Building with ... Jimmie Martin, Bluegrass Soccer Cast
Oct 24, 2023
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Special guest Jimmie Martin joins hosts Nik and John to discuss the Kentucky soccer scene, various teams, fan experiences, and community outreach. They also talk about promoting the game through cross-promotion and delve into podcast building, monetization, and social media strategy.
Promoting live game attendance and social media engagement are key strategies to gain exposure and followers.
Building connections and collaboration between professional and non-professional clubs can benefit the growth of the sport.
Actively engaging with the local community and collaborating with other soccer programs enhance player development and create a robust talent pool.
Deep dives
Live game attendance and social media promotion
The club focuses on two main avenues to promote their offering: live game attendance and social media. In terms of live game attendance, they aim to create a high-quality game day experience, complete with food trucks, national anthem presentations, and other elements typically seen at professional games. They have also put effort into promoting their social media presence. They actively engage with the soccer community on Twitter, sharing relevant content, offering opinions, and even involving co-hosts in discussions. Their goal is to provide a platform for players and teams to showcase their talent, which in turn helps them gain exposure and followers.
Challenges and strategies when facing venue changes
The club has faced challenges when forced to change venues due to circumstances such as field renovations. They have had to adapt their game experience to different locations and gauge the impacts on attendance and fan loyalty in different parts of the city. Additionally, the club recognizes the importance of educating fans on the financial aspects of running a club, including the need to charge admission fees to support the team. They also strive to provide value to fans by offering special promotions or benefits to season ticket holders.
Value of grassroots support and cross-promotion
The podcast emphasizes the value of grassroots support and cross-promotion among clubs at various levels. They note that stronger connections and collaboration between professional and non-professional clubs can benefit the growth of the sport as a whole. They advocate for greater recognition and promotion of lower-level matches, suggesting the idea of MLS teams acknowledging and encouraging fans to attend non-league or lower-level matches during international breaks. They believe that initiatives like these can help build fan loyalty, bring attention to different clubs, and foster a stronger soccer community.
Challenges of Connecting and Collaborating in Soccer
The podcast episode delves into the challenges and opportunities for connecting and collaborating within the soccer community. It highlights the difficulty of establishing relationships between amateur clubs and professional or semi-professional teams due to resource limitations and differences in levels of play. The importance of community engagement and building strong connections with local supporters and supporter groups is emphasized. Additionally, the episode discusses the need for development pathways beyond college soccer, particularly for women's teams, and the role of academies in fostering player development. The monetization of podcasts is also briefly touched upon as a potential avenue for sustaining and expanding soccer media efforts.
Promotion and Development at the Local Level
Another key focus of the podcast is the promotion and development of soccer at the local level. The benefits of actively engaging with the community through participating in events, festivals, and other social gatherings are highlighted. The episode also suggests reaching out to former players who are now playing professionally abroad as a means to promote the club and attract more attention and sponsorship interest. Collaboration between various soccer programs, including colleges, is discussed as a way to enhance player development and create a robust talent pool. The challenges of monetizing the podcast and the dedication to providing valuable content to the soccer community are mentioned as well.
In this episode, hosts Nik and John are joined by special guest Jimmie Martin, host of the Bluegrass Soccercast podcast.
The three dive into the Kentucky soccer scene, discussing the pro, semi-pro, amateur, and college teams in the state. Jimmie provides an overview of the different leagues and clubs, including Louisville City FC, Lexington Sporting Club, and Bowling Green FC.
They compare the fan experiences, stadium environments, and community outreach efforts of the various teams. Jimmie highlights some of the standout marketing and promotions he's seen local clubs implement.
The hosts also explore the connections (or lack thereof) between the pro clubs, colleges, youth clubs, and local semi-pro sides. They debate how to best promote the "pyramid" and grow the game in communities through cross-promotion.
On the podcasting side, they dissect how to build an audience, monetize through sponsorships, and balance club-specific vs. wider soccer coverage. Jimmie outlines his production schedule and social media strategy for the Bluegrass Soccercast.
