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Players

Marketing

Attracting and retaining players, volunteers and partners 

At the core of any football club or league is one very important factor; people. Without them your club simply wouldn't exist so it's important to bring in new people and retain existing members.

Whether you’re looking for new volunteers, players or local partners, you want to promote your club in the right way. Effective communication and marketing of a club or league will help share your passion and convince people that your club is right for them.

Think about why your club is different, what it can offer and why should a sponsor/volunteer/player choose your club to join or partner up with. Do you attract specific age groups? Are any of your teams low on numbers? Chat to existing members and find out why they joined or what they like most about your club. All this can be used to sell your club and demonstrate its value.

Once you’ve got a plan there are various tools you can use to promote your club to the local community and sponsors. The sections below will give you some hints on tops on growing your club and finding sponsorship

Marketing Tips
Retaining existing players, parents and volunteers is just as important as attracting new ones and should be an easier task. Think about what you can offer them and how you can keep them engaged and committed to the club throughout the season. Current members can also be a key means of promoting the club through word of mouth; try running bring a friend sessions or open days and one off events to stimulate interest. Many people are attracted to the social, fun side of club life so think about how you can improve this.
Local press, newsletters, posters and flyers can be a really easy and simple way to promote your club to the right audience. Local newspapers are often eager to hear from clubs about community work and youth projects so think about what you might be able to promote locally in this way.

If you're running an event or are looking for new players, posters around the local area and giving flyers to local schools can be equally effective.
For many people, the first place they will now look for something is online and that applies to football clubs too! Does your club have a website, facebook page or twitter account? Does it give an accurate and appealing representation of your club? Are all the contact details up to date?

It is definitely worthwhile to keep on top of your web presence. Teams and clubs have had great success using the internet to keep in contact with players and parents, share results, fixtures and photos and also attract new players and volunteers. If you haven't got a club facebook or twitter page consider setting one up.
Groundmanship for your club

Growing your club

Practical ideas to help keep your club moving forward
Partners

Sponsorship

Finding new partners to support your club