize and associate to their New Year’s resolutions. We suggest creating messaging that directly communicates to your Athletes that you’re here to help at the peak of their resolutions.
- Try using explicit copy, like “We want to help you meet your health and fitness goals by offering 15% off our 5K event in May, 2019” – this will draw attention to your event, your offer, and your recognition of their efforts and goals.
- If you’re including discount codes, make sure they lend themselves to being NYE Resolution focused as well. Something along the lines of RESOLUTION15 or COMMIT5K will ensure you’re communicating an offer that is easy to remember and easy to associate with resolutions.
Bottom line, the more direct and memorable you can make the offer, the more engagement you will receive.
Now let’s dig a little bit deeper into two of the basics tactics you can begin implementing today to get your campaign off the ground:
Social Media
It’s a must these days, and you’ll want to try a mix of organic (free) and promoted (paid) social posts. Paid posts on social media are far less expensive and arguably more effective than traditional media. Plus, you can easily tweak campaigns based on what’s working and what’s not, so don’t be afraid to experiment a bit with social media advertising.
Share details about your event on your social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Include a direct link to your event registration page.
And lastly, encourage those registering to share to their own social pages as people are more likely to stick to their goal if a. they have support, and b. they talk about it or post about it.
For in-depth tips and tricks to help tackle all your social media needs—plus extensive information on the free analytics tools available to you—download the Athlinks Services beginner and/or advanced social media guidebooks for Race Directors.
Email Marketing
Email outreach is an obvious, low-budget way to grow your race. We’re willing to bet you have a collection of email addresses. Maybe they’re the addresses of past participants in your event. If you’re just starting out, maybe they’re your friends and business associates. Alert all these people about your race and invite them to join in the fun.
But if you don’t exactly have the mailing list you want, what do you do?
- Ask your Timer if he/she sends regular emails promoting local events
- Connect with other race organizers to create mutually beneficial promotions, pooling your strengths and resources
- Check with government and community organizations that may be more than happy to help spread the news of your exciting local event
Don’t forget, when sending any email announcement, be sure to include a link to registration and encourage your contacts to share to anyone they think might be interested in your offer. 
For more detail on the above information, as well as additional marketing campaign advice and ideas, check out our most recent White Paper How to Market Your Event. With any questions, feel free to reach out at info@athlinks.com
