Bringing it home: Getting involved with the World Cup
This year’s World Cup has proven that it’s not just Eastenders that everyone is talking about. The England v Colombia match which saw England make its way to the quarter finals was watched by 16.5 million people, making it the most watched TV event since the Olympic closing ceremony in 2012; this figure rose to 24.4 million at 9:52pm when England scored the winning penalty, the highest peak audience for live sport since England played Portugal in the 2004 Euros.
We’ve seen big brands such as Lidl, Budweiser and even The Sun score goals in the World Cup conversation. But for smaller brands, or those in the B2B space, it can seem a little daunting, leaving them on the bench and far away from the on-pitch action. So, where do you begin?
Tip one: Be resourceful
It’s easy to use a lack of resource or small budgets as an excuse not to join in with the World Cup hype, but there are plenty of ways to get involved without using your entire annual marketing budget. Social media is a key tool to use to join in with the conversation: the figures released by Twitter show that the online reaction to England beating Colombia peaked at 127,000 tweets per minute.
Are you offering any special World Cup promotions, products or services? Can the technology you sell help other organisations to get even more out of the World Cup this year? How is your organisation or team getting behind the World Cup teams and celebrating the victories? Showing a personal side to your business is a simple way of letting your prospective customers know what your business is really all about. Be resourceful and use what is readily available to make sure you are joining in with the biggest conversation of the year so far.
Here’s how we got our office dog, Sam, involved in our World Cup campaign!
Tip two: Timing is everything
A key takeaway from the World Cup 2018 campaigns that we have seen is that timing is everything, and we know that being reactive is essential for every successful PR and social media strategy. If you’re using social media throughout the tournament, pick your moments carefully. When are your followers most likely to be online? Which platform is the best to use? Which hashtags can you use to help your message reach a wider audience?
Unfortunately, social media doesn’t sleep, and neither do celebrating football fans. To overcome this, think about using a social media scheduling tool like Buffer or Hootsuite to keep your feed ticking over at crucial moments. Be warned though: don’t try to predict the outcome of a match or forecast any moments that you don’t know for certain will happen, or you could risk being shown a red card. Stick to the facts, wish your team luck or schedule a half-time reminder or discussion point to target your audience at the right time.
Tip three: Get creative
When it comes to getting in on the World Cup action, remember to think outside the box and get creative with your use of imagery and video. With the level of noise on social media in particular, it can be easy to get lost in the news feed, so getting creative is a good way to stand out from the crowd. However, remember to keep your tone of voice consistent and your messaging relevant. Your social media followers will be used to your current social media style, so although it’s good to mix things up, make sure you keep it on-brand to risk upsetting the following you have spent so long building.
Since the 2018 World Cup began, we’ve been getting involved on Twitter. Take a look and join in the conversation: @NeoPRLtd. If you would like more social media tips or a discussion about how we can help you with your PR and social media strategy, get in touch!
Infographic stats from https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/stats
